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Home / Student Loans / Student Loan Refinance / Yrefy Review: Defaulted Student Loan Refinancing

Yrefy Review: Defaulted Student Loan Refinancing

Updated: December 3, 2025 By Robert Farrington | < 1 Min Read Leave a Comment

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Yrefy Review
This illustrative image visually represents the concept of "DEFAULTED STUDENT LOAN REFINANCING," a service offered by lenders like Yrefy, as discussed in the accompanying article. The central focus is a collection of financial elements, including stacks of golden coins, a brown money bag with a dollar sign, and a red apple resting on coins, symbolizing wealth, debt, and the potential for a fresh start. To the right, a long document resembling a loan agreement or promissory note, complete with a seal, emphasizes the legal and contractual nature of student loans and refinancing. In the background, a stack of books topped with a golden trophy or award signifies education and achievement, while an hourglass suggests the passage of time and the urgency of addressing defaulted loans. Small, silhouetted figures of people are scattered around these items, some seemingly interacting with the financial elements, underscoring the human impact of student loan debt and the act of refinancing to secure a lower interest rate. The overall composition effectively conveys the challenges and opportunities associated with managing and refinancing defaulted private student loans.

Yrefy is a private lender that focuses on refinancing defaulted student loans.

Refinancing your student loans can be a great opportunity to save money. A potentially lower interest rate could help you manage your student loans more effectively.

But if your student loans are already in default, it can be a challenge to find a refinancing opportunity that is willing to work with you. You still have an option, though, with Yrefy.

Yefry can step up to help you obtain the refinancing that you need for your student loans in default. Let’s take a closer look at how Yrefy could help you refinance your defaulted student loans. 


yrefy logo

Quick Summary

  • Refinance delinquent and defaulted private student loans
  • Interest rates are not solely dependent on credit scores
  • Minimal information about loan terms and fees
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Yrefy Details

Product Name

Yrefy

Min Loan Amount

$5,000

Max Loan Amount

$250,000+

APR

1% to 5.99%

Rate Type

Fixed

Promotions

None

Pros

  • Refinances distressed student loans
  • Approval process looks at more than just your credit score
  • Positive customer service reviews

Cons

  • Vague information on terms and fees on their website

What Is Yrefy?

Yrefy has provided student loan refinancing since 2001. The company was founded with the goal of helping private student loan borrowers in default obtain refinancing opportunities. Since its founding, Yrefy has funded $6.8 billion in student loan refinancing, new money, and consolidations. 

Yrefy has become a popular recommendation of the Dave Ramsey show for borrowers with defaulted student loans. They're also a big sponsor of the Charlie Kirk Show.

What Does It Offer?

How can Yrefy help you? Here’s what the company offers. 

Refinancing Opportunities For Defaulted Borrowers

Student loan refinancing can help you tap into a lower interest rate which could be key to helping you manage your student loans efficiently. But if you are in student loan default, it can be difficult to find a lender that is willing to help you refinance. That’s where Yrefy can step in to help you out.

Yrefy student loan refinancing | Source: The College Investor

Yrefy Refinance. Screenshot by The College Investor.

The lender is ready and willing to help you refinance $5,000 to $250,000+ of private student loans, even if you have poor credit. Yrefy looks beyond your credit score into a variety of other factors to determine your eligibility for a refinance. 

Rebuild Your Credit

A defaulted or delinquent student loan can be a big hit to your credit score. But refinancing will likely help you improve your score because you'll begin to log positive payments. According to Yrefy, many customers see a boost to their credit score within six to twelve months. 

Interest Rates

Yrefy will provide a refinance with a fixed interest rate attached. Depending on your unique situation, that interest rate could range from 1.00% to 5.99%. 

Yrefy Rates and Terms

Yrefy Loan Features. Screenshot by The College Investor.

Unfortunately, you won’t be able to determine your exact interest rate without making a call to Yrefy. Although the phone call can be an inconvenience, it could open the door to a student loan refinancing opportunity with a reasonable interest rate. 

Limited Website Information

Compared to other refinancing lenders, Yrefy's website is woefully sparse on details. Here are just a few of the many questions that you won't be able to find answers to on their site:

  • What repayment terms are available?
  • Is there a formal hardship forbearance policy?
  • Can you pause payments if you return back to school or are called on active military duty?
  • Are there any application or origination fees?
  • Is there a penalty for early loan payoff?

