Coleman Certified SBA 7(a) Loan Underwriting 2026 Training First Session Begins January 6, 2026

A Completely Updated, Fully Rebuilt Online Certification Course for SBA 7(a) Underwriters

Twelve weekly online modules released every Tuesday starting January 6, 2026

The Coleman SBA 7(a) Certified Underwriter Training Program enters 2026 following a complete rebuild. The structure is redesigned. The curriculum is expanded. Production quality has been elevated. New instructors have been added. Every element is engineered to help SBA credit professionals master the intricate requirements of producing a defensible, banker-ready credit memo.

The urgency for training has never been higher. SBA credit is entering a new regulatory era. Program guidance continues to shift. SBA has eliminated the “do what you do” rule. SBA, regulators, and credit committees now expect a higher standard of risk assessment and clearer, more disciplined explanations supporting credit approval.

Underwriters must know how to interpret gray areas, document risk with precision, and write credit memos that protect the SBA guaranty while meeting the expectations of every stakeholder involved in the approval process.

New for 2026, the $10 million loan limit for manufacturers raises the bar further, requiring a materially deeper level of financial risk analysis.

SBA 7(a) Loan Underwriters may take the Online Course at their Own Pace

The 2026 Coleman SBA 7(a) Underwriter Training Program is built specifically for working professionals.

New sessions will be uploaded weekly throughout the first quarter of 2026. Underwriters can progress through the program on a schedule that fits their workload, production demands, and personal study habits. The course is entirely self-paced, with no fixed class times and no required log-in windows.

This gives underwriters several practical advantages.

• Underwriters can pause the training during busy periods and resume when pipeline demands allow.
• Sessions can be replayed as often as needed to master complex topics.
• Underwriters can move quickly through familiar material and spend additional time on topics that require deeper study.
• Sessions can be revisited when similar issues arise in day-to-day underwriting work.

The flexible structure gives participants full control over their learning pace while still providing access to twice-monthly office hours for direct instructor support.

Case Studies

Your instructors use five progressively complex SBA 7(a) case studies that mirror the exact loan types, credit issues, and documentation challenges lenders encounter as deal size and risk increase.

Beginning with a sub-$250,000 equipment and working capital loan and building toward a $10 million manufacturing expansion, each case is intentionally designed to address applicable SBA SOP rules and underwriting requirements.

By tying each required SBA element to real borrower scenarios—Bill’s Plumbing, Hawthorne Montessori Academy, POG Trucking, Tampa Boat Sales, and Franklin Brothers—the program teaches lenders not only what the SBA requires, but how to apply those requirements correctly as loan complexity increases.

Loan Application Types Covered in the Case Studies

• $250,000 equipment and working capital loan for an existing business (Bill’s Plumbing)

• $1 million startup franchise loan for a new business (Hawthorne Montessori Academy)

• $3 million business acquisition loan involving a change of ownership (POG Trucking)

• $5 million owner-occupied commercial real estate acquisition loan (Tampa Boat Sales)

• $10 million manufacturing loan subject to SBA manufacturing guidelines (Franklin Brothers)

Expert Instructors

Learn directly from some of the most respected professionals in SBA lending and credit analysis. Our course is led by seasoned instructors who bring decades of real-world experience, practical insights, and proven industry expertise.

Course instructors include:

• Bob Coleman – Publisher of the Coleman Report and nationally recognized SBA lending authority, bringing best practices gathered from years of industry reporting and training.

• Lance Sexton – Award-winning SBA lending educator with over 30 years of experience in loan operations, servicing, and liquidation.

• Michael Bland – Senior credit professional and underwriting expert with extensive experience evaluating small business financials, structuring deals, and navigating SBA program rules.

• Additional senior underwriting experts – A rotating group of veteran SBA credit professionals join the program to bring diverse perspectives from across the industry.

Twice-Monthly Live Office Hours Included

New for 2026, all students receive access to twice-monthly live Office Hours, where they can ask questions directly to Coleman instructors.

This ensures students receive ongoing support as they progress through the course.

Students who successfully complete this requirement earn the Coleman 2026 SBA Underwriter Certificate.

Who Should Attend

This training is designed for:

• New SBA underwriters
• Junior credit analysts transitioning into SBA roles
• Loan officers seeking to develop underwriting skills
• Lenders who want to ensure their SBA files meet guaranty standards

Students finish the course with the confidence and competence to produce SBA credit memos that credit committees understand and that SBA reviewers trust.

Registration Now Open

The 2026 program is designed to produce confident, competent SBA underwriters who understand not only what the SOP says but how to apply it in a real bank with real credit decisions.

Take the course at your own pace.

Learn directly from the industry’s leading instructors.

Become an underwriter who writes memos SBA reviewers trust.

Benefits of Coleman Training

• Tips to answer the loan committee’s central question, “Should we do the deal?” 
• Write credit memos that protect the SBA guaranty. 
• Understand how SBA reviewers think.
• Gain clarity in gray areas.
• Build complete and defensible risk assessments. 
• Strengthen your evaluation of guarantor character. 
• Develop real underwriting skills through five complex case studies.
• Stay current on 2026 SBA program changes. 
• Access live support from Coleman instructors in our twice monthly Office Hours training.

Course Introduction

This course is built around five SBA 7(a) underwriting case studies that mirror the decisions lenders face every day. Each case is intentionally designed to move beyond checklists and into judgment—because SBA underwriting is not about memorizing rules, it is about applying them clearly, defensibly, and persuasively.

Across the course, students will work through transactions that include strong guarantors and weak guarantors, clean ownership structures and messy affiliate networks, and borrowers whose character must be evaluated as carefully as their cash flow. 

Every case presents issues that require the underwriter to make a decision, not just identify compliance points.

