Student Loan
Fund your future with confidence
Whether you're starting college, returning to education, completing an apprenticeship, or investing in new skills, our Educate 360 Loan helps cover the costs so you can focus on what comes next.
- Borrow for tuition, equipment, transport and course-related expenses
- One of our lowest loan rates at 6.5% (6.7% APR)
- Flexible repayments that fit around your budget
- No penalties for paying off your loan early
Affordable loans tailored for student life
Finance your studies with a loan built around your educational goals.
💫 Flexibility Built In
Studying comes with enough to think about. Our flexible loan terms help make repayments manageable, so you can focus on your education with confidence.
🎓 Not just for tuition fees
The cost of education doesn't stop at registration fees. Our Educate 360 loan can help with everything from technology and study materials to accommodation and other travel expenses.
🤝 No prepayment penalties
You can make lump-sum or regular extra payments. We won't charge any penalties if you pay off your loan earlier than the originally agreed term.
🌱 Local, personal decisions
We assess each application individually, carefully, and fairly. Our goal is to lend responsibly and to ensure that repayments are affordable for you.
Designed to suit your needs
Straight-forward repayments to cover expenses so you can focus on your studies.
Travel expenses
Apprenticeship tools
College textbooks
Accommodation costs
Calculate your repayments
Our handy repayment calculator lets you see what your repayments might look like.
Representative Example: If you borrow €5,000 over 4 years (48 months), the interest rate is 6.5% per annum (6.7% Representative APR), your monthly repayment would be €119, and the total amount repayable would be €5,692.
Maximum Loan Term :
This calculator is for illustrative purposes only, to give you, the borrower, an overview of the potential cost of borrowing. Whilst every care has been made in the production of information, People First Credit Union, or any of its staff, cannot be held responsible for any errors. This calculator only provides an indicative quote and actual repayments may vary. Loans are subject to approval, terms and conditions apply. If you do not meet the repayments on your loan, your account will go into arrears and this may affect your credit rating which may limit your ability to access credit in the future.
Terms and Features
Here's all the important things you need to know about taking out a loan with us.
Loan Amount and Term
- The maximum loan term is 7 years.
- Your application will be assessed on your capacity to meet the repayments.
- The interest rate on this loan is 6.5% (APR: 6.7%)
Required Documents
- 3 months bank statements
- 2 recent payslips
- Proof of Address (within last 6 months)
- Photo ID (driving licence or passport)
- Proof of third-level course/apprenticeship
Eligibility to Apply
- You must be aged over 18
- You must have a minimum of €20 in your savings
- You must be a resident in our common bond and have permission to reside in Ireland
Guarantor for your loan
- If you're a student taking out your first loan, you may need a parent/guardian to act as guarantor on the loan.
- This means they will be responsible for the loan if you can't pay it back.
Ready to go?
We've made the application process simple and accessible for you.
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Want to apply over the phone, or just looking for some information?
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before you apply.
Our Educate 360 Loan isn't just to cover tuition, it also covers:
- Tools and equipment you need for your courses
- Transportation costs (e.g. car expenses) to get you to class
- Further education courses to help you reach your career goals
The loan covers a wide range of educational needs, such as:
- Primary and secondary school
- Third Level
- Apprenticeships
- Green Cert
- Post Graduate
- Online
- Part-time
- PLC
- and more...
We understand every family’s situation is different. We assess loans based on a member’s credit history and ability to repay.
If your parent/guardian has an account, they can apply themselves and avail of the lower interest rate by providing proof of your third level course.
We can set up direct debits from your account if you want to make repayments off the loan, but the loan will be in your parent/guardian’s name.
If you are working with a stable income and have the ability to keep up with repayments of the loan, have a chat with our lenders and they will advise if you can apply in your own name.
We want your loan application process to be as simple as possible. There are four ways to apply for a loan.
- Apply through our mobile app
- Apply through our website
- Apply over the phone
- Apply in any of our branches (no appointment needed)
Click here to get started.
Right away!
Once you have €20 in your shares, you can apply for a loan.
No.
Our four branches have full-time lenders available to speak with. Loan office opening hours are slightly different from the office hours, see here for more information.
Yes.
The loan officer will assess the application in the same way as a new loan application. There are limits on how many top-ups you can receive in a specific time period, the lender will advise you if we are unable to approve your top-up loan application.
You will need to provide supporting documents:
- Proof of income (recent payslips or set accounts)
- 3 months of bank statements.
We may require additional documentation for certain loans, the lender assessing your loan will advise you of this.
We’ve made providing your documents simple. Choose “Open Banking” when applying and you can securely provide us with a transaction listing from your bank account – no need to be downloading, printing, and sending your statements!
Every loan application is assessed carefully and fairly. Our goal is to lend responsibly and to ensure that repayments are affordable for you. When reviewing your application, we look at:
- Repayment capacity: We consider your income and expenses to make sure the loan can be comfortably repaid.
- Credit history: We may use the Central Credit Register to review your history on loans you’ve taken with other financial institutions.
- Savings and account activity: Your relationship with the credit union, including savings history, can help us understand your financial habits.
- Purpose of the loan: Understanding what the loan is for helps us tailor the product to your needs.
We assess each application individually, not by automated scoring alone. Our focus is on supporting members while ensuring loans are granted in a sustainable way.
There are no penalties for early repayment, and we encourage members to talk to us if their circumstances change. This approach ensures we lend in a way that is fair, transparent, and aligned with our members’ best interests.
Yes. You can pay your loan early with no penalties or fees.
Drawing down is the term used to describe the process of collecting your loan.
You have three months to draw your loan down after approval.
The draw down stage consists of signing the final credit agreement, planning your repayments and issuing the funds, generally by bank transfer or cheque.
Your repayments begin only when you draw down your loan, you do not have to start repaying the loan after it's approved.
In certain circumstances, we will ask that you provide someone as a guarantor for your loan.
A guarantor is a person who agrees to repay the loan if you are unable to meet the contracted repayments.
This is usually a parent, guardian, spouse, family member.
People First Credit Union is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.
Lending criteria, terms and conditions apply. Applicants must be over 18 and resident in the Republic of Ireland. Loan approval is subject to a satisfactory assessment of suitability and affordability.
Representative Example: If you borrow €5,000 over 4 years (48 months), the interest rate is 6.5% per annum (6.7% Representative APR), your monthly repayment would be €119, and the total amount repayable would be €5,692.
| WARNING: If you do not meet the repayments on your loan, your account will go into arrears. This may affect your credit report, which may limit your ability to access credit, a hire-purchase agreement, a consumer-hire agreement or a BNPL-agreement in the future. |
