If you cosigned a student loan and now would like to be removed, you and the borrower of the loan have three options:
1. Some lenders offer cosigner release as an option on their student loans. Typically, these require 12, 24, 36, or 48 months of consecutive on-time payments by the primary borrower. The primary borrower must also satisfy credit criteria. Make sure you understand the terms to release your cosigner.
2. The primary borrower must refinance or consolidate.
- Federal PLUS Loan borrowers can consolidate their debt into a Direct Consolidation Loan. The consolidation process will create a new loan and remove the cosigner.
- For private student loans, the primary borrower would need to refinance their loans. The borrower needs to either be creditworthy enough to qualify on their own, or they can refinance with a different cosigner (like a spouse).
3. You or the borrower must pay the loan in full.