Sandra (28)
Environmental Engineer
„With EDUCA SWISS’ loan of 18,000 CHF I was able to finish my Master’s in London.”
Tobias (22)
Studies in Business with Federal Certificate of Proficiency
„Thanks to my student loan of 7,000 CHF, I was able to pay 32CHF per month for my vocational training.”
Philipp (19)
Business Administration Student
„EDUCA SWISS did not only award me with a student loan of 17,000 CHF, but also helped me with my budget plan.”
Albana (24)
Social Pedagogue University of Applied Sciences
„With a loan of 10,000 CHF, I can fund my education for only 23 CHF per month.”
Educational Loans
Are you looking to fund your education? As a non-profit foundation, we can help you plan and fund your education free of charge and without any obligations. You will receive a loan tailored to your individual needs at favorable conditions.
And this is how it works
1. Check whether you’re eligible
Our requirements:
- You are of legal age.
- You are pursuing a specific career goal.
- Your place of residence is in Switzerland.
2. Apply and start your profile
Register quickly and easily here. The registration takes only a few minutes. You can create your profile free of charge immediately afterwards or at a later time. The profile includes planning and budget information for your vocational training.
3. Optimize your profile with a coach
A coach provided by us free of charge will be on hand to give you advice and help you complete your profile with a realistic budget and clear goal. Once your profile is complete, we will find educational loans for you. In addition, with your completed profile, you have a better chance of receiving financial support from scholarship offices, your family or foundations.
4. Receive your student loan
Your complete profile will give you access to EDUCA SWISS lenders. We provide educational loans at a non-profit rate. This is always cheaper than with commercial providers.
An education loan can help you
People in education and training can receive an education loan from us at favorable conditions.
Personal Coach
You will have a personal coach who will accompany you free of charge and assist you during your vocational training.
Planning Platform
Our free planning platform helps you keep track of your education or vocational training.
Fair Conditions
We offer favorable education loans. The interest rates are always lower than with commercial providers, at an average of 1.5% and a maximum of 3.25%.
Non-profit
As a non-profit organization, we have no financial interests. There are no hidden costs.
FAQs for Candidates
Questions and answers about your education loan from EDUCA SWISS.
Who supports EDUCA SWISS and how?
We support you in funding your education and training. We advise you free of charge on financing planning and arrange educational loans from private donors or foundations at favorable conditions, upon request. We are here to support all who are of legal age and reside in Switzerland, regardless of the career goal you are pursuing through your education or vocational training, or what your grades are. Our assistance does not include awarding scholarships.
How can I best plan for the student loan repayment deadlines?
The financial plan prepared on Educaplan shows the cash flow (increase or decrease in available funds) under the liquidity section. Based on these figures, the repayment plan is discussed with the lender and the loan provider. The repayment plan must be realistically feasible, meaning sufficient (approx. CHF 10,000) liquidity should always be included as a reserve. As a rule, repayment of a loan begins after you have completed your education and started your career. The repayment dates are negotiated on the basis of liquidity. We advise you free of charge on the best repayment plan for your situation.
Is early repayment possible as agreed in the contract?
According to the contract, early repayment of the entire loan amount in a single payment is possible at any time. If you choose this option, you will owe the lender and the lender the interest and compound interest up to the date of receipt of payment and you will owe us the outstanding fees. The Lender and the Borrower will notify us of the termination of this Agreement and you will be charged the interest and fees. Early repayment in instalments is generally not provided, but may make sense in individual cases. Please contact us about this.
What do I do if I get into financial difficulties during repayment?
Discuss your situation with your lenders and inform us about your agreement (for example, postponing the repayment date). If difficulties arise, we will be happy to support you.
How are education loans granted? Will I receive the entire financial aid right at the beginning or will it be awarded in phases?
Once you have created your financial plan on Educaplan, you will find the automatically calculated financial aid (exact amount and time) under the section Liquidity. The contract negotiations with the lenders can then be conducted accordingly. Experience shows that individual loan contracts are granted in sums between CHF 5,000 and CHF 10,000. Loans are never less than CHF 5,000.
Who are the lenders with EDUCA SWISS?
The lenders we refer are private individuals or foundations that consider vocational training to be an important element of society. By awarding student loans, they support people in their education and, therefore, make it possible for you to achieve your professional goal. The interest rates on the student loans are not profitable for the lenders, but ideally cover costs in order to provide sustainable education financing. The student loan you receive will probably enable another person to pursue their dream job once you have repaid it.
Is there a direct contact with the lenders?
As soon as a lender supports your education project, we bring you both together and open an online contract negotiation on the free planning platform, Educaplan. The terms of the contract are negotiated between you during a meeting or telephone conversation. Institutional lenders – such as foundations – hire us for the negotiation process and contract management.
EDUCA SWISS has already awarded me with several student loans. What should I do, if my education goals change?
In principle, it is always important to comply with the contractual agreements. If circumstances change and put your education goals at risk or clearly contradict your education and financing plans, you must report this to us immediately. You can get free counselling from us at any time. We will support you and help you find a good solution. If a contract adjustment is unavoidable, we will consult your lenders. They will decide whether they can agree to a proposed contract adjustment. A contract amendment requires the consent of both parties, otherwise the current contract remains valid.
I need money urgently for my education. Are quick bridge loans possible?
EDUCA SWISS cannot offer short-term financing solutions. From the time the draft file is completed online to the start of the search for a lender, the dossier takes, at best, four weeks, and usually six to ten weeks. Experience shows that it takes between one and four months to find a lender and transfer the loan. For short-term financing needs, it is therefore advisable to look for another solution. Our recommendation: Contact your family or close relatives.
