• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

The College Investor

Student Loans, Investing, Building Wealth

  • About
  • Podcast
  • Research
  • Contact
  • Save For College
      • How To Start

      • How To Save For College
      • How To Pay For College
      • What Is the Average Cost of College?
      • What Is A 529 Plan and Where to Open One in Your State
      • How Much Should You Have In A 529 Plan By Age
      • How To Use A 529 Plan For Private Elementary And High School
      • What Are Qualified Expenses For A 529 Plan (And What Doesn’t Count)?
      • The Best Brokers To Open A 529 Plan
      • Tools + Accounts

      • 529 Plans: The Ultimate College Savings Plan
      • 529 Plan Contribution Limits
      • Prepaid Tuition Plans | What To Know
      • Understanding And Using 529A ABLE Accounts
      • Using A Roth IRA To Save And Pay For College
      • FAFSA Deadlines for Financial Aid
      • CollegeBacker Review
      • Upromise Review
      • UNest Review
      • Other Options

      • Student Loan And Financial Aid Programs By State
      • The Guide To Military And VA Education Benefits
      • How To Fill Out The FAFSA
      • How To Find College Scholarships
      • The Best College Scholarship Search Websites
      • How To Find Grants To Pay For College
      • Pell Grants: What They Are And How To Qualify
      • Understanding Federal Work-Study
      • How To Use A 529 Plan If Your Child Doesn’t Go To College
  • Student Loans
      • Borrowing

        • How Student Loans Work
        • How To Apply For A Student Loan
        • Best Student Loans And Rates In January 2023
        • 10 Best Private Student Loans Of January 2023
        • Best Student Loans To Pay For Graduate School
        • Best Student Loans To Pay For Medical School
        • Parent Loans To Pay For College
        • No-Cosigner Student Loan Options
        • Guide To Income Sharing Agreements (ISAs)
        • Best International Student Loans
      • Get Out Of Debt

        • Best Student Loan Refinance Companies In January 2023
        • Best Student Loan Repayment Plans
        • Best Student Loan Refinancing Bonuses And Promotional Offers Of January 2023
        • Student Loan Forgiveness Programs (The Complete List)
        • The Full List Of Student Loan Forgiveness Programs By State
        • Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
        • Top Student Loan Scams
        • Average Student Loan Monthly Payment
        • Average Student Loan Debt By Year
      • Reviews

        • Credible Review
        • Splash Review
        • Ascent Review
        • Citizens Bank Review
        • Commonbond Review
        • Earnest Review
        • ELFI Review
        • Laurel Road Review
        • LendKey Review
        • SoFi Review
  • Investing
      • How To Start

        • How To Start Investing in High School
        • How To Start Investing In College
        • How To Start Investing In Your Twenties For 22 – 29 Year Olds
        • How To Start Investing In Your 30s For 30 – 39 Year Olds
        • How To Start Investing With $100 Or Less
        • How To Give Kids The Gift Of Stock
        • What Is Dividend Growth Investing
        • IRA Rollover Chart
      • Tools + Accounts

        • Best Online Stock Brokers
        • The Best Traditional And Roth IRA Accounts
        • The Best Robo-Advisors
        • The Best Investing Apps
        • The Best Places to Trade Options
        • The Best Places To Open A Health Savings Account
        • The Best Solo 401k Providers
        • The Best Self-Directed IRA Providers Of 2023
        • Best Cryptocurrency Exchanges
      • Reviews

        • Vanguard Review
        • Fidelity Review 2023
        • M1 Finance Review
        • TD Ameritrade Review 2023
        • Charles Schwab Review
        • Robinhood Review
        • Webull Review
        • Betterment Review 2023
        • Wealthfront Review
  • Earn More Money
      • Extra Income

        • 20 Best Side Hustles You Can Start Earning With In 2023
        • 53 Side Hustle Ideas To Make Money Fast
        • 100 Ways To Make Money In College
        • 80 Ways To Make Money From Home In 2023
        • 5 Quick Money Making Ideas (That Take Less Than 1 Hour)
        • 10 Interesting Ways You Can Make Money Driving
        • High-Paying Side Gigs That Earn $1,000 or More Per Month
        • The 10 Best Money-Making Apps
        • Paid Surveys: Earn Money For Giving Your Opinion Online
        • 10 Crazy Ways To Make $10,000 You’ve Never Heard Of
      • Build Wealth

        • 40 Passive Income Ideas You Can Use To Build Wealth In 2023
        • 3 Ways To Make $50,000 Per Year Without Working With Passive Income
        • How To Become A Real Estate Investor With Just $500
        • 15 Best Online Business Ideas
        • Residual Income: 7 Super Smart Ways to Build It
        • The Most Common Multiple Income Streams
        • How To Become A Real Estate Mogul With Only $10,000
      • Reviews

