11 Best Banks for Education Loan in India 2023

Let’s check the 11 best education loans in India.

Best Banks for Education Loan in India

#1. HDFC Bank Education Loan

Loan Limit: up to Rs. 150 Lakhs

HDFC Bank grants education loans to study in India and abroad. The maximum loan amount for studying in India is limited to Rs. 50 Lakhs.

Whereas, all the cost of education is covered under the loan for foreign education, with no upper limit. But you need to provide collateral in the form of a fixed deposit or immovable property to the bank.

Scheme	Rate of Interest
Education Loan for Indian Education	9.55% to 13.25%
Education Loan for Foreign Education	9.55% to 13.25%

The loan is for a maximum period of 14 years (including a moratorium) and is disbursed directly to the institution based on the fee structure.

HDFC bank doesn’t have a dedicated education loan scheme for skill development courses. That is why they recommend personal loan for skill development courses.

Advantages

• Lower interest rates
• Quick processing

Drawbacks

• 1% loan processing fee
• Less loan amount for study in India

Usually, HDFC takes two to three days to process your loan application and disburse the loan amount.

Expert Tip: If you have a premium savings bank account, current account or a good long-standing banking relationship with HDFC, then the chances of approval are high.

#2. Axis Bank Education Loan

Maximum Loan Limit: up to 100% of total cost of education

Education loans start from Rs. 50,000. The upper limit depends on your need and eligibility.

Axis finances education loan only for the graduate or postgraduate courses for students who have secured a minimum of 50%  marks in HSC or Graduation.

Education loan amount	Rate of Interest
Up to Rs. 4 Lakhs	15.20%
Above Rs. 4 Lakhs to Rs. 7.5 Lakhs	14.70%
Above Rs. 7.5 Lakhs	13.70%

Axis Bank gives more preference to the parent’s profile. The bank has made it mandatory for parents to show a regular source of income.

Pros:

• Quick processing of the loan application
• Higher loan amount up to 100% of education cost
• NIL prepayment charges

Cons:

• A high rate of interest.
• 24% p.a. penal interest for late payments.

Expert Tip. “ Keep xerox copies ready – related to income and net worth before application.

The proof documents are the last three years IT returns, a copy of CA certificate, sale deed of immovable properties, FD and NSC receipt, Bonds or Demat statement. ”

You may like to learn about the best bank for home loans in India.

#3. Union Bank of India Education Loan

Maximum Education Loan granted: Need-based finance (max 150 Lacs)

Union Bank of India has 4 different broad categories of education loan schemes –

• Education loan for courses in India
• Education loan for courses abroad
• Education loan for Premier Management & Technical institutions (India)
• Education loan for Tier II Management & Technical institutions (India)

Union Bank does not charge any processing fee from Indian students for education loans irrespective of the loan amount.

But asks for life insurance equal to the value of the loan amount. So you need to buy life insurance to get your education loan.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
Courses in India	up to 12.55% depending on the quantum of loan
Courses abroad	up to 10.80% depending on the quantum of loan
For Premier Management & Technical institutions (India)Skill Development Courses	up to 10.80%
For Tier II Management & Technical institutions (India)	up to 10.80%

Pros:

• No processing charges.
• Lower interest rate
• 0.50 % concessional interest rate for female students

Cons:

• Slow processing and documentation process.
• Mandatory to get life insurance

Expert tip: “Union Bank covers education loans under the credit guarantee fund scheme. Therefore you need to submit details of all applicants such as KYC documents, valid income proofs, allotment letter and detailed fees structure.

If possible open a savings account or deposit account (FD or RD).

#4. IDBI Bank Education Loan

Loan Amount Offered: Up to Rs. 20 Lakhs for studies in India and Rs. 30 Lakhs for foreign education

If you are planning to get an education loan for AICTE, UGC, ICMR and government-approved courses, job-oriented courses and technical diploma courses then you should check IDBI Bank’s education loan.

