Brianna McGurran's Image

Brianna McGurran

Former Staff Editor

About

Brianna McGurran is the Loans Analyst for Forbes Advisor. Most recently, she was a staff writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet, where she wrote "Ask Brianna," a financial advice column syndicated by the Associated Press. As spokesperson, she also contributed her expertise to outlets including The New York Times, ABC World News Tonight and the Today Show.

  • SoFi Student Loans Review 2025

    is a financial company that offers student loan refinancing, private student loans, mortgages, personal loans, insurance and other financial products. SoFi’s private student loans for undergraduates and refinance loans include an online prequalification option and access to customer perks like...
    SoFi Student Loans Review 2025

  • Sallie Mae Student Loans Review 2025

    Sallie Mae is one of the largest private student loan providers with several perks and features. A co-signer release is available after 12 full, on-time payments—which is ideal for borrowers needing temporary assistance. International and part-time students are also eligible for...
    Sallie Mae Student Loans Review 2025

  • Credible Student Loans Review 2025

    Credible is an online marketplace where customers compare private student loan and student loan refinancing offers from multiple lenders simultaneously. It’s best for borrowers who are likely to qualify for several options. All borrowers should get the maximum in unsubsidized...
    Credible Student Loans Review 2025

  • Best Medical School Loan Refinance Lenders Of 2025

    Completing medical school often leads to a lucrative career, but most students graduate with well over six figures of debt. Seventy-three percent of med school graduates had to borrow for their education, leaving school with a median of $200,000 in...
    Best Medical School Loan Refinance Lenders Of 2025

  • Best Student Loans For Community College Of 2025

    Community college can be an affordable way to earn a special certification, associate’s degree or get a start on your bachelor’s degree. In addition to the lower tuition costs when compared to four-year universities, many states offer free or discounted...
    Best Student Loans For Community College Of 2025

  • What Are Tuition-Free Colleges?

    Tuition-free college can take many forms, including state-sponsored programs at community colleges, four-year schools that charge no tuition for students of certain income levels and schools that require work in exchange for lower costs. You’ll likely find a tuition-free option...
    What Are Tuition-Free Colleges?

  • 529 Plan Maximum Contribution Limits By State

    When strategizing about how to save for college, many families turn to 529 plans. These tax-advantaged college savings accounts provide lots of benefits and flexibility for those who want to invest money for their child’s college education. However, there is...
    529 Plan Maximum Contribution Limits By State

  • Student Loan Forgiveness For Lawyers

    The average law school debt among lawyers aged 36 or under who graduated within the last 10 years was $108,000, according to the American Bar Association. If you’re a lawyer who left school with a lot of student loan debt,...
    Student Loan Forgiveness For Lawyers

  • Best Part-Time Student Loans Of 2025

    When you go to college part-time, your student loan and financial aid options typically depend on the number of credit hours you take each semester. Attending school at least half-time offers you a wider range of federal and private loans...
    Best Part-Time Student Loans Of 2025

  • Best International Student Loan Refinancing Lenders

    International students—those who attend college in the U.S. but don’t hold U.S. citizenship—may be able to refinance their student loans if they’re eager for a lower interest rate. The process can be restrictive, since many lenders require U.S. citizenship, strong...
    Best International Student Loan Refinancing Lenders

  • How To Refinance A Parent PLUS Loan

    Federal parent PLUS loans are available to parents of dependent undergraduate students. While parent PLUS borrowing has decreased by 20% in the past 10 years, according to the College Board, it’s grown substantially since 1990, which reflects soaring college prices...
    How To Refinance A Parent PLUS Loan

  • Student Loan Forgiveness For Healthcare Workers

    Nearly 70% of medical school graduates left school with debt in 2021, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. The median debt—not including undergraduate study—was $200,000 per student. That’s a hefty sum to pay back. If you, like most...
    Student Loan Forgiveness For Healthcare Workers

  • College Tuition Inflation: Compare The Cost Of College Over Time

    There’s no question that compared to previous generations, colleges are charging today’s students more for higher education. Between 1980 and 2020, the average price of tuition, fees, and room and board for an undergraduate degree increased 169%, according to a...
    College Tuition Inflation: Compare The Cost Of College Over Time

  • Average Student Loan Payment: Estimate How Much You’ll Owe

    The typical monthly student loan payment among borrowers who were actively repaying their loans in 2019 was between $200 and $299, according to the Federal Reserve. But your monthly bill may be much lower or higher than that. Your required...
    Average Student Loan Payment: Estimate How Much You’ll Owe

  • How Much Does Medical School Cost?

    The price for attending medical school can easily cost as much as a house, with the median four-year cost of attendance ranging from $255,000 to $337,000 for the Class of 2020, according to data from the Association of American Medical...
    How Much Does Medical School Cost?

