Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
(855) 411-2372
Submit a Complaint

About us

We're the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), a U.S. government agency that makes sure banks, lenders, and other financial companies treat you fairly.

Learn how the CFPB can help you

Can a student lender consider my sex or marital status when deciding whether to give me a student loan?

Answer:

A creditor cannot discriminate on the basis of sex or marital status.

A creditor generally may not ask applicants for student loans about their sex or the sex of a co-signer on an application form.  However, a creditor may ask applicants to select a title (Mr., Miss, Mrs., or Ms.) on the application form, if the form states this is optional.   

A creditor generally may not ask about your marital status or the marital status of a co-signer if you are applying for a student loan.

Topics:
Was this page helpful to you?

Note: Do not include sensitive information like your name, contact information, account number, or social security number in this field.

The content on this page provides general consumer information. It is not legal advice or regulatory guidance. The CFPB updates this information periodically. This information may include links or references to third-party resources or content. We do not endorse the third-party or guarantee the accuracy of this third-party information. There may be other resources that also serve your needs.

Read full answer Hide full answer