        • Fundrise Review
        • RealtyMogul Review
        • FarmTogether Review
        • AcreTrader Review
        • Swagbucks Review
        • Survey Junkie Review
        • TopCashback Review
        • DoorDash Review
  • Personal Finance
      • Banking

        • 10 Best High Yield Savings Accounts Of January 2023
        • 10 Best Money Market Accounts Of January 2023
        • 10 Best Free Checking Accounts In January 2023
        • Best Bank CD Rates Of January 2023
        • 10 Best Business Checking Accounts In January 2023
        • Best Online Banks Of January 2023
        • Best Credit Unions Nationwide Of January 2023
        • Best College Student Checking Accounts Of January 2023
      • Insurance

        • Best Life Insurance Companies
        • Renters Insurance
        • Car Insurance
        • Pet Insurance
        • Umbrella Insurance
        • Disability Insurance
        • Tuition Insurance
        • Travel Insurance
      • Credit Tools

        • Best Budgeting Apps
        • Cash Advance Apps
        • How To Get A Free Credit Score Report
        • Best Credit Monitoring Services For 2023
        • Debt Settlement: Inside The Secret World
        • Credit Repair Explained: Should You Pay For Help?
        • Best Personal Loan Companies And Lenders
        • Online Loan Companies To Borrow From Home
      • Tax

        • Best Tax Software
        • Free Tax Software
        • IRS Tax Refund Calendar
        • Common IRS Questions and Errors
        • Federal Tax Brackets
        • Capital Gains Tax Brackets
        • 401k Contribution Limits
        • IRA Contribution Limits
        • HSA Contribution Limits
  • Forum
  • Search
Home » Student Loans » Private » Juno Student Loans Review 2023

Juno Student Loans Review 2023

Updated: December 26, 2022 By Robert Farrington

Tweet
Share2
Share
Pin18
Email
Print

Juno Student Loans Review

There are a number of student loan platforms available that will match you with a private student loan lender. The process typically works by pre-qualifying, going through a list of lenders, and then hopefully choosing the one with the best rate. 

But what if you could get with a group of friends and approach a single lender for a loan? Would that lender be more willing to lower their rate?

Juno thinks the answer is yes because that's exactly what its strategy is built on. Juno takes a group of borrowers and presents them to its network of partner lenders. It then negotiates a lower rate based on a group of borrowers vs. a single borrower. In this article, we’ll review how Juno works.


Juno Student Loans

Quick Summary

  • Uses group borrower strategy to negotiate lower rates
  • No application fees, origination fees, or prepayment penalties
  • Potential interest rate reductions or cash back
GET A QUOTE

Juno Student Loan Details

Product Name

Juno

Fees

None

Variable APR

Starting At 2.23%

Fixed APR

Starting At 3.22%

Loan Terms

5 to 15 years

Promotions

Up to $1,000 cash back on refinancing

Table of Contents
Who Is Juno?
What Do They Offer?
Are There Any Fees?
How Does Juno Compare?
What Borrower Protections Are Available?
How Do I Open An Account?
Is It Worth It?
Juno FAQs
Juno Features

Who Is Juno?

Juno, formerly LeverEdge, negotiates better student loan rates for groups of student loan borrowers. Its founders are Christopher Abkarians and Nikhil Agarwal, who pioneered the "group student loan" strategy themselves during their years as Harvard students. The company has raised $2.5 million through a seed round.

“Juno is the first collective bargaining group for student loans,” Abkarians said to KTEN TV. “Our mission is to help students minimize the cost of education, from the day they take out their first loan to the day they finish paying it off.”

“Juno is the ultimate team effort...The more people involved, the greater our ability to negotiate lower rates. We’re committed to doing whatever we can to minimize the cost of student loans.”

What Do They Offer?

Juno offers private student loans and student loan refinancing. By working with its lending partners, Juno is able to negotiate lower rates on student loans. As Abkarians stated in the above quote, the more borrowers that are involved, the more negotiating leverage they'll have with lenders.

Traditional lender matching platforms pair up a lender with a borrower. Each loan is negotiated one at a time. It can be a slow, boring, and very time-consuming process. Some platforms will pre-qualify borrowers, however, which can greatly speed up the process.

Juno takes a group of borrowers and submits their information to its partner lenders. This can potentially be a win-win for both sides. Lenders receive a block of borrowers, which is far more efficient for them than working with just one borrower at a time. In return, the group of borrowers receives lower rates.

Juno student loans how it works

One drawback of this process is that it can take weeks or even months before lenders finalize any deal. Lenders still need time to analyze the group's overall credit risk, which is where the lag comes in. Students looking to get better rates with Juno should factor in their tuition due dates against how long it may take a deal to finalize. Of course, this doesn’t keep students from shopping around just in case.

Which Loan Types Are Available?

