Private Student Loan Repayment

Learn about the process of repaying your private student loan, including what to do in cases of hardship or emergency.

With most Wells Fargo private student education loans, you start making payments six months after you graduate or leave school, although for some loans like the Wells Fargo Student Loan for Parents and the Wells Fargo Private Consolidation℠ loan, payments begin once the loan funds have been received.

Please refer to your Loan Request/Consumer Credit Agreement for information on your repayment start date. You’ll receive a letter approximately 45 days before repayment is scheduled to begin that tells you when your loan is scheduled to go into repayment and provides your repayment disclosure and terms.

You have various options for making payments on your private student education loan, including paying online, by phone or mail, or at a Wells Fargo banking location.

  • If you prefer to pay online, you can set up automatic payments, or you can make payments each month using Transfers or Bill Payments. Automatic payments reduce your loan costs and ensure that your payments are made on time.
  • You can use your checking or savings account at Wells Fargo or another bank to make payments through Wells Fargo Online® banking.

FAQs

Can I receive alerts about my payments?

Yes. You’ll receive an automatic email alert if your payment isn’t received within four days after the payment due date.

You can also choose to subscribe to receive email or text alerts about your payments.   Sign in to your account and select Account Services and follow the instructions to set up or modify alerts for your specific needs.

Can I pay through Wells Fargo Online® banking?

Yes. You’re automatically eligible for online banking once you have a Wells Fargo student loan. Just complete the quick, one-time sign-up process. Your 10-digit student loan number is your account number. 

If you’ve already signed up for online banking, your student loan will appear after the initial disbursement, usually within 2 to 3 business days.

What payment options are available? Which is right for me?

There are several different options for repaying your student loan.

Options
How it works
Choose to...
Automatic payments

You set it up once, then your payment is made automatically every month.

See next FAQ for instructions.

  • Never miss a payment
  • Receive an interest rate discount
Online and mobile Bill Pay

You set up your student loan as a payee in Bill Pay, and then enter your payment amount.
Bill Pay

  • Manage all your bills in one place
  • Schedule payments in advance or recurring
  • Set up a Payee to make payments at a Master account level or set up a Payee to make a payment to a specific loan.
Online and mobile transfers

You transfer money from your account every month.

Transfer money
  • Make a single payment
  • Have more flexibility in scheduling payments
Mail, phone, or in person
You mail a check, call us, or go to a banking location.
  • Make a payment

Can I set up Automatic Payments?

Yes. You can choose to sign up for automatic payments (recurring payments) for an individual student loan, or for a Master Account, which includes all your Wells Fargo student loans.

Once the loan is set up on automatic payments, a full scheduled monthly payment will be deducted each month.

How do I set up automatic payments?

You can set up an automatic monthly student loan payment from a checking or savings account at Wells Fargo or at another financial institution, and can make automatic payments either for an individual loan or for a Master Account, which includes all of your student loans serviced by Wells Fargo. 

If you set up automatic payments, you may qualify for an interest rate discount on your loan.

There are many ways to set up automatic payments from your account on Wells Fargo Online. Sign on and select the Sign Up for automatic payments link or go to the “I want to” section for easy instructions.

Can I make a payment to my individual student loan(s)?

Yes. You can make a payment to one or more of your individual student loans by selecting the student loan(s) you’d like to make a payment on from the Account dropdown menu on the Loan Account Activity page, and then clicking the Make a Payment link. 

To pay by mail, follow these instructions:

Write your account number on the front of your check.

Enclose your remittance slip with your payment.

Mail your payment to:

Wells Fargo Education Financial Services
P.O. Box 650725
Dallas, TX 75265-0725

What happens if I make a partial or additional payment?

If you choose to make a partial payment of less than the amount due on your individual student loan, your funds will accumulate until full payment is received, and your due date will advance once we receive full payment. If the amount you pay is less than the required amount, not all portions of your account may be paid current, and your overall account could become delinquent. If you make a full payment that includes additional funds, your due date will advance, and the extra funds will be applied to next month’s payment, unless you request otherwise.

Can I make a payment when I’m still in school or during the 6 months after leaving school before the repayment period begins?

Yes, and we encourage it. By paying early, you can reduce your total loan costs. 

You can make payments one of two ways:

  • An online payment from your Wells Fargo checking or savings account via online transfers, or with your other bank.
  • A payment by mail, or by phone (call us at 1-800-378-5526).

What is Loan Status Information? How does this affect my loan?

