Comparison

MOHELA vs AscentConnect

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

MOHELA

Manage your student loans with ease. Schedule payments, view your loan history, upload important documents, and access tax information securely. Get support and repayment options for your student loans.

Highlights
  • Schedule and manage payments
  • View payment history
  • Upload forms securely
  • Access tax information
  • Secure account access
  • Messaging capabilities
Features
Read full description

Manage your MOHELA student loans and schedule payments from your mobile phone! MOHELA is dedicated to providing world-class customer service for the students whose loans we manage. As your knowledgeable and approachable go-to resource for account information and repayment options, we provide the tools to help you successfully repay your student loans. MOHELA is here to assist! Headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, our primary focus is student loan servicing. This app provides MOHELA’s CASHLoans and FFELP loan borrowers with quick and secure account access, payment scheduling/history, form upload capability, tax information, and messaging capabilities.

About

AscentConnect

Manage your student loans with ease. Apply for new loans, track your balance, and update billing information. Build healthy financial habits by making timely payments and exploring exclusive student benefits.

Highlights
  • Apply for loans
  • Manage loan payments
  • Track loan balance
  • Update billing information
  • Set up autopay
  • Access exclusive student benefits
Features
Read full description

AscentConnect, created by Ascent Funding*, helps you apply for a loan and manage your payments easily. Stay up-to-date on your loan balance so you never miss a payment and update your billing info when you need to. TRUSTED BY STUDENTS Applying for a loan and accessing your loan information 24/7 has never been easier with Ascent’s mobile app. BUILD HEALTHY FINANCIAL HABITS Making payments on time, setting up autopay, and paying more than the minimum amount due can help you build healthy financial habits early. GET EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS With an Ascent loan, you’ll get access to free, interactive resources to help you achieve academic milestones, career breakthroughs, & financial independence with exclusive resources and access to paid internship opportunities.** Bright Futures™ are ahead! Download the AscentConnect mobile app today! By downloading this mobile application, I agree that I have read and understand Ascent's online Terms and Conditions (https://www.ascentfunding.com/terms-conditions/), Privacy Policy (https://www.ascentfunding.com/privacy-notice/), and Electronic Communications Consent (https://www.ascentfunding.com/electronic-communication-disclosure/). I also agree that I am at least 18 years old or the age of majority in my state of residence. *The AscentConnect mobile app is serviced by Launch Servicing, LLC. Mobile carrier fees may apply. **Ascent applicants and borrowers that agree to the AscentUP Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, as well as students associated with an Ascent parent loan application, have access to the AscentUP platform.

Screenshots

MOHELA4 screens
AscentConnect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: MOHELA at 4.6 against AscentConnect's 3.9. MOHELA also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). AscentConnect's advantage is review sentiment (44% vs 23%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MOHELA holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: MOHELA has 47K ratings behind it against 277, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 23% of MOHELA's written reviews are positive against 44% of AscentConnect's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MOHELA ships an update every 5 weeks, AscentConnect every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
MOHELA versus AscentConnect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMOHELAAscentConnect
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (47K ratings) — better3.9 (277 ratings)
Positive reviews23.1% of reviews44.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings47K — better277
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMissouri Higher Education Loan AuthorityAscent Funding, LLC

Customer experience

MOHELA

All ratings46,717 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative6.8%
Written reviews143 reviews
Positive23.1%
Neutral4.2%
Negative72.7%

AscentConnect

All ratings277 ratings
Positive72.9%
Neutral1.1%
Negative26.0%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive44.1%
Neutral3.4%
Negative52.5%

User reviews

MOHELA

From 47K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Convenient payment options
  • 🚀 User-friendly interface
  • 🚀 Helpful customer service
  • 🚀 Straightforward account management

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Login issues and password reset problems
  • 🐛 Inconsistent app functionality
  • 🐛 Lack of communication from the company
  • 🐛 Difficulty making payments and managing loans
  • 🐛 Poor customer service and long wait times

AscentConnect

From 277 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use and intuitive interface
  • 🚀 Fast and smooth app performance
  • 💳 Convenient payment functionality
  • 📱 User-friendly compared to website
  • 🔐 Face recognition login option

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent login and authentication failures
  • 🐛 App crashes and doesn't load properly
  • 💸 High monthly costs and fees
  • 🔐 Slow email verification code delivery
  • 📊 Inconsistent and confusing dashboard display

Bugs and requests

MOHELA

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes and freezes frequently
  • Saved bank account information being deleted
  • Face ID/biometric login not working consistently
  • Confusing error messages and navigation

Requested features

4 requests
  • Ability to apply payments directly to principal
  • Option to view payment history and loan details within the app
  • Improved notification system to keep users informed
  • Integration of website features into the mobile app

AscentConnect

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • Login credentials not saved, app forgets email and password
  • Secondary authentication code screen goes blank
  • App stuck on second authorization page
  • Payment input field requires deletion of zeros before entering amount
  • Loans not displaying in app but visible on website
Show 7 more
  • Double charging on payments
  • Automatic payment processing failures
  • Payment not reflecting in system despite submission
  • Inconsistent font sizes and screen layouts
  • App continuously asks about existing account while logged in
  • Verification code takes 30+ minutes to arrive
  • Loading issues preventing loan visibility

Requested features

10 requests
  • Payment breakdown showing principal vs interest allocation
  • Loan balance display in recent payments section
  • SMS verification code option instead of email
  • Visual graphs and charts for loan terms
  • Calendar view for payment schedules
Show 5 more
  • Principal paid tracking and visualization
  • Account deletion option in app
  • Better menu organization and layout
  • Loan buyout program for incomplete education
  • Face ID and biometric login options

In-app purchases

None

MOHELA

No in-app purchases

None

AscentConnect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is MOHELA free?
MOHELA is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AscentConnect free?
AscentConnect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, MOHELA or AscentConnect?
MOHELA is rated higher. MOHELA averages 4.6 out of 5 from 47K ratings, while AscentConnect averages 3.9 from 277 ratings.
Do MOHELA or AscentConnect have ads?
AscentConnect shows ads; MOHELA does not.
Which is updated more often, MOHELA or AscentConnect?
MOHELA ships an update every 5 weeks, and AscentConnect every 3 weeks. Most recently, MOHELA was updated on September 24, 2026 and AscentConnect on September 21, 2026.

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