Pros and cons of paying for college with home equity

While recent high school graduates prepare for college this coming fall, millions of American parents are trying to figure out how to pay for their child’s higher education. 

Unfortunately, for many parents, it's simply not possible to fund a degree from their savings or income -- not with the total annual cost of college hitting roughly $27,000 in-state cost for the average four-year public school and about $56,000 for private schools, according to The College Board.

A tiny percentage of parents actually tap into home equity to pay for college. Only 6 percent of parent borrowing for college came from a home-equity loan in 2021, according to the 2021 How America Pays for College Report by SallieMae.

In fact, as the economy has improved, the percentage of parents using home equity loans to pay for college has dropped. In 2020, 8 percent of parents used home equity to pay for college, according to the report.

It's understandable why so few parents look to home equity loans to pay for college because parents are, in effect, putting their homes on the line for their child's education.  

Should you use a home equity loan to pay for college?

If you're a homeowner, you have the option to use your home equity to pay for college. But should you? If you choose to do so, you’ll need to fill out a mortgage application in addition to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that you’re probably now completing.

Here are some distinct advantages and disadvantages to using a home equity loan to pay for college.

Advantage: Home equity loans can be cheaper

With a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit, the two biggest positives are that home equity loans may be cheaper than other loans.

"If you have a home equity loan, it not only carries a low interest rate, it's also easily accessible and can provide immediate liquidity," says personal finance expert Jordan Goodman, the author of “Master Your Debt.”

Rates on home equity loans and lines of credit tend to fall in the 5 percent to 6 percent range, according to HSH.com - currently a bit above the 3.73 percent interest rate on 2021-2022 federal Direct Subsidized Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans (sometimes called "Stafford loans"), but likely less than the 6.28 percent interest rate currently charged for federal PLUS loans made to parents.

Advantage: Home equity loans are quick and easy

When families need funds in a hurry, a home equity loan may be easier and faster to obtain under some circumstances. For instance, if you already have an equity line of credit, you can simply write a check from the home equity line to pay necessary college costs.

But if you borrow by co-signing or directly applying for a traditional student loan, a credit application and loan process are required for private student loans.

Advantage: There are fewer restrictions

Federal student loans don't require a credit check or co-borrower. However, the U.S. Department of Education does impose annual loan limits on federal loans:

• $5,500 during an undergraduate's first year
• $6,500 the second year
• $7,500 for the third year and beyond

These loan caps may not give a family adequate borrowing power -- particularly if a student attends a high-cost college or university. So, home equity loans can be beneficial when higher funding amounts are needed, provided a homeowner has sufficient equity.

"Mortgage lenders aren't going to give you a loan for the full 100 percent of your home equity," says Goodman. "Many will lend up to 80 percent of the value of the home. So unless you've been paying your mortgage for a long time, there may not be a lot of equity to tap."

Drawbacks of tapping home equity to pay for college

"A home equity loan certainly can be used to pay for college education, but it probably should be pretty far down on the list of options," says certified financial planner Donna Skeels Cygan, owner of Sage Future Financial. She suggests alternatives such as seeking scholarships and grants, having the student work part-time, or attending a less expensive school.

 Disadvantage: The house is on the line

"The risk with a home equity loan is that if the parents can't pay back the loan, then the house is collateral." Cygan says. "That's enormous risk and losing their house would be an incredibly high price to pay for funding a college education."

Goodman agrees.

"With a home equity loan, you're putting your house on the line," he says. "Besides, you're basically trading a hard asset, your home, in order to gain a soft asset, education."

Disadvantage: Little flexibility during hard times

Another downside is that these loans don't typically offer flexibility during periods of financial hardship. But those who borrow with federal student loans can readily obtain loan deferments, forbearance, and sometimes even loan forgiveness. Even private student lenders, such as Wells Fargo and Discover have aided struggling student loan borrowers, including such means as lowering interest rates on certain private student loans and or offering student loan modifications to help borrowers avoid default.

Ultimately, the decision to borrow for college -- via a home equity line or line of credit -- may come down to your perspective on the value of higher education.

According to a recent survey from Spectrem Group's Millionaire Corner, 66 percent of millionaires believe a college education is valuable enough for people to take on debt.

"If you ask millionaires about their success, most attribute it to hard work," says Catherine McBreen, president of Millionaire Corner and managing director of Spectrem Group. "But in almost all cases, they will also say it was their education that allowed them to get where they are, and 90 percent of those millionaires have a college education."

"That's a strong case for college," she adds, "even if you have to borrow."

More from HSH.com:

• Current mortgage rates
• Which is better, a home equity loan or line of credit?
• Buying a house when carrying student loan debt

This article was updated by Keith Gumbinger.

(Image: Karen Roach/iStock)