Private student loans and student loan refinancing are available from Juno. Here are the types of private student loans that it currently offers:

  • Undergraduate Loans
  • Graduate Loans
  • MBA Loans
  • Parent Loans
  • DACA Loans
  • Degree Abroad Loans

Refinancing is available as well with terms of 5-15 years from the following partner lenders — Earnest, Splash, and Laurel Road. If you're refinancing medical loans, you'll be routed to Laurel Road. All other loan types are made through Earnest or Splash.

Juno is currently building a negotiation group for international student loan refinancing. Once it's reached 2,000 sign-ups, it will begin reaching out to lenders to negotiate a group rate.

Juno international student loan refinancing

Cash Back And Rate Reductions

Juno is currently offering up to $1,000 cash back for borrowers who refinance with Splash. For Earnest and Laurel Road borrowers, it promises a rate reduction of 0.25%. With Laurel Road, you can also make $100 payments while you're in medical residency or fellowship.

Is Juno Better Than Federal Student Loans?

The short answer is no. Federal student loans offer many advantages over private student loans. Some benefits of using federal student loans include:

  • Lower rates
  • Flexible repayment terms
  • Eligible for Income-Driven Repayment (IDR)
  • Eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)

In regards to the last two bullet points, private student loans are not eligible. Also, during the pandemic, federal student loans have been in a 0% interest forbearance period. For many private loans, this option has not been available.

However, if you've already hit your annual or lifetime federal borrowing cap, Juno's private student loans offer great benefits and competitive rates. Also, if you aren't taking advantage of IDR and aren't pursuing PSLF forgiveness, refinancing your federal loans to a lower rate with Juno could make sense.

Are There Any Fees?

No, Juno doesn't charge any application or origination fees. There also no prepayment penalties if pay off your loans before the end of your repayment term.

How Does Juno Compare?

Since Juno isn't actually a lender, its "secret sauce" is its rate reduction and cash back deals. But it's important to understand that you might be able to find a lower rate or even more cash back by applying with an individual lender directly or using another comparison platform like Credible.

Here's a quick look at how Juno compares:

Header
Juno Comparison
Juno Comparison: Credible
Juno Comparison: ELFI

Rating

Variable APR

Starting At 2.23%

3.99% - 11.87%

3.99% - 7.24%

Fixed APR

Starting At 3.22%

3.99% - 11.87%

4.83% - 7.64%

Bonus Offer

Up to $1,000

Up to $1,000

Up to $1,100

Cell
GET A QUOTE
READ THE REVIEW
READ THE REVIEW

What Borrower Protections Are Available?

There is a 9-month grace period after graduating or withdrawing from school before repayment begins. But all other benefits such as forbearance and deferment periods will vary by lender. You can read our reviews of Splash, Earnest, and Laurel Road to learn more about the benefits they provide.

How Do I Open An Account?

You can visit Juno's website to get started. Expect to provide the following when filling out an application:

  • Name
  • Email Address
  • School / University Information
  • Educational Program Information
  • Graduation Year
  • Immigration Status
  • Social Security Number
  • Loan Balance
  • Employment information (if applicable)
  • Annual Income (if application)
  • Cosigner Information (if applicable)
  • Cosigner's Immigration Status (if applicable)

How Do I Contact Juno?

Juno can be reached by phone or email from Monday - Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM (EST). Their phone number is 201-482-1269 and their email address is hello@joinjuno.com. You can also schedule a Zoom meeting with a Juno team member here.

Is It Worth It?

If you need to take out private loans or you're looking to refinance your existing student loans, Juno could be worth it. They charge no fees, offer flexible terms, and may be able to offer you a lower rate than traditional lenders. However, Juno's application process may be more time-consuming so you’ll want to apply well before your tuition deadlines. 

Before applying with Juno, make sure that you’ve filled out a FAFSA for federal loans first as they offer more protections than private loans. And, as with any loan, it's important to shop around for the best deal. Compare Juno with our top private student loan companies and student loan refinancing lenders.

Juno FAQs

Here are a few of the questions people ask most often about Juno student loans:

Is Juno legit?

Yes, since its founding in 2018, Juno has already had more than 78,000
members sign up to join one its negotiation groups and it has secured over $420 million in loans.

Does Juno offer scholarships?

Yes, it offers a monthly no-essay $1,000 scholarship as well as a $1,000 essay/video scholarship.

Can you refinance international student loans with Juno?

Not yet, but you should be able to soon. It's currently building a negotiation group and over 1,000 members have already joined. Once there are 2,000 members in the group, Juno will begin running bids with lenders.

Does Juno offer any cash back bonuses?

Yes, it's currently offering up to $1,000 back to borrowers who refinance with Splash Financial.

