Key Points
- Bilt Rewards members can now use points to pay student loans with select servicers.
- Student housing rent paid through Bilt will now earn rewards, starting with American Campus Communities (ACC).
- This move allows people to pay down their student loans using rewards from purchases they'd normally make anyway.
Bilt Rewards announced a new feature that could change how people think about credit card rewards and student loan payments.
Starting April 23, Bilt members can now use points to make eligible student loan payments. This expansion also brings Bilt into student housing through a partnership with American Campus Communities (ACC), allowing students in student housing to earn rewards on rent for the first time.
With federal student loan payments back in full swing, this new redemption option gives borrowers a practical way to convert everyday spending into meaningful repayment. Bilt members can now apply their points toward loan balances serviced by Nelnet, MOHELA, Sallie Mae, Aidvantage, and Navient. Every 1,000 points equals $10 towards a student loan.
As student borrowers hunt for ways to make progress on their loans, Bilt’s new offering bridges a rare gap between housing and higher education debt.
Rewards That Tackle Student Loan Balances
The standout feature in Bilt’s announcement is the ability to turn rent rewards into student loan payments.
Members can redeem 1,000 Bilt Points for $10 toward eligible student loan accounts. With five major student loan servicers currently eligible and more expected to follow, this gives users an option that hasn’t existed until now: paying down debt with points they earned just for making rent.
Bilt has long been one of our favorite student credit cards, and now this just adds to the benefits.
Earn Points For Renting Campus Housing
Bilt is also stepping into student housing, bringing rewards to tens of thousands of college students through a launch partnership with American Campus Communities.
Starting at select Baylor University properties, this rollout will eventually reach 140,000 students nationwide. Rent payments made through Bilt at ACC properties will now earn Bilt Points, which students can use for travel, future rent, or their student loans.
This marks the first time a reward structure designed for traditional renters is being extended to campus housing.
Why This Matters
Roughly 51% of college graduates leave school with student loan debt, with average balances near $38,000.
Many are already struggling with rising interest rates and repayment confusion. Bilt’s new option doesn’t erase the debt, but it gives borrowers an efficient way to stretch their spending. In an era where most rewards programs are focused on luxury perks, Bilt’s move centers on actual financial pressure points.
For students just beginning their financial lives, the ability to earn rewards by paying rent and use them to reduce student loan burdens could be a small but important step in making long-term repayment less overwhelming.
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Editor: Colin Graves
Robert Farrington is the founder of The College Investor and is widely recognized as one of the nation’s leading voices on student loan debt and saving for college. He holds an MBA from UC San Diego Rady School of Management and has spent over 15 years researching, writing, and advising on student loans, 529 plans, financial aid programs, and saving and investing for young professionals.
Robert has been featured in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, NBC News, and Forbes, where he has been a regular personal finance contributor for over a decade. His work combines both professional expertise and personal experience – he successfully navigated his own student loan repayment journey and has helped thousands of readers do the same.
He is committed to making the intersection of personal finance and education transparent and accessible. You can learn more about Robert on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.