YOUR LAST STEP ON THE PATH TO CHANGING YOUR CAREER
Finance Your Tuition
Affordable Monthly Payments
THE SAME LOW RATE FOR ALL
Below you'll find your honest & upfront rate, even if you opt to add a cosigner.
- Borrow what you'll need for tuition - up to $11,750
- Students usually complete the self-paced Data Science program in 6 months for $8,720.
- After applying for your loan, complete the enrollment form for the Data Science program. Your loan will be certified one week after your first session.
Choose the Loan Type that Best Meets Your Needs:
- Interest-Only Loan: Make low interest-only payments while enrolled in the program + two months after program completion. You'll begin full repayment (interest + principal) after the two-month grace period.
- Immediate Repayment Loan: Get your loan balance behind you by starting to make full payments (interest + principal) roughly one month after your loan is disbursed.
Now, let's calculate your monthly payment:
Students may borrow from $ to $
*The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) shown is estimated based on the loan type, origination fee, and approximate program length. The actual APR may be slightly different than the example provided based on loan type and program length. To learn how an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is calculated, visit our blog.
PAYMENT BREAKDOWN OF AN $8,720* LOAN
| Loan Type | Interest-Only Payment | Full Monthly (Principal and Interest) Payment | Full Cost of Loan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interest-Only (Only Pay Interest While in Program + 2 months) | $67.94 | $288.34 | $10,923.88 |
| Immediate Repayment (Start Paying Interest + Principal) | N/A | $288.34 | $10,380.36 |
*Students usually complete the program in 6 months at a cost of $8,720. The maximum amount of $11,750 is based on an 8-month completion timeline. Borrow the maximum you'll need to complete the program. Loans cannot be adjusted upward after the application has been completed. Contact Skills Fund or your Thinkful adviser if you complete the program earlier than anticipated.
MORE INFO ON TERMS
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| Skills Fund Loan | 36 Month | |
|---|---|---|
| Cosigners | Note: Up to 1 cosigner might be required in some instances. | |
| Origination Fee | 4.0% of loan requested (1) | |
| Interest Rate (2) |
Fixed 8.99% interest rate; 10.94-11.69% estimated APR |
|
| Capitalization of Interest |
Interest-Only Loans: Interest not capitalized unless payments not made. Immediate Repayment Loans: Interest not capitalized unless payments not made. |
|
| Payments Required While Enrolled? |
Interest-Only Loans: Monthly interest payments are required. Immediate Repayment Loans: Yes, full payments (interest + principal) are mandatory roughly one month after loan is disbursed. |
|
| Grace Period |
Two-month period after the in-school period, following official program completion, and before interest and principal repayment begins. (3) Interest-Only Loans: Interest-only payments are required while in school and in the grace period. Immediate Repayment Loans: None, full repayments start roughly one month after loan is disbursed. |
|
| Post-Grace Period | Interest-Only Loans: Full repayments (principal and interest) are required. Immediate Repayment Loans: Full repayments (principal and interest) are required. |
|
| Principal and Interest Repayment Term | 36 months (3 years) | |
This example shows the monthly payments of a $8,720 interest-only Skills Fund loan:
| Example on an $8,720 loan | 36 Month |
|---|---|
| Annual Percentage Rate | 10.94% (4) |
| Finance Charge (the dollar amount the credit will cost you) | $2,203.88 (4) |
| Interest-Only Monthly Payment | $67.94 (4) |
| Full Monthly (Principal and Interest) Payment | $288.34 (4) |
- (1) The 4.0% origination fee is assessed to all loans, and is added to the principal request, so for example, requesting $8,720 will result in a $348.80 origination fee that will be added to your loan balance and increase the amount you will accrue interest against to $ 9,068.80.
- (2) Interest rates are fixed and never vary.
- (3) Program completion dates are determined by the school, and full repayment begins two months after that date.
- (4) Annual Percentage Rate (APR): Finance charge and monthly payments are estimated based upon borrowing $8,720, a 4.0% origination fee, paying interest on the loan for 6 months while enrolled in the program and for a two-month grace period, then the 36-month principal and interest period.
