Sallie Mae vs AscentConnect
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Sallie Mae
Manage your student loans and credit cards conveniently from your mobile device. Check balances, make payments, set up auto-pay, and track loan applications. Secure login options and in-app messaging provide easy access and support.
- View account summary for loans and credit cards
- Make payments on student loans
- Set up and manage automatic payments
- View loan application status
- Receive payment due notifications
- Secure login with Touch ID/Face ID
- Track credit health with FICO Score
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With a clean look and easy-to-use features, this app is the most convenient way to keep track of your student loans from your mobile devices, anytime, anywhere. It’s simple to check your balances, make payments, view previous transactions, and more. You can also set up and manage automatic loan payments from your bank account, right from the app. You can sign in securely with your Sallie Mae username and password—or Touch ID® or Face ID®—for easy access. Get anytime, anywhere access from your mobile device with these features: • View an account summary for student loans and credit cards from the home screen • Pay the Current Amount Due and make custom payments on student loans • Set up and manage automatic payments from your bank account • View the status of your loan applications • Receive notification when your loan payment is due, past due, or posted • Message our team to get help and answers • Log in quickly with Touch ID or Face ID • Pay your Total Amount Due with Siri® • Track your credit health with a quarterly FICO® Score • Get answers from support with in-app messages • Provide feedback directly to Sallie Mae • Supports dark mode in iOS 13 Note: To manage your Sallie Mae savings accounts, download the Sallie Mae Banking mobile app. Borrowers and cosigners who have an available FICO® Score and a Sallie Mae loan with a current balance greater than $0, may receive their score quarterly after the first disbursement of their loan. The FICO® Score provided to you is the FICO Score 8 based on TransUnion data and is the same score that Sallie Mae uses, along with other information, to manage your account. FICO® Scores and associated educational content are provided solely for your own non-commercial personal review, use, and benefit. This benefit may change or end in the future. FICO® is a registered trademark of the Fair Isaac Corporation in the United States and other countries. Sallie Mae and Fair Isaac are not credit repair organizations as defined under federal or state law, including the Credit Repair Organizations Act. Sallie Mae Bank and Fair Isaac do not provide “credit repair” services or advice or assistance regarding “rebuilding” or “improving” your credit record, credit history, or credit rating. © 2022 Fair Isaac Corporation. All rights reserved. SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. CHECK SALLIEMAE.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT INFORMATION. ©2022 Sallie Mae Bank. All rights reserved. Sallie Mae, the Sallie Mae logo, and other Sallie Mae names and logos are service marks or registered service marks of Sallie Mae Bank. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Sallie Mae Bank, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
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.
- Apply for loans
- Manage loan payments
- Track loan balance
- Update billing information
- Set up autopay
- Access exclusive student benefits
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Sallie Mae at 4.5 against AscentConnect's 3.9. Sallie Mae also leads on ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). AscentConnect's advantage is review sentiment (43% vs 15%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Sallie Mae holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Sallie Mae has 105K ratings behind it against 281, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 15% of Sallie Mae's written reviews are positive against 43% of AscentConnect's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Sallie Mae | AscentConnect |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (105K ratings) — better | 3.9 (281 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 14.9% of reviews | 42.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 105K — better | 281 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 93 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sallie Mae, Inc. | Ascent Funding, LLC |
Customer experience
Sallie Mae
AscentConnect
User reviews
Sallie Mae
From 105K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 User-friendly app
- 🚀 Convenient for making payments
- 🔒 Secure with fingerprint/face ID login
- 💡 Helpful for tracking loan details
Room to improve
- 🐛 Glitchy app performance
- 🤔 Inaccurate loan information
- 😤 Poor customer service
- 💸 Predatory loan terms from Sallie Mae
AscentConnect
From 281 App Store ratingsWhat 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
Sallie Mae
Reported bugs
3 issues- Login issues and endless login loops
- Incorrect payment processing and late fees
- Outdated app information not syncing with website
Requested features
4 requests- Ability to pay individual loans separately
- Improved notification system for payments
- More detailed loan history and analytics
- Seamless integration with bank accounts
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 moreShow fewer
- 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 moreShow fewer
- 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
Sallie Mae
No in-app purchases
AscentConnect
No in-app purchases