IDBI Bank also provides education loan for students securing admission through management quota.

The repayment terms extend up to 15 years but you need to offer tangible collateral security for an education loan amount of over Rs. 7.5 Lakhs.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
Education loan for non-vocational courses	Up to Rs. 7.5 Lakhs – 10.60% Above Rs. 7.5 Lakhs – 11.10%
Education loan for vocational / skill development courses	For all amounts – 11%
Education loan for premier education institutes (including ISB)	For all amounts – 9.10%

Pros:

• Lower interest rate for loans for premier institutes.
• NIL processing fees for study in India.
• NIL foreclosure charges

Cons:

• 1.33 times tangible collateral needed for a loan amount of over 7.5 lakhs
• Slow loan processing.

Go to IDBI bank for an education loan if you have secured admission in any of the premier institutes and have adequate (1.33 times) collateral security for easy approval.

#5. Avanse Education Loan

Maximum Loan Amount: Need-based with no upper cap. Minimum – Rs. 1 Lac for study in India.

Avanse Financial Services is an RBI regulated NBFC focused on providing affordable education loans for students in India.

Global PE firm Warburg Pincus holds 80% equity in Avanse. You can apply for all sort of education loans at Avanse like loan for –

• Study in India
• International studies
• Vocational courses
• School fees finances, and even
• Education loan for E-learning

Avanse provides up to 100% financing, fast processing and doorstep service.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
Education loan for domestic and international studies	Avanse base rate + spread. Which can go up to 18%

Pros:

• Up to 100% loan amount
• Less paperwork and quick processing
• Education loan for E-learning also

Cons

• High rate of interest
• 1% – 2% processing charges
• No pre-payment allowed in first 6 months

You should go with an Avanse education loan if you have been denied loans from private and public banks or want to fund E-learning courses.

Best Banks for Education Loan in India for Foreign Studies

#6. State Bank of India Education Loan

Maximum Loan Amount: up to Rs. 1.5 Crores

SBI grants educational loans of up to Rs. 1.50 Crores under the SBI Global Ed-Vantage scheme for foreign studies.

The courses include professional & technical degree, PG and diploma courses like MCA, MBA and MS from a reputed university. Certification courses conducted by CIMA-London and CPA-US are also eligible for education loans.

SBI also offers one of the lowest interest rates for education loans in India.

The SBI Scholar Loan Scheme is exclusively for merit students who want to pursue professional/ technical courses in premier institutions like IITs, IIMs and NITs.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
SBI Student loan Scheme	11.15%
SBI Scholar Loan scheme	8.55% to 10.05%
SBI Skill loan scheme	10.65%
SBI Global Ed vantage Scheme	11.15%

Pros:

• 8.55% low rate of interest for old IITs
• NIL processing fees up to 20 Lakhs
• Different loan schemes

Cons:

• High processing time
• 15% margin for studies abroad

Expert Tip: “Personal guarantee from a reputed person for the loan has an added advantage ”.

#7. Punjab National Bank Education Loan

Maximum Loan Limit: No upper limit, depends on the repayment capacity and margin

PNB Udaan is an exclusive loan scheme to support meritorious students for pursuing higher education abroad in reputed universities. Degree (job oriented), PG (MCA, MS & MBA), CIMA, CPA and diploma courses in aeronautical, pilot training and shipping are eligible for the loan.

For domestic studies, Punjab National Bank offers a lot of education loan schemes.

• PNB Saraswathi is a normal IBA model education loan scheme for meritorious students.
• PNB Prathibha scheme is for students who want to pursue higher education in premier colleges like IIT, NIT and other top business schools.

For vocational and skill development courses you have the PNB Kaushal loan scheme.

PNB also has area-specific loan schemes like PNB Honhaar for Delhi students and PNB Bihar Student credit card scheme supporting Bihar students. They have a special scheme with a concessional interest rate for persons with disabilities.