This example shows the monthly payments of a $8,720 immediate repayment Skills Fund loan:
| Example on an $8,720 loan | 36 Month |
|---|---|
| Annual Percentage Rate | 11.69% (3) |
| Finance Charge (the dollar amount the credit will cost you) | $1,660.36 (3) |
| Full Monthly (Principal and Interest) Payment | $288.34 (3) |
- (1) The 4.0% origination fee is assessed to all loans, and is added to the principal request, so for example, requesting $8,720 will result in a $348.80 origination fee that will be added to your loan balance and increase the amount you will accrue interest against to $ 9,068.80.
- (2) Interest rates are fixed and never vary.
- (3) Annual Percentage Rate (APR): Finance charge and monthly payments are estimated based upon borrowing $8,720, a 4.0% origination fee, and the 36-month principal and interest period.
QUALIFYING FOR SKILLS FUND FINANCING
Our underwriting reflects an investment in your future success. Skills Fund does not use current income nor employment history in your credit decision, and you may qualify for a Skills Fund loan if you meet the basic underwriting criteria, including:
- You are a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (Green Card holder)
- No bankruptcies or history of default on a public or private loan
Worried about your credit health? You may either add a cosigner to begin your loan application, or following credit denial, you may be given the opportunity to add a cosigner.
All approved students are given the same low rate - with or without a cosigner. And there's no prepayment penalty with a Skills Fund loan.
TAKE 10 MINUTES & APPLY
Please note: Your program must start within 90 days of submitting your loan application. Should your application be submitted outside of the 90-day window, you will need to reapply for Skills Fund financing.
ATTENTION APPLICANTS: When entering "Applicant Information" within your loan application, please select New York (NY) as "the state of the school you plan to attend." After applying, please fill out the enrollment form for the Data Science program. Your loan will be certified one week after your first session.
If you are a cosigner, begin the addendum now by clicking here.
Before you begin, please read these important notes:
- Customer identification policy:
- For the purpose of the following notice, the words "you" and "your" mean the Borrower and the Cosigner. All applicants: Important Federal Law Notice - Important information about procedures for opening a new account: To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, federal law requires all financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. What this means for you: When you open an account, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth and other information that will allow us to identify you. We may also ask to see your driver's license or other identifying documents.
- Consent to share data:
- By clicking the box below and beginning the application, I consent under Federal and state privacy laws to Thinkful providing to Skills Fund information related to my application, enrollment, and completion, including but not limited to information contained in my original application and supplements as well as information regarding my completion, graduation, and post-graduation outcomes information.
While in the application, please note:
- DO NOT use the browser Back button. Using the browser Back button may cause invalid information and delay the processing of your loan.
- Your application will not be complete until it has been signed and submitted along with any required documentation.
- You will need the address and phone number of 3 references to complete your application, including one relative not living with you. Others may be friends, employers, etc.
Looking for The Full Stack Flex or Engineering Immersion Programs?
Please visit thinkful-fs.skills.fund or thinkful-ei.skills.fund.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
﹀
HOW MUCH CAN I BORROW AND FOR WHAT SPECIFIC USES?
For Thinkful's Data Science program, you may borrow from $2,000 to $11,750 for tuition.
On average, students complete the program in six months at a cost of $8,720. The maximum amount of $11,750 is based on an eight-month completion timeline. Borrow the maximum you'll need to complete the program, as loans cannot be adjusted upward after the application has been completed.
If you request a higher tuition amount and complete the program earlier than anticipated, contact your Thinkful adviser or the Skills Fund Customer Trust team to initiate a refund. There is no prepayment penalty for paying off the balance of your loan term early.
HOW AND WHEN WILL I REPAY MY LOAN?
Upon loan acceptance, we will provide you with several options for making payments, including automated payments. You may create an account at AspireServicingCenter.com at any time to manage payments and account balance.
Interest-Only Loans: You will start paying interest on your loan roughly one month after your loan is disbursed to the school. Disbursement occurs on the second Wednesday after program start. You will make interest-only payments while in program and for 60 days following program completion.
