Can You Get a SoFi Personal Loan With a Cosigner?

No, SoFi personal loans do not accept cosigners; they accept co-applicants (co-borrowers) instead, while SoFi student loans may use cosigners. Apply using SoFi's soft‑pull prequalification to see rates without a hard hit. If you need help qualifying, consider:

• adding a co-borrower on the application, who shares equal responsibility;
• using a secured product or a credit union that allows cosigners or joint borrowers;
• improving your profile quickly (pay down card balances, document extra income, fix errors on your credit reports).

If you want help choosing the best non‑cosigner path, we can review your credit report and options. See SoFi's personal loans overview and SoFi help article explaining co-applicants vs. co-signers for details.

SoFi does not accept cosigners on its personal loans, so you cannot add one to boost approval or rate.

If you look for lenders that do allow cosigners, typical cosigner traits are:

• strong credit score, usually 700+ helps.
• steady income and low debt-to-income ratio.
• U.S. residency and lawful age (18+).
• steady employment or verifiable income history.
• no recent bankruptcies, major collections, or serious derogatory marks.
• willingness to take full legal responsibility for repayments.

Student-loan cosigner rules often differ, so check each program separately.

To confirm SoFi's current policy, check SoFi personal loan eligibility. For a plain explanation of cosigner expectations and risks, see what a cosigner is. If SoFi's rule blocks you, consider alternative lenders that accept cosigners or get a targeted credit review with us to improve your solo approval odds.

A strong cosigner can materially raise your approval chances and lower your rate by bringing a better credit profile and income to the file.

Lenders use risk-based pricing, either blending the cosigner's file with yours or letting the primary applicant's stronger file prevail, so a high-credit cosigner can move you into a lower APR band. For example, a borrower with a mid-600s score offered ~18% APR vs a high-700s cosigner who would qualify at ~9% APR on a $15,000/36‑month loan cuts the monthly payment from about $543 to $491, saving roughly $52 per month and ~$1,880 in interest over the loan. Note, SoFi generally does not accept cosigners for its personal loans, though other lenders do. Use a calculator to model exact savings, for instance Bankrate's APR calculator helps estimate interest savings, and compare lenders like LendingClub's policies on joint personal loans.

Safeguards and rules: cosigner must have a stronger credit file, low DTI, and no active credit freezes or unresolved fraud alerts. The cosigner will be legally liable and their credit will be affected by payments.

Levers that change approval and rate:

• Credit scores, borrower vs cosigner (largest lever).
• Debt-to-income ratio and verified income.
• Recent delinquencies or credit freezes.
• Loan term, fees, and lender-specific co-signer policies.

Cosigning puts the loan on both credit reports, so both of you share the upside and the risk.

Impacts:

• Applying can trigger a hard inquiry for you, and sometimes for the cosigner, which may lower scores briefly.
• The new installment account appears on both files as a trade line, so payment history reports to both bureaus.
• Payment history drives roughly 35% of FICO scores, so on-time payments help both, late payments damage both.
• Installment balances do not count toward revolving utilization, but the loan raises reported installment debt and can worsen debt-to-income for future lenders.
• A serious delinquency, default, or charge-off will hit both credit reports and can cause major score drops.
• Opening or paying off the loan can cause short-term score volatility as accounts and averages change.
• For how bureaus receive and display loan data, see how installment loans affect your credit.

Before you sign, treat cosigning as a financial partnership, not a favor.

Protections:

• Set autopay to avoid missed payments.
• Create an emergency payoff plan and agree who covers missed payments.
• Give your cosigner account access or share statements so both can monitor activity.
• Draft a written exit plan with a refinance timeline or replacement strategy to remove the cosigner later.

SoFi personal loans do not allow cosigners, so SoFi will not ask for cosigner documents; if you apply through other lenders that accept cosigners, expect the items below.

• Government photo ID (driver's license or passport).
• SSN or ITIN for identity and tax matching.
• Recent pay stubs, covering the last 30–60 days.
• Most recent W-2 or 1099.
• Last 2–3 months of bank statements.
• Employer contact or written employment verification.
• Proof of residence (utility bill or lease).
• Signed consent authorizing a credit pull.
• If applicable, instructions to lift a credit freeze or provide PIN.

Share documents only via secure lender portals or encrypted email. Redact irrelevant account numbers, but never remove name, dates, or amounts. If you want, we can pre-audit your cosigner packet to catch missing items and reduce denial risk.

SoFi personal loans do not accept cosigners, so you must choose either a solo SoFi application or a different lender that allows cosigners.

1. Check your credit first, or ask us to review it, so you pick the right branch.
2. Prequalify with SoFi using a soft pull to see rates without hurting your score, start here: SoFi prequalification page.
3. Decision cue: if your credit and income support the rate you need, follow Branch A; if not, follow Branch B.

Branch A - Solo SoFi route:

1. Compare the prequalified offers, adjust loan amount and term to lower the rate.
2. Confirm income and upload required documents, expect a hard pull on final application.
3. Sign disclosures, accept terms, receive funds.

Branch B - Cosigner needed:

1. Find lenders that accept cosigners or joint applicants and compare options, see a neutral guide: personal loan lender comparison.
2. Align both credit files, gather IDs, pay stubs, tax docs, temporarily lift credit freezes, then submit the joint or cosigned application.

Choose A if your prequal offers are competitive. Choose B if a cosigner meaningfully improves approval or rate. Act quickly, credit and income eligibility change results fast.