Even a scheme to help the minor communities for overseas studies through Padho Pardesh subsidy scheme.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
PNB Saraswati Scheme	up to 12%
PNB Udaan	up to 12%
PNB Prathibha	8.55% to 10.50%
PNB Kaushal	10.75%
PNB Honhaar	11.25%

Pros:

• Low ROI
• NIL processing fees for study in India
• Wide range of education loan schemes

Cons:

• Tedious paper works & follow-up
• 15% margin above Rs. 4 Lac

PNB prefers those who already have a salary or a pension account with them. The salary should be routed in the account at least for the past five years

#8. ICICI Bank Education Loan

Get Maximum Loan of – up to Rs. 2 Crore

ICICI Bank offers education loans up to Rs. 1 Crore for studies in India and up to Rs. 2 Crore for studies aboard.

One of the key benefits is that- you do not need to keep any collateral for education loans up to Rs. 40 Lakhs (unsecured education loans).

The main drawback of ICICI education loan is that- the repayment holiday (moratorium) period is restricted to 6 months after the completion of the course, irrespective of the employment status.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
Education loan for domestic and international studies	9.50% – 15.85%

Pros:

• High loan amount
• Less paperwork and quick processing
• No margin up to Rs. 40 Lakhs

Cons

• High rate of interest
• Hidden charges

ICICI bank prefers giving education loans to parents with high net worth.

If you have a net worth of more than Rs. 1 Crore then you can apply for a collateral-free loan up to Rs. 40 Lakhs.

#9. South Indian Bank Education Loan

Maximum Loan amount – up to Rs. 1.5 Crores for global education

You can get foreign education loan from South Indian Bank (SIB) for pursuing a full-time UG/ PG/ PhD and diploma, skill development courses abroad with a duration of more than a year.

The SIB Global education scheme provides funding for tuition fees, exams, library & lab fees, travel expenses, hostel, health insurance, and books costs.

Professionals up-to 50 years of age are eligible for the loan and SIB offers a 0.5% concession for women borrowers.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
SIB Global Education Scheme (Repo rate + 6.40% to 7.15%)	12.90% – 13.65%

Pros:

• High up to 1.5 crore loan amount
• Covers diploma & skill development courses
• Maximum application age up to 50 years

Cons

• High 25% margin required
• 100% collateral equal to loan amount & interest needed
• SIB reimburses course fees and accommodation within one year with proof

SIB look for high net worth and adequate collaterals while processing global education loan

Best Bank for Education Loan in India For Vocational and Skill Development Courses.

#10. Canara Bank Education Loan

Maximum Loan amount – Rs. 1.5 Lakhs for skill development. Need-based finance for others.

Canara Bank gives need-based finance under the “IBA Skill Loan Scheme” for vocational education and training.

The minimum and maximum amount you can get is Rs. 5,000 to Rs. 1.5 Lakhs.

For other types of education loans, Canara Bank follows the IBA education loan model. The amount of loan you get is need-based and can stretch up to Rs. 40 Lakhs for premier institutes like ISB- Hyderabad.

For the students, who want to pursue professional courses in selective premier institutions, they offer a maximum loan of up to Rs. 50 Lakhs under the Vidya Turant scheme.

Canara Bank does not have any special schemes for overseas Bachelor’s studies with a higher loan limit. So getting a higher amount of loan (more than the IBA model) is very difficult.

They have an education loan of up to Rs. 1 Crore for the Master’s degree under STEM (Science, Tech, Engg & Management courses).

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
Education loan for Master’s Degree abroad in select top-ranking university	10.85% – 11.35%
IBA based Scheme	10.65%
Vidya Sagar Scheme	10.85% – 11.25%
Vidya Turant	9.25% – 9.85%

Pros:

• Low-interest rate under Vidya Turant Scheme
• Low processing fees.
• 0.50% concession in ROI for girl students.

Cons:

• Low loan amount
• Tedious paper works for loan processing.

Expert tip: Your loan application can be processed quickly if you are offering collateral security covering 100% of the loan amount.

