Our mission is simple: to lower the cost of financing a higher education.

The Total Higher Education (T.H.E.) Loan Programs are a product of NorthStar, a nonprofit lender based in St. Paul, Minnesota. As the 13th largest FFELP lender in the U.S., NorthStar has originated and continues to hold more than $5 billion in student loans for borrowers across the country.

As a nonprofit, we leverage financing from the capital markets and maintain an extremely efficient business operation — without compromising high-quality service for our borrowers and administrators.

Benefits for Our Borrowers

We are proud to offer real, reliable and predictable benefits, along with outstanding customer service.

Leading the Way with Zero Fees

We were one of the first national lenders to offer zero-fee loans. The industry followed suit, and zero-fee loans are now common. That means more money goes directly to students to pay for their education, and that’s less money they have to pay back later.

T.H.E. Repayment Bonus: Giving Back to Borrowers, Not Shareholders

Rather than paying stockholders huge profits, we return our profits to our borrowers. One of the primary ways we do this is the T.H.E. Repayment Bonus, a monthly credit that offers savings as great as a 1.3% effective interest rate reduction throughout repayment. (see terms and conditions)

Because our bonus was designed for real people in the real world, more than 95% of our borrowers earn it every month, compared to the industry average of less than 10%, according to FinAid.org.

Customer Service

Our customer service experts are highly qualified to guide student-borrowers through the student loan process and make sure that administration is easy for financial aid officers.

• An immediate response from a real person, not an automated system
• One-call resolution to inquiries
• Experience that averages more than 12 years in the industry
• Intelligent support from entrance throughout repayment
• An average call abandonment rate of less than 1%

Education and Outreach for Students and Families

• Entrance, exit, budgeting and debt management counseling presentations, delivered by our dedicated corporate presenters
• Family College Funding Calculator, our comprehensive, web-based tool that enables families to turn a college price tag into a monthly payment plan over the life of the loan
• Suite of borrower education brochures, including Blue Skies: A Quick Guide to Smart Borrowing
• Personal, proactive outreach through phone calls, e-mails and postcards to help borrowers understand their options for repayment, postponement and consolidation
• The Ramen Report, our lender-neutral blog that gives students real-world tips on managing debt, sticking to a budget and making sound decisions about their education financing
• Electronic Loan Counselor, an online wizard that guides borrowers to a smart repayment strategy, based on their unique portfolio and personal goals
• Quarterly student loan interest statements during in-school period, keeping borrowers informed of their loans and interest accrual