We would like to see Yrefy take the time to publicly address all of these questions on their site rather than forcing borrowers to ask about them over the phone.

Are There Any Fees?

Yrefy provides a no-cost review of your private student loan situation. However, as we've already highlighted, the company is vague on the other costs you might encounter. It's likely that you’ll run into several fees throughout the refinancing process. Unfortunately, Yrefy doesn’t share that information ahead of time. 

How Do I Contact Yrefy?

You can contact Yrefy by phone at 1-888-819-9556. Additionally, you could call the corporate office at 6910 E. Chauncey Lan, Suite 105, Phoenix, AZ at 800-614-8569. These lines are available Monday through Thursday from 7 AM to 5 PM MST and Friday from 7 AM to 4 PM MST.

If you don’t want to make a phone call, there are a few other options. You could shoot an email to [email protected] or contact the company via Facebook Messenger.

If you reach out, the limited amount of customer feedback available on the internet indicates that you'll have a pleasant experience with this A+ Accredited Business as determined by the Better Business Bureau. However, the sample size of customer reviews is small.

How Does Yrefy Compare?

As a student loan refinancing lender, Yrefy isn't alone. You can check out the best student loan refinancing options here.

However, you'll be hard-pressed to find many lenders that will offer to refinance your student loans if you've had a recent default. One lender that might be worth checking out is Earnest as it's known for looking beyond credit scores to things like employment and bank account balances when making its underwriting decisions. 

Also, you can use Credible to seek out offers from multiple lenders in minutes. If you have a desirable job and a low debt-to-income ratio, you'll have a better shot at receiving an offer with a lower credit score.

Header
yrefy logo
Earnest Logo

Rating

Rate Type

Fixed

Variable and Fixed

Variable and Fixed

APR

1% to 5.99%

3.94% - 9.99%

3.64% - 10.35%

Bonus Offer

None

None

Up to $1,000

Cell
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READ THE REVIEW
READ THE REVIEW

How Do I Open An Account?

Want to work with Yrefy? Here’s how to get started. First, fill out the contact form on Yrefy’s website. You'll need to provide your name, email, and phone number. After that, a student loan refinancing expert will reach out to you.

At that point, you should be prepared to discuss the details of your situation. Talk to Yrefy about the status of your loan, the amount outstanding, and your unique financial situation. From there, the student loan refinancing expert will let you know if Yrefy will be able to help you.

It's worth pointing out that Yrefy is only available in some states. These include Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. 

Is It Safe And Secure?

Yrefy provides a detailed Privacy Policy that indicates that it shares some of your information with third-party partners. However, you'll have the option to opt out of some of these sharing methods. 

Is It Worth It?

If your student loans are delinquent or in default, Yrefy could be worth looking into as it could offer you a helping hand when most lenders won't. However, you'll want to make sure that you ask about the loan details that are missing on their site and receive satisfactory answers before signing any loan agreements.

If your student loans aren't current (or in danger of) default, you can likely find a better refinancing offer through another lender. Want to explore your options? Here 's a look at our favorite student loan refinancing companies for 2026. 

Features

Private Student Loan Refinancing

Yes

Federal Student Loan Refinancing

No

Min Loan Amount

$5,000

Max Loan Amount

$250,000+

Rate Type

Fixed

Fixed APR

1% to 5.99%

Autopay Discount

No

Loan Terms

Does not disclose

Origination Fees

Does not disclose

Prepayment Penalty

Does not disclose

Late Payment Fee

Does not disclose

Cosigners Allowed

Yes

Cosigner Release

Yes, but no details are provided about the program

Graduation Requirement (For Refinancing)

Does not disclose

Customer Service Phone Number

1-888-819-9556

Customer Service Hours

Monday - Thursday, 7 AM to 5 PM (MST)

Friday, 7 AM to 4 PM (MST)

Promotions

None

Yrefy Review
  • Rates and Fees
  • Application Process
  • Customer Service
  • Products and Services
Overall
3

Summary

Yrefy allows borrowers with delinquent or defaulted private student loans to refinance them to a lower interest rate.

Pros

  • Refinances distressed student loans
  • Will look beyond a poor credit score
  • Provides support from human experts

Cons

  • APR upper limit is on the high side
  • Vague information on terms and fees
  • Limited customer reviews
  • Get A Quote

Editor: Clint Proctor Reviewed by: Chris Muller

Robert Farrington
Robert Farrington

Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.

Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience – he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same.

He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.

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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.
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