Best Bank for Education Loan in India for School studies

#11. Bank of Baroda Education Loan

Maximum Loan Limit: Rs. 4 Lakhs for school studies. Up to 150 Lakhs for other education loans.

Bank of Baroda gives education loans for school education from nursery to 12th Std under the scheme Baroda Vidya. This scheme helps economically backward students get basic education from a reputed school.

The maximum loan amount is Rs. 4 Lakhs and the loan should be repaid in 12 installments. Bank of Baroda does not charge processing fees for any of their education schemes.

Other educational loans include Baroda Gyan (up to 125 Lakhs) for higher studies in India, Baroda Scholar (up to 150 Lakhs) for study abroad.

Education loan scheme	Rate of Interest
Baroda Gyan (IBA scheme)	11.05% – 11.15%
Baroda Vidya	12.50%
Baroda Scholar	10.40% to 11.15% (based on institutions)
Education loan for premier institutions	9.15% to 10.20% (based on institution and amount)
Skill loan scheme.	10.65%

Pros:

• Competitive Interest rate.
• Good range of education loan products.
• No processing charge.

Cons:

• Slow processing of the loan application.

Expert Tips: “Personal guarantee from an existing valued customer helps your loan application.”

Factors Affecting Approval of Best Education Loan in India 2023

#1. CIBIL Score

Checking CIBIL score and ensuring that the report doesn’t have any errors should be your first step.

“A Good CIBIL report with score of 700+ is an entry ticket for your loan application.

If you or your co-applicant doesn’t have a good CIBIL score then the bank may reject your loan application.

#2. Eligibility of the Course and University

Only accredited professional, technical and UG/ PG courses from recognized universities (UGC/ AICTE approved) are eligible.

So before applying for an education loan, you need to check the type of course and the university.

In the case of vocational training courses, additionally, check the Bank’s education loan schemes.

For example, you can not take an education loan for a beautician degree course from an XYZ Bridal Institute.

A beautician degree is not a professional course and the institute conducting the course is also not recognized by UGC and AICTE.

#3. Eligible Education Expense

All expenses mentioned in the fees structure are not considered for finance by the banks.

For example, the college bus fee is not considered while calculating the eligible expenses. But overseas travel expense to the college location is considered.

Banks consider expenses that are essential to complete the course for arriving at the loan amount.

#4. Pro Tip

Get a detailed fees structure from the college with the breakup of expense particulars and submit it along with the loan application.

#5. Co-obligant/ Personal Guarantee

In the case of a minor student, you and your spouse will act as joint borrowers.

For a major student, any one of the parents with an income source will be made a joint borrower.

If the loan amount is above Rs. 4 lakhs, Bank will insist on a third-party guarantee, means a guarantee from a reputed person who is not in your relation.

“If you disclose your net-worth properly along with documentary evidence at the time of application, the Bank may consider waiving third party guarantee clause.”

#6. Tangible Security

If you are looking for a loan amount of Rs. 7.5 lakhs and above, you need to secure the loan by providing collateral security. The security should be tangible assets such as FD, LIC, NSC bonds, shares, debt bonds and immovable properties.

“Mention your collateral securities details clearly and keep xerox copies of all the supporting documents related to the collateral security ready.”

#7. Holiday Period for Repayment

You have two options of repaying the education loan. One is repaying the installment after completing the course and getting the job.

Another is by paying the monthly interest and getting installment holiday for principal up to course completion.

The holiday period is available up to one year after the end of studies or six months after getting a job, whichever is earlier.

“On your loan application, you need to mention that you are willing to pay the monthly interest and submit your income source. This will show your intention to repay the education loan.”

Conclusion

If you are looking for a higher loan amount for studying abroad then you can consider applying at SBI (Rs. 1.5 Crores).

But if you are looking for quick processing and a higher amount, then you can apply for an education loan at ICICI Bank (up to Rs. 2 Crore).