Juno Features

Min Loan Amount

Varies by lender

Max Loan Amount

Varies by lender

Loan Types

Private student loans:

  • Undergraduate Loans
  • Graduate Loans
  • MBA Loans
  • Parent Loans
  • DACA Loans
  • Degree Abroad Loans

Refinance loans

  • Student loan refinancing
  • International student loan refinancing (coming soon)

Variable APR

Starting At 2.23%

APR

Starting At 3.22%

Auto-Pay Discount

0.25% when applicable

Loan Terms

10 years

Application Fees

No

Origination Fees

No

Prepayment Penalty

No

In-School Repayment Options

Varies by lender

Co-signers Allowed?

Yes

Grace Period

9 Months

Eligible Borrowers

  • Students enrolled in undergraduate programs of Title IV accredited, non-profit universities
  • Students enrolled in all grad programs (such as law, medicine, PA, MBA, etc.) of Title IV accredited, non-profit universities
  • Graduates of the above programs who want to refinance their student loans

Customer Service Phone Number

201-482-1269

Customer Service Email

hello@joinjuno.com

Mobile App

None

Promotions

Up to $1,000 cash back on refinancing

Juno Student Loans
  • Loan Options
  • Customer Service
  • Rewards and Perks
  • Rates and Fees
  • Ease of Use
Overall
4

Summary

Juno uses collective bargaining power to negotiate better rates on undergraduate, graduate, and refinance student loans.

Pros

  • No fees
  • Competitive interest rates
  • Up t0 $1,000 cash back on refinance loans

Cons

  • Potentially longer approval process
  • Negotiates with only a few private lenders
  • Get A Quote
Robert Farrington
Robert Farrington

Robert Farrington is America’s Millennial Money Expert® and America’s Student Loan Debt Expert™, and the founder of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials escape student loan debt to start investing and building wealth for the future. You can learn more about him on the About Page, or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.

He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared towards anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future.

He has been quoted in major publications including the New York Times, Washington Post, Fox, ABC, NBC, and more. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.

Juno Student Loans Review 2023

Editor: Clint Proctor Reviewed by: Claire Tak

Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, or other advertiser and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
Comment Policy: We invite readers to respond with questions or comments. Comments may be held for moderation and are subject to approval. Comments are solely the opinions of their authors'. The responses in the comments below are not provided or commissioned by any advertiser. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any company. It is not anyone's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.
Subscribe
Connect with
I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree
Notify of

I allow to create an account
When you login first time using a Social Login button, we collect your account public profile information shared by Social Login provider, based on your privacy settings. We also get your email address to automatically create an account for you in our website. Once your account is created, you'll be logged-in to this account.
DisagreeAgree

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Primary Sidebar

Student Loan Resources

Featured Lender Reviews

>  Credible (recommended)
>  Splash (recommended)
>  ELFI
>  LendKey
>  Earnest
>  Laurel Road

Paying For College

  • Best Student Loans And Rates
  • Best Private Student Loans
  • Student Loan And Financial Aid Programs By State
  • Student Loans For Community College
  • Best International Student Loans
  • Best Student Loans For Graduate School
  • Best Student Loans For Your MBA
  • Best Student Loans For Medical School
  • How To Get A Private Student Loan With No Cosigner
  • How To Get A Student Loan With Bad Credit

Navigating Repayment

  • How To Select The Best Student Loan Repayment Plan
  • 5 Legal Ways To Lower Your Student Loan Payment
  • How To Use A 529 Plan For Student Loan Repayment
  • These Companies Offer Student Loan Repayment Assistance

Student Loan Forgiveness

  • Student Loan Forgiveness Programs (The Complete List)
  • Student Loan Forgiveness Programs By State
  • President Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness
  • Borrower Defense To Repayment
  • For-Profit College Student Loan Forgiveness List
  • Private Student Loan Forgiveness
  • Trade School Loan Forgiveness Programs

Student Loan Refinance

  • Best Student Loan Refinance Companies
  • Best Student Loan Refinancing Bonuses And Promotional Offers
  • Lenders That Offer Student Loan Refinancing Without A Degree
  • How To Refinance An International Student Loan
  • Best Medical School Student Loan Refinancing

More On Student Loans

  • Top Student Loan Scams
  • Does The Government Profit Off Of Student Loans?
  • Statue Of Limitations Laws For Student Loans
  • What Should You Do With Your Old FFELP Loans?
  • How To Get A Refund Of Your Federal Student Loan Payments

Footer

Who We Are

The College Investor is an independent, advertising-supported financial media publisher, focusing on news, product reviews, and comparisons.

Connect

  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Press & Media

About

  • About
  • Our Team
  • Podcast
  • Editorial Guidelines
  • How We Make Money
  • Archives

Social

Copyright © 2023 · The College Investor · Privacy Policy ·Terms of Service · DO NOT Sell My Personal Information

wpDiscuz