Ways to make student loan payments

What works best for you? Choose how you want to make your monthly student loan payments.

Auto debit means never having to remember

If you aren't enrolled in our automatic debit program for your student loans, we encourage you to sign up for the easiest, most convenient way to make your payments! When you enroll in auto debit, we'll automatically withdraw your payment every month from your authorized bank account.

  • You can choose to pay the Current Amount Due (the amount required to be paid each month until the loan is paid in full) or pay more each month, which may help lower your Total Loan Cost. 
  • There’s no penalty for paying early or paying extra. 
    • Making additional payments while enrolled in auto debit won’t change the amount we withdraw.
  • Enrolling may qualify you for a 0.25% interest rate reduction so long as the loan payment is successfully withdrawn monthly and the loan is eligible—it must be in active repayment, not forbearance or deferment, and cannot be a K-12 loan.

Enroll in auto debit

Pay it online

To add your bank account information and pay online, log in to your account. Once you’ve added it, you can submit your monthly student loan payment electronically.footnote 1

  • If you have multiple bank accounts, you can make your student loan payments from a different bank account—just remember to schedule the payment every month. 
  • Payments made online will be effective the same day for which they are scheduled. However, payments may not be reflected in your online Transaction History for 2-4 days after the effective date.

If you want to add a little extra to your monthly payments, online is the way to go! You can also make online payments in conjunction with auto debit.

Your loans are wherever you are with the Sallie Mae® app

Make and manage Sallie Mae student loan payments anytime, anywhere with the Sallie Mae app on your iPhone®, Android™ phone, or Apple Watch®.

  • Easily make payments for multiple loans.
  • Get a quick snapshot of every loan, including the Current Balance, Total Amount Due, and interest rate.
  • View payment history.
  • Log in quicker with iPhone® Touch ID.
  • Pay your loans and view the confirmation on your Apple Watch.
  • Payments made on the app will be effective the same day for which they are scheduled. However, payments may not be reflected in your online Transaction History for 2-4 days after the effective date.

Download the award-winning Sallie Mae app.

 

 

Phone it in

Making your student loan payments through our automated phone system is convenient and easy! Have your bank account information handy and visit our Contact Us page.

Payments by phone will be effective the same day for which they are scheduled. However, payments may not be reflected in your online Transaction History for 2-4 days after the effective date.

Support your mail carrier

Mailing in your check or money order still works—just be sure to mail your payment at least 10 days before your due date so it’s credited in time. 

If your payment is late, you may be charged a late fee. If your check doesn’t clear for any reason, a returned check fee may be charged.

Borrowers

  • Include the remittance slip and 16-digit Loan Group Number with your payment to ensure it’s properly allocated to your loans.
  • Make your check or money order payable to Sallie Mae and mail your payments to the Borrower Payment Address:
    Sallie Mae
    P.O. Box 8459
    Philadelphia PA 19101-8459
  • We can’t process instructions written on the check or remittance slip.

Cosigners

  • Submit individual payments with the applicable 16-digit Loan Number for each loan you’ve cosigned, along with the remittance slip.
  • Make your check or money order payable to Sallie Mae and mail your payments to the Cosigner Payment Address:
    Sallie Mae
    P.O. Box 8377
    Philadelphia PA 19101-8377
  • We can’t process instructions written on the check or remittance slip.

Third-party bill-pay services

Third-party bill-pay services may include payment services offered by your financial institution. Provide them with the applicable 16-digit Loan Group Number and be sure the payment is processed at least 10 days before your due date so it’s credited in time.

Borrowers

  • Provide them with the applicable 16-digit Loan Group Number.
  • Make sure your student loan payment is directed to Sallie Mae at this borrower payment address:
    Sallie Mae
    P.O. Box 8459
    Philadelphia PA 19101-8459

Cosigners

  • Cosigners must submit individual payments for each loan they’ve cosigned.
  • Make sure your student loan payment is directed to Sallie Mae at this cosigner payment address:
    Sallie Mae
    P.O. Box 8377
    Philadelphia PA 19101-8377

Don’t be late!

If you don’t pay your loan’s Current Amount Due (and any Past Due Amount) within 15 days of the Current Amount Due Date, you may be charged a late fee. 

  • The late fee amount is listed on your loan’s Disclosure and your billing statement.
  • If your student loan payments are late, you may lose your eligibility for borrower benefits or repayment incentives. 
  • Late payments may be reported to consumer reporting agencies, which could negatively impact your credit report.

Related topics


footnote 1. When you provide a check as payment, you authorize us to follow our standard practice and use information from your check to make a one-time electronic fund transfer from your account. When we use information from your check to make an electronic fund transfer, funds may be withdrawn from your account as soon as the same day we receive your payment, and you will not receive your check back from your financial institution. In certain unusual circumstances, such as for technical or processing reasons, we may instead process your payment as a check transaction.

footnote Apple, iPhone, Apple Watch, Siri, and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

footnote Android, Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google Inc.