115,000+ people have used Ascent to pay for school**
Cover up to 100% of your undergraduate, graduate, or career training school tuition and expenses.
With award-winning loans to fit your needs and a team that goes above and beyond for our customers, we’re here to help you succeed. Borrow by yourself or with a cosigner, preview your rate and repayment options without affecting your credit, and choose from multiple repayment plans.
Get pre-qualified in minutes, choose your repayment plan, and stay focused on your future.
School is hard work, but applying for an Ascent loan is fast and easy.
Start an ApplicationSubmit an application to see if you pre-qualify without impacting on your credit score
Preview your repayment options and choose the plan that works best for you
Ascent confirms your eligibility with a hard credit check, and your school confirms your enrollment
Ascent sends your tuition to your school so you can focus on your education
No need to stress about payments while you're studying
Your loan can pay for up to 100% of school-certified costs (tuition, housing, meals, textbooks, etc.) and gives borrowers access to a powerful combination of student-friendly benefits.
Make no payments until up to 9 months after graduation*
You have the option to make no payments during college and up to 9 months after*. Or, you can choose to get a head start on payments early – it’s up to you!
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Get career & financial support with AscentUP1
We want to set you up for success. As an Ascent borrower, you can get support in financial wellness, career training, and even access to paid, remote internship opportunities!
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Gain financial independence and build credit in your name
Healthy financial habits start here. If your college loan is cosigned, Ascent’s cosigner release gives you the option to remove your cosigner’s responsibility after making 12 consecutive, on-time payments.
Learn MorePutting students first, with benefits that help you succeed.
We’re invested in your journey to academic, career, and financial success. Ascent customers get benefits that go beyond loans.
Bigger discounts
Get a discount when you sign up for automatic payments. Plus, when you enroll, you never have to worry about missing a payment.
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Cash reward at graduation
Celebrate your success when you graduate from college by applying for a cash reward from the Ascent team.
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Options for more
We’re providing access to education to as many people as possible, including DACA and international students.
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Flexible payment plans
You have the flexibility to choose to start making payments before or after leaving school. We also have protections in place to help you if unexpected life events happen.
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No fees
No application, origination, disbursement, late, or NSF fees and no penalty if you pay off your loan early³.
Extra help
Get your questions answered and meet your goals with access to friendly, expert help on academic, career, and finance essentials.
Learn MoreA loan is just the start
115,000+
people have used an Ascent loan to pay for school**
85%
of outcomes-based borrowers increased their credit score
1.2 million+
minutes of financial wellness education accessed
$355,000+
scholarships awarded by Ascent since 2020
No two lenders are alike, but one always has your back
Just ask our borrowers.
Possibly the easiest process I have ever gone through in order to secure a loan.
Everyone was so helpful and nice to work with! Being a first generational College student picking a loan was scary and nerve wracking! but they made it so easy!
I've had such a struggle finding a loan and Ascent made it so simple. Not only was the process a weight lifted off my shoulders, but also ensured that I understood more about loans in general.
Resources for students and families
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Ultimate Guide to Paying for College: Free course on college finances
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Monthly scholarship opportunities for students and parents
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Ascent Blog: Insights and advice for student life and finance
Have questions about student loans?
We have answers.
Ascent’s college loans are private student loans for those attending undergraduate and graduate programs at eligible institutions.
Ascent’s career training loans are consumer loans for those seeking to transform their career at a bootcamp or accelerated-learning program.
For college loans:
The maximum loan amount for an Ascent loan is limited to the total cost of attendance for a period not to exceed one full academic year, including any financial aid you receive, as certified by your school. Note: Your maximum loan amount may be less than the amount requested on your application due to school certification or other underwriting factors.
Minimum: $2,001*
Maximum (aggregate): $200,000 for Undergraduate Loans; $400,000 for Graduate Loans
Maximum for academic year: Student borrowers may borrow up to their institution's cost of attendance as certified by the school and may not exceed the aggregate loan limits as stated above except for Ascent’s Undergraduate Non-Cosigned Outcomes-Based Loan, which has a maximum of $20,000 for the academic year.
*The loan minimum amount is $2,001 except for the state of Massachusetts. Minimum loan amount for borrowers with a Massachusetts permanent address is $6,001.
For career training loans:
You can apply for as little as $2,000** up to the maximum tuition for your school, program, and location, but not to exceed $40,000 in total borrowing with Ascent career training loans. Depending on your program, you might have the option to borrow living expense funds, which you can use to help cover your living costs. You need to apply for at least $2,000** in tuition to add living expenses.
To see the options for your bootcamp program before you apply, visit your school’s Ascent partnership page. If you need to lower your loan amount or cancel after you apply, we can help!
**For Ascent's Short-Term Loan borrowers, the minimum loan amount is $1,000 except for the state of Massachusetts. Minimum loan amount for borrowers with a Massachusetts permanent address is $6,001.
When it comes to interest rates, most private lenders offer the choice between fixed and variable loan rates.
Fixed rate: A fixed interest rate will remain the same for the life of the loan.
Variable rate: A variable interest rate may fluctuate based on market conditions. Variable interest rates can change monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Loans that power Bright Futures™
Check your eligibility in under 3 minutes with no impact to your credit score.
*Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed above are effective as of 04/01/2025 and reflect an Automatic Payment Discount of 0.25% for credit-based college student loans when you enroll in automatic payments. Loans subject to individual approval, restrictions and conditions apply. Loan features and information advertised are intended for college student loans and are subject to change at any time. For more information, see repayment examples or review the Ascent Student Loans Terms and Conditions. The final amount approved depends on the borrower’s credit history, verifiable cost of attendance as certified by an eligible school and is subject to credit approval and verification of application information. Lowest interest rates require full principal and interest (Immediate) payments, the shortest loan term, a cosigner, and are only available for our most creditworthy applicants and cosigners with the highest average credit scores. Actual APR offered may be higher or lower than the examples above, based on the amount of time you spend in school and any grace period you have before repayment begins.
**Over 115,000 borrowers took out an Ascent loan for college or career training tuition or expenses between January 2018 and November 2024.
1Ascent 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.
2Ascent’s 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward is for eligible college students only and subject to terms and conditions. Eligible students must request the graduation reward from Ascent. Learn more at AscentFunding.com/CashBack. 1% Cash Back Reward amount dependent upon total loan amount for Ascent college loan borrowers; approximately $365 average reward amount based upon eligible borrowers who received Cash Back Rewards in 2023. Aggregate cash back limit of $500.
3Only Ascent college loans are eligible for no fees. Ascent career training loans are subject to a one-time origination fee of 5.0% of the loan amount. All Ascent loans are eligible for no application, disbursement, late, NSF or early payment fees.
4The final ACH discount approved depends on the borrower’s credit history, verifiable cost of attendance, and is subject to credit approval and verification of application information. Automatic Payment Discount of 0.25% is for credit-based loans and a 1.00% discount is for outcomes-based loans when you enroll in automatic payments. For more information, see repayment examples or review the Ascent Student Loans Terms and Conditions.
