When you take out student loans, your lender—the bank or financial institution issuing the loan—likely isn’t the same company that services the loan. Most lenders outsource loan servicing to third-party companies, known as loan servicers.
American Education Services (AES) is a leading loan servicer, not a lender. It handled some federal loans but now primarily services private student loans for its lending partners.
What Is American Education Services?
AES is a loan servicer, not a lender. It was established by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA), a public corporation put into place by the Pennsylvania General Assembly in 1963, to service student loans nationwide. As a student loan servicer, AES manages the accounts of millions of student loan borrowers.
Funds generated through its loan servicing business allow PHEAA to pay for its own operating costs and fund student financial aid programs. In 2022, PHEAA issued $15 million to the Pennsylvania State Grant program.
Types of Student Loans That AES Services
Today, AES only services private loans and commercially held Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loans. FFELP loans that are held by the U.S. Department of Education aren’t serviced by AES, and AES doesn’t handle other federal loans.
AES services loans from many lenders, including major financial institutions, banks and smaller credit unions, including:
- Alaska Student Loan Corporation
- Brazos Student Loans
- Education Loan Finance (ELFI)
- INvestEd
- Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)
- PNC Bank
- University Credit Union
What Does American Education Services Do for Borrowers?
Your loan servicer plays a key role in managing your loan repayment. If AES services your FFELP or private student loans, it handles:
- Payments. AES is who you make loan payments to.
- Repayment options. If you cannot afford your payments, you can contact AES to find out what options are available. You may be eligible for an alternative payment plan or may be able to pause your payments to get some relief.
- Forbearance or deferment. If you’re returning to school or are deployed in the military, you may be eligible for a forbearance or deferment and be able to pause your payments. To find out if you qualify, contact AES directly.
- Credit reporting. As you make payments toward your loans, AES reports those payments—or any missed payments—to the major credit bureaus.
How To Repay Your AES Loans
You can make payments toward your student loans serviced by AES in the following ways:
- Online. You can repay your loans through your online portal at AESSuccess.org. To make payments online:
- Visit AESSuccess.org and create an account. The site will prompt you for your name, loan account number (if you don’t have that number handy, you can use your Social Security number) and date of birth.
- Click “Make a Payment”. After signing in, click on “Make a Payment.” The site will prompt you for your bank account and routing numbers and your payment amount.
- Submit payment. Review all of the information to make sure it’s correct, then click submit.
- Mobile. You can make payments through the AES app available through Google Play and the Apple App Store.
- Phone. Call 800-233-0557 to pay by phone.
- Mail. Mail a check or money order to the following address; be sure to include your AES account number on your check:
- American Education Services, P.O. Box 65093, Baltimore, MD 21264-5093
Note: You can only use a checking or savings account to pay your bill; AES doesn’t accept debit or credit cards.
How To Contact American Education Services
If you have questions about your payments, loan status or repayment options, you can contact AES in the following ways.
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