An education loan with collateral is a loan where the applicant attaches security along with the loan application. This security can be movable (FDs, LIC Insurance, etc.) or immovable assets (non-agricultural land, house, etc.). Most public banks in India require collateral security to sanction a loan application over INR 7.5 Lakhs.

Collateral helps a lender recover its dues in case the borrower fails to repay his/her educational loan. Educational loans are increasingly becoming an NPA (Non-Performing Asset) for banks and other lenders. An asset becomes an NPA if it stops generating income for the lender. In the financial year that ended in 2017, seven Public Sector Banks had a gross NPA ratio in double digits. And, this trend is not new and has been constantly on a gradual rise. For Engineering courses, 9.76% of education loans became NPA, while for MBA, 5.59% of education loans became NPA. Hence, lenders have become cautious in providing education loans without collateral for bigger amounts. 

There is no definitive answer for it as the amount of collateral required differs from lender to lender and from scheme to scheme. 
Below-mentioned is a brief comparison of a few leading lenders to help you estimate:

• *PSBs like SBI sanction 70% of the collateral value as loan amt. BoB sanctions almost 100% of the collateral value as loan amt. E.g. if the property value is estimated to be INR 1 Cr, the loan amount sanctioned by SBI would be INR 70 L and by BoB would be INR 1 Cr. Whereas, private bank, Axis, sanctions 65%-70% of the collateral value as loan amt. @ higher interests, which is why GyanDhan suggests PSBs if you have collateral security to offer. 
• *The collateral value is evaluated by authorized property evaluators, and is generally lower than the market value but in compliance with the Govt. rules and regulations of property evaluation.
• *The education expenses covered by PSBs like SBI are generally up to 90% of the tuition fee + living costs breakdown, e.g. if the fee + living cost breakdown presented by a student is INR 77L, the student is only eligible for a loan up to INR 69,30,000, for which he’ll need property worth INR 1 Cr (approx). The remaining 10% has to be arranged by the student. An exception here would be the Bank of Baroda, which can cover 100% of the expenses for a few selected colleges. However, Axis Bank, a private bank, usually only covers 85% of the total expenses, which can be viewed as another downside.

Though the features of an education loan vary from lender to lender, we have listed below some common features of an education loan with collateral as offered by leading lending institutions.

• An education loan with collateral always requires the student to attach tangible or intangible security.
• Students can get high loan amounts sanctioned in secured education loans, up to INR 1.5 Cr from many PSBs at the lowest interest rates (8.85% onwards). 
• The rate of interest for an education loan with collateral, with all other parameters being the same, is always lower than that for an education loan without collateral. 
• Aspirants who want to find out the approximate EMIs and the total interest they would have to pay for the interest rate being offered to them can use the Education loan interest and EMI calculator at GyanDhan. 
• For such kinds of education loans, proof of parental income is also not required. Well, although it is not a mandatory parameter, having a good income always helps. And, having a low income doesn't mean that you won't get a loan, so income shouldn’t be considered a deterrent.
• Applicants get a longer repayment duration for such education loans.
• There is no repayment during the study period if a loan is taken from PSBs like SBI or BoB. You don't have to pay anything while you study; interest gets accumulated with the principal amount. 
• If a secured loan is taken from a bank (public or private), the borrower and the co-applicant enjoy tax benefits as per Chapter VI-A of Section 80E. This also holds true for unsecured loans, provided that the loan is taken from a bank (and not an NBFC). 
• GyanDhan also offers a free document pick-up service for SBI loans in Metro cities, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Chennai and connects applicants directly with the Branch Managers or Relationship officers of other lending banks. 

Public and private banks, as well as NBFCs, provide education loans with collateral to Indian students. Let us take a look at a few popular ones and also discuss the maximum loan amount for such a loan. Other details can be compared by clicking on the lender's name or requesting a call back from our education loan expert.

The education loan eligibility again varies from lender to lender. The eligibility requirements are stricter for nationalised banks as compared to NBFCs as they offer loans at much less interest. You can check your loan eligibility at GyanDhan to know how much loan amount you can acquire as per your profile. 

Let us take a look at some common eligibility criteria for applying for an education loan with collateral.

• The applicant must possess all the collateral papers of the security he is planning to attach. 
• The applicant (student) must be an Indian national. NRIs holding Indian passports can avail of education loans too. OCI students can get a loan for studies in India but not for foreign studies as they are no more Indian citizens.
• The applicant must have secured admission to a recognized institute. Most lenders ask for a copy of the acceptance letter with the loan application.
• The applicant must have had a good academic history. The lenders ask the applicant to attach relevant mark sheets with the loan application. 
• A good CIBIL score is a desirable criterion of most lenders when sanctioning an education loan. In case your CIBIL score is low or your academics aren’t great, you should get in touch with GyanDhan’s education loan counsellors right away. They can guide you through the steps that need to be taken.