Bilt Rewards Enters Student Housing Market With ACC Partnership

Bilt Rewards, a payments and commerce platform transforming the housing payments market, is expanding its network to include student housing communities, with American Campus Communities (ACC), a Blackstone portfolio company, as its launch partner.

According to Bilt, it also has introduced a first-of-its-kind feature that allows members to redeem points toward eligible student loan payments.

The collaboration between Bilt and ACC is slated to begin in late May at U Pointe on Speight and The Union near Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Residents 18 and older will be able to earn rewards on their student housing payments. ACC has plans to expand the program to its broader portfolio, which serves nearly 140,000 students, in the coming months.

“At Bilt, we’re constantly expanding our network of homes and looking for ways to help our members maximize value from their largest monthly expenses,” said founder and CEO Ankur Jain. “By expanding into student housing, we’re bringing the most valuable and flexible points currency in the industry to a new generation of renters, allowing them to build credit history and earn meaningful rewards on one of their largest expenses.”

ACC CEO Rob Palleschi said the partnership also aligns with the firm’s mission.

“Today’s students expect more than just a place to live; they want experiences that are innovative, impactful, and aligned with their academic goals,” he noted. “One of our core values is championing student well-being, and helping to set our residents up for long-term financial security and success is key to this mission. Our partnership with Bilt Rewards is a powerful new way for us to deliver on our promises to our residents.”

According to the Education Data Initiative, 42.7 million student borrowers have federal loan debt, with the average balance of $38,375.

Bilt members can redeem their points on student loans serviced by Aidvantage, MOHELA, Navient, Nelnet, and Sallie Mae, with additional servicers coming. Members can redeem their points toward eligible payments on the Bilt website or app, with 1,000 points equaling $10 in redemption value on student loan payments.

“Research shows that student debt is now the second-largest form of consumer debt in America,” added Jain. “By enabling members to redeem Bilt points toward student loan payments, we’re addressing a critical financial need while continuing to differentiate our program as offering the most valuable and flexible points currency in the industry.”