  • How Parent PLUS Loan Forgiveness Works

    Parent PLUS loans are a popular option for those sending their kids off to college. These federal loans, which are offered to parents of undergraduate students, can make college more affordable in the short term. Parent PLUS loans come with...
    How Parent PLUS Loan Forgiveness Works

  • UGMA vs. UTMA vs. 529 Plans: Which Is Best for You?

    Saving for college is a marathon, not a sprint. And designating a specific savings account for education costs can help you track and prioritize the money you diligently set aside. Your options for college savings accounts include 529 plans and...
    UGMA vs. UTMA vs. 529 Plans: Which Is Best for You?

  • What Is An Income Share Agreement?

    As outstanding student loan debt grows—nearly doubling from $896.8 billion in 2011 to $1.73 trillion in 2021, according to the Federal Reserve—students, colleges and lawmakers are searching for alternatives. Income share agreements (ISAs) are one such option: Instead of receiving...
    What Is An Income Share Agreement?

  • Can You File Bankruptcy On Student Loans?

    It’s possible to discharge student loans through bankruptcy. The most common standard courts use to determine your student loans’ eligibility for discharge is strict; and whether you meet it is subject to the individual bankruptcy court’s judgment. But that doesn’t...
    Can You File Bankruptcy On Student Loans?

  • Can I Buy a Home If I Have Student Loan Debt?

    Buying a home is often a challenge, but especially in a boiling-hot housing market. There were 2.1 million more homeowners in the 2020 fourth quarter compared to a year ago, according to the Pew Research Center. Among other factors, the...
    Can I Buy a Home If I Have Student Loan Debt?

  • Are College Scholarships and Grants Taxable?

    If you’re trying to save money on college costs, scholarships and grants are essential tools.  According to Sallie Mae’s How America Pays for College study, scholarships and grants covered 25% of students’ college expenses in 2020— an average of $7,626...
    Are College Scholarships and Grants Taxable?

  • Where To Find Scholarships For Latino And Hispanic Students

    Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Hispanic and Latino students were enrolling in college at record numbers. From 2000 to 2016, Latino 18- to 24-year-olds’ college enrollment rate grew from 22% to 39%, according to a 2019 report from UnidosUS, an...
    Where To Find Scholarships For Latino And Hispanic Students

  • What Happens To Student Loans If You Move Abroad?

    Living abroad has plenty of benefits: the chance to lower your cost of living, learn a new language and immerse yourself in a new culture. If you have student loans, though, that’s one thing you can’t get rid of. You’re...
    What Happens To Student Loans If You Move Abroad?

  • How Does Transferring Colleges Affect Student Loans?

    Transferring from one college to another isn’t always the most seamless experience. Making sure your new school accepts your credits, adjusting your course load and possibly moving to a new campus can be difficult. How you pay for school is...
    How Does Transferring Colleges Affect Student Loans?

  • Principal-Only Student Loan Payment: What to Know

    Paying off your student loans doesn’t mean just making the minimum payment every month. You can make a principal-only payment, or an extra payment towards your principal balance, to pay off your student loan debt sooner. Here’s what a principal-only...
    Principal-Only Student Loan Payment: What to Know

  • How To Work With A Student Loan Ombudsman

    Contacting your student loan lender is usually the first step in resolving an issue. But what if it gets you nowhere? Last year, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau received about 5,800 student loan complaints, and 65% of them related to...
    How To Work With A Student Loan Ombudsman

  • Best 529 Plans Of 2025

    For most parents looking for a way to save for their child’s college education, a 529 college savings plan is a wise choice. That’s because the money you invest in one of these accounts grows tax-free if you use the...
    Best 529 Plans Of 2025

  • How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?

    Applying to one college is work. You’ll need to complete essays, transcripts, and pull together other documents just to complete one application. So applying to multiple schools is like a part-time job. While there’s no magic number, there is a...
    How Many Colleges Should I Apply To?

  • How To Get Student Loan Unemployment Deferment

    If you’ve lost your job or you aren’t currently working, you might qualify for student loan deferment. Unemployment deferment, which is available for federal student loans and some private loans, pauses your student loan payments until you’re able to afford...
    How To Get Student Loan Unemployment Deferment

  • 5 College Application And Enrollment Trends To Watch For In Fall 2021

    Nothing about this school year has been normal for college students. Amid cautious campus reopenings, setbacks have arisen. In recent weeks, a college hockey game in Utica, New York, ended mid-period due to a player’s positive Covid-19 test; the University...
    5 College Application And Enrollment Trends To Watch For In Fall 2021

About

Brianna McGurran is the Loans Analyst for Forbes Advisor. Most recently, she was a staff writer and spokesperson at NerdWallet, where she wrote "Ask Brianna," a financial advice column syndicated by the Associated Press. As spokesperson, she also contributed her expertise to outlets including The New York Times, ABC World News Tonight and the Today Show.