You will start making full monthly payments (interest plus principal) after your two-month grace period ends. This 60-day payment grace period helps you to keep your eye on finding the right job following program completion.
Immediate Repayment Loans: You will start making full monthly payments (interest plus principal) roughly one month after your loan is disbursed to your school. Disbursement occurs on the second Wednesday after program start.
There is no prepayment penalty with a Skills Fund loan.
WHAT IS THE DEFERMENT PERIOD FOR INTEREST-ONLY LOANS?
The deferment period is defined as the time you are attending the course, plus an additional two months after program completion. These additional two months are considered your grace period.
Interest-only payments are required during the deferment period. After the deferment period ends, payments of interest and principal are required. Paying interest on your loan during the deferment period will result in lower interest + principal payments during the full loan repayment phase of 36 months.
Please note: Immediate repayment loans do not have a deferment period. Full (principal and interest) monthly payments are due roughly a month after your loan is disbursed.
HOW MUCH ARE INTEREST-ONLY PAYMENTS DURING THE DEFERMENT PERIOD?
The interest-only payments depend on how much you borrow; the less you borrow, the less you will pay.
- For a 36-month $8,720 loan: The interest rate is fixed at 8.99% / 10.94% estimated APR. The interest-only monthly payment is approximately $67.94.
Please see terms in "More Info On Terms" above.
Please note: The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is estimated and may change slightly based on program start date. To learn how an Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is calculated, visit our blog.
WILL I GET CHARGED ANY FEES FOR TAKING OUT THIS LOAN?
You will be charged an origination fee of 4.0%. This amount will be added to the amount of tuition you borrow and is included in the total loan principal amount you finance. This fee helps cover the administrative fees associated with originating the loan and is charged by our partner bank. Please see terms in "More Info on Terms" above.
Please note: This fee is already reflected in the APR outlined above and in the loan calculator. Interested in learning more about your interest rate vs. APR? Check out our blog post here.
I AM APPLYING FOR A SCHOLARSHIP. SHOULD I WAIT TO APPLY FOR FINANCING?
You may apply for financing in parallel to applying for your scholarship. If you are awarded your scholarship prior to the disbursement of your tuition financing, please email CustomerTrust@Skills.Fund or notify your Admissions Counselor with the amount of your scholarship, and your tuition will be downward adjusted.
Should you receive your scholarship following the second Wednesday after program start, you can apply your funds to your loan balance at any time without a pre-payment penalty.
Please note: Should you want to apply for a scholarship, it is recommended to apply for max tuition financing, and once your scholarship is awarded, Skills Fund can downward adjust your requested tuition financing. This will prevent you having to apply for additional funds, should you not be awarded your scholarship, as loans may not be upward adjusted.
DO I NEED A COSIGNER?
If you do not meet the loan underwriting criteria, a cosigner may be needed. You can (1) apply individually, and should you not be approved, you may be given the opportunity to amend your application with a cosigner, or (2) initiate your loan process with a cosigner.
Please note: We advise you to apply individually to begin, and should you not be credit approved, you may be given the opportunity to amend your application with a cosigner.
WHEN CAN I APPLY FOR A LOAN?
Apply for the loan before enrolling in your Thinkful program. Your program cohort must begin within 90 days of the date that you apply for a loan.
- After applying for your loan, complete the enrollment form for the Data Science program. Your loan will be certified one week after your first session.
WHAT INFORMATION DO I NEED TO PROVIDE SKILLS FUND?
During the loan application process, we will ask you for the following information:
- Full name
- Address
- Email and other contact information
- Social Security Number
- Date of Birth
- Loan amount requested
- U.S. Citizenship/Permanent Resident Status
- Current Income (not a factor in credit decision)
- Current Employment Status (not a factor in credit decision)
- Three personal references
- Cosigner information (if applicable)
WILL YOU CHECK MY CREDIT?
Yes. When you apply we will check your credit, including your credit score. Interested in learning more about what goes into your credit score? Visit our blog and explore our credit history resources today.
For other general questions about Skills Fund financing, please visit our Resource Center.
CONTACT US
- Questions about your Skills Fund Student Application?
- Please contact CustomerTrust@Skills.Fund or fill out the form below.