For your convenience, we’ve added a Loan Status Information section to the individual student loan account activity pages on Wells Fargo Online® banking. The status of your loan will fall into one of the following six categories:

  • In School
  • Grace
  • Partially Disbursed
  • Repayment Current
  • Repayment Late
  • Deferred/Forbearance

Loans in Repayment Current and Repayment Late require monthly payments. Payments for loans in any other status are optional.  To see the status of your loan, sign on to online banking and go to Account Activity page.

Can I change my payment due date?

You can request a change to your payment due date if you are in your repayment period. If your account status is deferment, grace, in-school, or default, you are not eligible to change a due date. 

To request a different due date, please contact us:

By phone. Call 1-800-378-5526
By mail. Send a written request that includes your 10-digit student loan account number to:

Wells Fargo Education Financial Services
P.O. Box 5185
Sioux Falls, SD 57117-5185

How do I pay off my student loan in full?

Please call 1-800-378-5526. Because interest on your loan accrues daily, you’ll need to provide the exact date when Wells Fargo will receive payment (your payoff date). You’ll then receive your final payoff amount. 

You can make your final payment online, by phone or mail, or at a Wells Fargo banking location. Just be sure your payment will arrive at Wells Fargo by your payoff date.

What if I miss a payment?

If you miss your original payment due date, you should make a payment as soon as possible after that date. You’ll receive a reminder letter approximately 5 days after the payment was missed. You can make payments online, by mail, by phone, or in person. If you miss the due date, you may be assessed a late fee.

Can a cosigner view the student loan online?

Yes. The student will need to add the cosigner as a guest user through Wells Fargo online. Note: As a guest user, the cosigner will be able to view all information within the student’s online banking, not just student loan information.

To set up a cosigner as a guest user, here are the instructions for the student:

  1. Sign on to online banking and select the Account Services tab.
  2. Click the Manage Guest Users link under Account Access, then click the Add New User button.
  3. Enter the cosigner’s information and create a username and password for the cosigner (see example below).
  4. Select View Only as the access level for the student loan and click Submit.
  5. Give the username and password to the cosigner.

As a cosigner, how do I make an online payment on a cosigned loan?

If you’re enrolled in Wells Fargo Bill Pay, you can set up your cosigned loan as a payee to make a one-time or recurring payment.

You can also make a payment by phone, by mail, or at any Wells Fargo banking location. Find locations

By phone. Please call 1-800-378-5526

By mail. Mail your payment to:
Wells Fargo Education Financial Services
P.O. Box 650725
Dallas, TX 75265-0725 

Please write the borrower’s 10-digit Wells Fargo student loan account number on your check.

I have a federal loan. Where do I make my payment?

If you’re in repayment status, you should be receiving statements from Affiliated Computer Services (ACS) or American Education Services (AES). Learn more on our federal loans repayment page.

Returning to school, enlisting in the military or enrolling in a graduate or professional course of study may necessitate a temporary suspension of your loan payments. Or, you may encounter a job loss or other type of financial hardship that makes it difficult for you to remain current on your loan payments.

Whatever your specific situation, we’re here to support you through the various forbearance options we can provide. 

With all forbearance options, interest continues to accrue during the forbearance period, so you may end up increasing the total amount you repay if you choose not to make interest-only payments during your forbearance.

In-school forbearance. If you are in school or completing an internship, residency, or fellowship program, you may be able to postpone payments on your student loan for the length of time you remain in school, up to a maximum of 48 months (including summer months).

Extended grace. If you had an in-school forbearance when attending school half time or full time and the in-school forbearance ends, you may be eligible for an additional 6 months of grace time to help you prepare for repayment on your loan. 

Military forbearance. If you are on active duty, on reserve, or retired as a member of our Armed Forces, or if you are in the National Guard full time, you may qualify for a military deferment of up to 36 months.

FEMA disasters. When the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) declares a disaster, Wells Fargo assists our customers by deferring their payments for some period of time.

When you are having difficulty finding employment, have experienced a job loss, or have an unplanned medical expense, we understand that keeping up with payments can be difficult.

We may have options that will provide temporary relief, such as: 

  • Short-term payment relief for up to two months as long as you’ve consistently made your loan payments on time
  • Payment relief for up to six months due to financial hardship
  • Payment options if you are already past due on your account

Please call us at 1-866-878-1083. We’ll discuss these repayment options with you.

In the event of the unfortunate death or total and permanent disability of the student, loan forgiveness will be available to any cosigners who signed the loan agreement. 

Loan forgiveness does not apply in the event of the death or total and permanent disability of the cosigner.