By progressing through increasingly complex loan scenarios—from small equipment and working capital requests to startups, acquisitions, real estate, and large manufacturing credits—students will cover all major SBA 7(a) SOP underwriting requirements in context. 

The goal is not just technical accuracy, but the ability to tell a complete credit story that demonstrates sound judgment, SBA compliance, and prudent lending.

Week 1 — Introduction
Release Date: January 6

• The Small Business Administration
• The SBA 7(a) Loan Program, GP and PLP
• Lender Certifications to SBA
• Interest Rates and Fees
• The SBA Secondary Market

Case Study #1 — $250,000 Equipment and W/C Loan — Bill’s Plumbing — Seneca Falls, NY

Bill’s Plumbing is a second generation retail shop in Seneca Falls, NY that sells a full range of plumbing supplies to homeowners and local contractors. The business also provides on-site plumbing repairs, giving customers a reliable Main Street option for both parts and service. The loan request is for $250,000 for equipment and working capital.

Week 2 — Bill’s Plumbing, Part I
Release Date: January 13

• Business Description
• SBA Form 1919 
• Eligibility
• Citizenship Requirements, Criminal History
• SBA 7(a) Documentation Checklist
• Credit Elsewhere Test

Week 3 — Bill’s Plumbing, Part II
Release Date: January 20

• PFS Form 413
• SBA Collateral Base Value Calculation
• All Available Collateral Rule, Personal Real Estate Rules
• Borrower Credit Score, SBS Score, CAVIRS, sam.gov, etc.
• Use of Proceeds — Equipment, Working Capital
• Assignment of Lease and Landlord Waiver

Week 4 — Bill’s Plumbing, Part III
Release Date: January 27

• IRS Tax Return Verification
• Calculating Cash Flow
• Historical Cash Flow 
• Working Capital Adequacy
• Credit Memo for Loans Less than $250,000
• The Prudent Lending Standard

Case Study #2 — $1 Million Startup Franchise Loan — Hawthorne Montessori Academy — Portland, Oregon

Frank & Emily Hartley are seeking a $1 million SBA 7(a) loan to open Hawthorne Montessori Academy, a franchised early-childhood school in Southeast Portland that will convert a 4,800-square-foot space into multi-age Montessori classrooms. The project is supported by strong neighborhood demand, established franchise training, and Emily’s 14 years of Montessori program-management experience.

Week 5 — Hawthorne Montessori Academy, Part I
Release Date: February 3

• Franchise Eligibility & Directory
• Guarantors
• Projections Underwriting
• USC Credit Union Guaranty Denial Case Study
• Equity Injection
• Business Licenses 

Week 6 — Hawthorne Montessori Academy, Part II
Release Date: February 10

• The P&L Statement
• The Balance Sheet
• SBA Required Ratios
• SBA Proforma Balance Sheet
• SBA Credit Memo over $250,000

Case Study #3 — $3 Million Biz Aq Loan — POG Trucking — Galveston, Texas

Heather Martin is seeking a $3 million SBA 7(a) loan to acquire POG Trucking, a regional carrier based in Galveston, Texas with established contracts in petrochemical and port-related freight. The financing allowed her to purchase the operating assets, stabilize working capital, and position the company for expanded Gulf Coast route coverage.

Week 7 — POG Trucking 
Release Date: February 17

• Key Man Life Insurance 
• Business Valuation
• Business Acquisition Loans
• SBA Form 159
• Business and Loan Broker Fraud

Case Study #4 — $5 Million CRE Loan –Tampa Boat Sales — Tampa, FL

Seeking a $5 million real estate acquisition loan, Tampa Boating Sales plans to purchase its primary waterfront dealership facility to secure long-term control of a mission-critical operating location. The financing supports continued growth by stabilizing occupancy costs while preserving liquidity for inventory, service operations, and working capital.

Week 8 — Tampa Boating Sales I
Release Date: February 24

• Real Estate Acquisition
• Appraisal, Environmental Reports
• Affiliation
• Personal Guaranties
• EPC and OC

Week 9 — Tampa Boating Sales II
Release Date: March 3

• Global Cash Flow
• Leasehold Improvements
• Management Resumes
• SBA Express

Case Study #5 — $10 Manufacturing Loan — Franklin Brothers — Los Angeles, CA

A Southern California growing aerospace engineering firm is seeking a $10 million loan under the SBA Manufacturing guidelines to expand production capacity, upgrade specialized equipment, pay off debt, renovate its facility and working capital to meet increased sales projections. The financing would allow the company to fulfill contracts for NASA, JPL, SpaceX and the European Space Agency.

Week 10 — Franklin Bros I
Release Date: March 10

• Eligibility
• Debt Refinance
• Management Assessment
• Advanced Ratio Analysis
• Enhanced Financial Analysis
• Working Capital Adequacy

Week 11 — Franklin Bros II
Release Date: March 17

• Business Insurance
• Loan Closing Notes
• Covenants
• Servicing Notes
• Site Visit

Week 12 — Franklin Bros III
Release Date: March 24

• Final Credit Memo Presentation and Discussion
• Conclusion

Testimonials

“Coleman’s SBA 7(a) Loan Underwriter course was a great investment! Bob’s thorough presentation of SBA’s requirements for underwriting and processing 7(a) loan applications, together with the real life case studies, increased my confidence that I can do SBA 7(a) lending right! It was a very beneficial ten weeks!” -Senior Executive Vice President

“Thank you very much for the content and efficiency. I really like how you did this and the way you break it smaller modules.” -Loan Program Manager

“I really enjoyed the training and learned a lot about the SBA program and underwriting. This was very helpful.” -Vice President, Credit Manager

“It had a lot of wonderful information that I know is going to put me far above my competitors so I appreciate the time you spent creating the course!” -SBA Underwriter