SoFi personal loans do not support cosigner features, so you cannot remove a cosigner through SoFi itself; your exits are limited to three paths used by other lenders.

First, some lenders allow a cosigner-release after a set number of consecutive on-time payments (often 12–24 months), plus a solo credit and income review; see an example cosigner release policy. Second, refinance the loan into your name alone, if your credit and DTI qualify; this ends the cosigner relationship but may require a higher rate or fees. Third, refinance with a new cosigner, which preserves lender benefits but swaps the guarantor. In all cases expect paperwork, a hard credit pull, verification of income, and lender-specific timing windows. Warning: refinancing can remove original rate discounts or member benefits.

Prep checklist

• Track at least 12–24 months of on-time payments and avoid forbearance.
• Check your credit score, income proof, and DTI target (aim 40%).
• Request lender's cosigner-release form or refinance documents early.
• Use a personal loan refinance calculator to model rate changes and fees before committing.

SoFi personal loans do not allow cosigners, so these three real-style vignettes show how a cosigner helped borrowers get approved at other lenders instead.

Thin-File Tech

FICO: 580 band, DTI: 18%, income: $42,000. Used a local credit union; cosigner FICO: 780, income: $120,000. Outcome: approved $10,000, APR fell from estimated 28% to 12%, monthly payment $223 vs $331 without cosigner.

High-DTI Nurse

FICO: 680 band, DTI: 49%, income: $58,000. Went to a community bank; cosigner FICO: 760, low DTI. Outcome: approved $15,000, APR cut from 15% to 9%, payment dropped from $328 to $196, DTI became manageable for underwriting.

Recent Derogatory but Strong Cosigner

FICO: 640 band with a recent 12-month collections hit, DTI: 25%, income: $65,000. Used an online fintech that accepts cosigners; cosigner FICO: 800, stable employment. Outcome: approved $20,000, APR swing 22% to 8.9%, monthly payment $251, loan term shortened by 12 months due to better rate.

Each vignette shows the core mechanics: a high-quality cosigner improves credit profile, lowers APR, raises approval odds, and reduces monthly cost when the primary borrower has limited credit, high DTI, or recent negatives.

If you can't recruit a cosigner, here are five practical routes to still get a SoFi-style personal loan or an alternative financing path.

• Secured personal loan (vehicle, savings or CD): Works best when you have collateral, and lenders usually offer lower rates and higher approval odds; watch the risk of losing the collateral if you miss payments and expect rates noticeably below unsecured offers. For more information on collateralized options, see what is a secured loan.
• Credit union loan: Great for thin credit and steady income, approval odds and rates tend to beat big banks; check local membership rules and smaller branch networks, start with the NCUA credit union locator.
• Borrow less or extend the term, then refinance: Ask for a smaller principal or longer term to qualify now, then refinance when your score or income improves; watch total interest paid over time.
• Rapid credit-profile lift: Lower card utilization, dispute verifiable errors, document side gig or household income to boost eligibility; this can change prequalification outcomes within weeks and improve rates.
• Apply with a joint borrower rather than a cosigner: A co-borrower shares responsibility and income, often yielding better rates than solo apps but both names are equally liable.

If you want, send your credit report and recent paystubs so I can analyze which path gives you the best odds.

A cosigner can make approval worse when their credit or situation drags the application down instead of helping it.

Common ways a cosigner hurts approval or rates:

• Lower credit score than yours, which can replace expected strength.
• High debt-to-income (DTI) that weakens the combined profile.
• Recent late payments or collections on their report.
• Active fraud alerts or a credit freeze not removed.
• Mismatched identity details or address inconsistencies that stall verification.
• Very thin credit history, offering little underwriting value.
• Unstable or unverifiable income that lenders ignore.
• Close relationship risks, because missed payments can damage both credit and personal ties and create legal liability.

Mitigation: pick a stronger cosigner, correct errors and lift freezes before applying, supply matching IDs and proofs of income, ask the cosigner to pay past delinquencies if possible, or test your own prequalification first and apply solo if your rate is competitive. For legal risk and obligations, see what co-signers should understand before agreeing.

SoFi doesn't accept cosigners on personal loans, though you can apply with a co-applicant who shares responsibility and must live with you.

Does SoFi allow joint applications or cosigners for personal loans?

No cosigners, yes co-applicants; a co-applicant is a joint borrower who must provide income and residency info and stays on the loan. See SoFi's policy for details: SoFi co-applicant and application timelines.

Does prequalification use a soft credit pull?

Yes, prequalification uses a soft inquiry that won't affect your credit score. You can check estimated rates without a hard pull at SoFi's prequalification page: See SoFi prequalification.

What credit score and income do I need?

SoFi doesn't publish strict minimums, but successful applicants typically score 650–700+ and show steady income with a reasonable debt-to-income ratio. For exact eligibility guidance, consult SoFi personal loan eligibility.

How fast is funding?

Most applications begin review within one business day and finish in about two business days; funding often posts the next business day after signing, though holidays and verification can delay this. For typical timelines and disbursement methods, see SoFi personal loan funding.

Does SoFi report to all three credit bureaus?

Yes, SoFi reports account status to Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion using Metro-2 standards. For reporting details, view which credit bureaus SoFi reports to.

If you want, I can do a brief credit-report review and suggest non-cosigner strategies to improve approval odds.