One application. 17 lenders from our 50+ network. Funded in 24 to 48 hours.
17 lenders in our network accept part-time and irregular income. Borrow $100 to $150,000 at 9.99 to 35% APR, with funding as fast as 1 hour. Every lender is subject to the 35% federal rate cap. Most lenders ask for $1,500 monthly income. Rates reviewed August 2026.
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Every Apply button starts the same single application. Your chosen lender is prioritized first.
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Four questions about you, and it filters this list instantly.
Answer the last question to see your matches.
Checked against published lender criteria. Not a credit check, and nothing here affects your credit score.
Best for Borrowers who want branch support and the option to scale from a small unsecured loan to a large secured one · Instalment loan · Also offers: secured loan
Before any private borrowing, the Canada Student Financial Assistance Program and its provincial partners offer terms no private lender matches: no interest while studying, grants that never repay, and repayment assistance tied to income after graduation.
The federal portion of Canada Student Loans is permanently interest-free. No product on this page competes with that.
Private borrowing has one role here: covering what aid does not, after aid is exhausted.
Young borrowers are the fastest-growing group in Canada
Show chart data
Age band
Everyday average
Instalment average
18 to 24
$459
$5,568
25 to 34
$467
$5,947
35 to 44
$481
$5,999
45 to 54
$520
$6,299
55 to 64
$561
$6,276
65 and over
$618
$5,975
Source: Smarter Loans Lending Demand Index, First Half 2026. Verified August 2026.
Applicants aged 18 to 24 request the smallest amounts of any age band, and the average rises steadily with age. Education-purpose borrowing averages $6,624 at instalment scale.
What private lenders check on a student file
The obstacle is not usually credit. It is income and file thinness.
Income. 17 lenders publish a minimum monthly income, most commonly $1,500 per month. Part-time and irregular earnings count where they are regular and verifiable.
Thin credit file. A short history is not the same as bad history.
Amount against income. With a small income, the approved amount will be small. That is arithmetic, not a judgement.
Borrowing without wrecking a file you have barely started
Keep the amount to the actual gap. A larger balance against a small income takes years to clear
One application, not several. Inquiries carry more weight on a thin file than a thick one
On-time payments are worth more to you than to anyone else. A clean instalment history from age 20 is a significant asset by 25
Avoid revolving balances alongside it. Utilisation hits a thin file hard
Common questions
Can a student get a personal loan in Canada?
Yes, where there is regular verifiable income.
Is a personal loan better than a student loan?
No. Government student aid is interest-free while studying and carries repayment assistance. Private borrowing covers only what aid does not.
Do I need a co-signer?
It usually improves the approved amount and rate where one is available. Not every lender offers a joint or co-signed application.
