College Planning Center
Counseling
Let our trained advisers help you figure out your student loans.
As a nonprofit, we don't benefit from you taking out more than you need.
Unlike other private lenders, our advisers have no incentive to sell you a larger loan. We are experts in the South Carolina educational landscape, and we pride ourselves on getting you the most FREE money through grants and scholarships first, to reduce the amount of your loans. Once we know how much you'll need, we'll help you secure a low-interest loan and can walk you through the entire application process.
FAQs
- Can I get counseling if I haven't applied yet?
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Yes! Please contact us if you have questions. We can walk you through the application process and help you determine the best loan for your particular circumstances.
- When do I need to apply for loans?
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The sooner you apply for a loan, the better. After you have filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), your college financial aid office will determine your eligibility for federal student loans and mail you a financial aid award letter that will detail your total eligibility.
If you need additional funds or if your aid package contains federal parent loans (they charge origination fees), we'll help you cover the difference at a much lower cost with our Undergraduate Loan or Parent Loan options.
- How long does it take to process the application?
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For the Palmetto Assistance Loan
The process for approval is fast! Apply online in minutes and receive our initial credit decision immediately. After you complete your paperwork online and accept the loan terms, we will request your school's Financial Aid Office to send us their certification. We will disburse the funds based on the schools recommended disbursement date, following all necessary federal guidelines.For the SC Teachers Loan
The SC Teachers Loan application must be filled out by the student, by the college's School of Education and college's Financial Aid Office. We will process your application as soon as we receive it from the Financial Aid Office, but we will not make a final approval of the loan until we find out from the State how much funding we will receive for the upcoming academic year. Once funding is approved, we will disburse the funds based on the school request. - How do I get in touch with an adviser?
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Call, email, or chat with us!
Toll-free (800) 347-2752
Local (803) 798-0916You can chat with us by selecting the "live chat" button in the bottom right corner of the page.
- Is counseling free?
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Yes, there is no charge for our counseling services.
Talk to an Expert.
Access to our trained advisers is just one perk of using South Carolina Student Loan. They’ll help you maximize your scholarships and grants (ie: free money!) and then help you make up the difference with a smaller loan amount that you’ll be able to repay faster.
Call »
Talk to a human
(800) 347-2752
Chat
Click "Live Chat" for quick replies M-F, 8-5
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Easy connection to our advisers 24/7
Our Team
Tammy Lybrand
Loan Adviser
19 years of experience
Tammy cherishes the relationships she’s formed with students throughout four years of college and families sending multiple kids to college. When she’s not working, Tammy heads home to her rural escape in Gilbert, SC. And she can be found boating, water skiing, or paddle boarding on Lake Murray most weekends in the summer.
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Tom Geddens
Loan Adviser
27 years of experience
Not only does Tom work tirelessly to serve student and parent borrowers, he’s consistently helping out at his condo and church, and he volunteers with an SC ministry that provides outreach to incarcerated youth in the state.
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Christy Green
Loan Specialist
33 years of experience
Christy loves helping students understand every step, and she’s a whiz at refinancing and calculating how much you can save. On Saturdays in the fall, she’s a diehard college football fan, and she makes a killer cheeseball for the tailgate.
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