How can I apply at EDUCA SWISS?
The registration takes place on our free planning platform educaplan. There you create your education and financial plan and upload the required documents. Once everything is ready, the free planning and coaching process follows.
What do I have to do to receive a student loan?
After you register on our free planning platform Educaplan, you will first set up your file (personal education and financial plan) with us in a free coaching session. With your budget, the financial needs are calculated over the entire period of the education and the first period of employment. If other sources (such as scholarships, loans from family or friends, part-time job etc.) cannot cover these financial needs, the completed file will be presented to our potential lenders. This process takes some time. We cannot offer you financial aid immediately.
Where and how should I upload my CV, photo, copy of passport, residence permit if applicable and debt collection register?
After your official registration, you will be asked to upload your documents to educaplan. Your data will of course be treated confidentially. You can find more information about this in our privacy policy.
Does EDUCA SWISS only support initial training, or second and further training as well?
We support every form of training, whether initial or secondary.
Does EDUCA SWISS award scholarships?
We do not award scholarships, but arrange low-interest student loans from private individuals to motivated people who are pursuing vocational training, further education or studies. You must to pay back the student loan after your education. If you are looking for a scholarship, find out about the cantonal scholarship offices or contact stipendium.ch (it costs CHF 78 to obtain the documents). You can also use the scholarship calculator of your canton to find out whether you are eligible for a scholarship.
Can I apply for a loan for a language course at EDUCA SWISS?
We generally do not support courses, but education and vocational training that will enable you to start a career. If this language course is a prerequisite for a later education or career entry, we can take a closer look. Note that the minimum loan with us is 5’000 CHF and the process takes some time.
How high is the chance of receiving a student loan?
We do not guarantee placement of education loans. The decision to grant an educational loan lies with the lenders. Experience shows that more than 90% of our students receive an educational loan and are able to fulfill their educational goals. Thanks to the free support EDUCA SWISS volunteer coaches, budgets are planned out for those whose goals are realistic. Up to now, we have rarely awarded more than 30,000 CHF in student loans for individual education projects. If a project is feasible with a higher budget, it may still be reasonable. We wish to avoid excessive debt at all costs, which is why we do not allow deficits that lead to excessive debt.
I am not Swiss, I do not have a residence permit yet, but I am completing my education in Switzerland. Am I still eligible?
We are a non-profit foundation and our services are available to anyone who is a resident of Switzerland or Liechtenstein and has valid proof of enrollment from a Swiss educational institution.
What fees and interests should I expect?
Preparing and following up with your file, as well as your consultations with a coach, are always free of charge for you. If you decide to obtain student loans through EDUCA SWISS, your student loan interest rate will be agreed upon between you and the lenders, with a maximum allowed interest of 3.25%. On average, our lenders grant student loans at an interest rate of 1.5%. For a loan of CHF 10,000, this amounts to CHF 150 per year. In addition, since the loan brokerage service is part of our expenses, we are responsible for fees to cover the loan brokerage and contract support as well as our membership fee (see fee regulation).
Why does EDUCASWISS require a photocopy of my passport and debt collection register?
A passport copy gives us certainty about the identity of the person in whom we place our trust and refer to possible lenders. An extract from the debt collection register is necessary so that we and the lenders are informed about any debts you may have and so that we can assess how high your total debt is. We only arrange feasible education projects in order to avoid excessive debt.
Can I extend the deadline for processing my file?
You can extend the deadline for the completion of your dossier at any time in your profile.
Still have questions? Use our chat.
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EDUCA SWISS is supported among others by
Matthias Aebischer
National Council Bern
«Education is a human right and should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their social background or financial starting position. I am committed to this along with EDUCA SWISS Foundation.»
Matthias Michel
Council of States Zug
«I support EDUCA SWISS in its goal of ensuring that every ambitious person in Switzerland can complete an education or training program – regardless of their financial situation or social background.»
Sandra Locher Benguerel
National Councillor Graubünden
«Education is the key to a self-determined life and contributes to a strong and stable society. That’s why I support EDUCA SWISS in its goal to create fair opportunities.»
Professor Dr. Theo Wehner
Industrial Psychologist
Theo Wehner studied psychology and sociology, is now a visiting professor at the University of Bremen and professor emeritus at the Center for Organizational and Work Sciences at ETH Zurich University. As an expert, he works for leading foundations that finance education. His research focuses on the meaning of professional work and the act of becoming in today’s society. How do we learn through experience – especially in dealing with mistakes and failure? What is the nature of volunteer work? How do we define effective support and guidance for people in their professional development? These questions are highly relevant for the EDUCA SWISS’ work especially.
Peter F. Weibel
Expert on Business and Foundations
Peter F. Weibel studied business administration at the University of Zurich and spent many years in leading positions for leading companies in Switzerland, including as CEO of PwC from 1988 to 2003 and as a member of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group from 2004 to 2012. For 15 years now, Peter F. Weibel has committed professionally to education, social issues and culture. He was awarded the Medal of Honor of the City of Zurich for his services as long-time President of the Festivals. He contributed to the development of several foundations, including the Pestalozzi Foundation. Since 2012, he has presided over the Foundation of the University of Zurich. For EDUCA SWISS, Peter Weibel’s experience in professional governance, sustainable fundraising and especially in impact-oriented leadership is particularly valuable.