Can my spouse/partner guarantee my loan?
No, your spouse/partner cannot guarantee your loan. Spouses must apply as co-applicants, though. Our loans require a guarantor that is completely separate from the financial situation, meaning they must reside in a separate household and have their own income.
Qualified guarantors are people living in Northeast Ohio, with a verifiable income and the ability to make a payment if the borrower could not do so, who live in a separate household from the loan applicant(s).
Why do loan applicants need a guarantor/cosigner?
As a nonprofit lender, HFLA does not make money by charging interest or other fees on our loans. We rely on our loans being repaid so that we can continue lending to those who need.
Guarantors and cosigners are the one form of “backup” in the unlikely event that a borrower defaults on a loan. HFLA is grateful for our guarantors and cosigners, who have ensured loan repayment if/when something prohibits the borrower from completing payment on their loan.
What is the difference between a cosigner and a guarantor?
Our education loans require one cosigner. Cosigners share a joint responsibility to the debt, and we can consider the cosigner’s income if the student does not have any. Cosigners may live in the same household as the applicant (ex: mom can cosign for a child; a spouse/partner—with income—can cosign for their spouse/partner).
Our standard loans require at least one guarantor or guarantors. Guarantors must live in a separate household and must have income and the ability to repay the debt, in the event that the applicant defaults on the loan.
We make business loans directly to the business. Any owner who owns 20% or more of that business will sign a personal guaranty and will still be responsible for that debt, even if the business ceases to exist.
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