Ascent Blog

Private Loan Trends for Graduate Students in 2025-2026
Nov 17, 2025 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For College Students, For Grad Students, For Students
Key Takeaways With Grad PLUS loans ending for new borrowers in July 2026, the private loan market for grad students… Read More
How to Build a Preferred Lender List: A Checklist for Schools 
Nov 06, 2025 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For College Students, For Grad Students, For Schools, Uncategorized
With Grad PLUS loans being phased out, graduate students and schools are facing new choices and considerations. While this transition… Read More
How Schools Can Rethink Graduate Funding Models After Grad PLUS 
Nov 06, 2025 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For College Students, For Grad Students, For Schools
Key Takeaways  Graduate funding is changing fast, and schools have an opportunity to rethink how they support students. With the… Read More
What the Elimination of Grad PLUS Loans Means for Graduate Schools and How to Prepare
Oct 17, 2025 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For College Students, For Grad Students, For Schools, News, Research & Insights
Key Takeaways  Graduate School Is About to Change  For decades, the Grad PLUS loan program has helped graduate and professional… Read More
Navigating Change: Key Takeaways from the “Understanding Student Loan Changes Amidst Uncertainty” Webinar  
Whether you’re currently in school, preparing to start, or managing your loan repayment, Ascent provides practical tools and insights to… Read More
Big Beautiful Bill: How New Student Loan Changes Impact Graduate Students
Jul 31, 2025 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For Grad Students, For Schools
The recent passage of the “Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBBA) is transforming how graduate students fund their education. With Grad PLUS… Read More
Smart Money Moves: The Ultimate Guide to Budgeting for College Students 
Jul 02, 2025 | By: Jazmin Chen
Categories: For College Students, For Grad Students, For High School Students, For Students
College is an exciting time to explore, grow, and gain independence—including getting comfortable with money. Budgeting might sound intimidating, but… Read More
How Graduate Students Can Adjust to Grad Plus Loan News
May 27, 2025 | By: Ascent
Categories: Blog, For Grad Students, For Parents and Cosigners
Student loans are a hot topic these days, and for good reason. There have been massive shake ups in education… Read More
Navigating Student Financial Aid in Changing Times: What Students and Parents Should Know
Jun 09, 2025 | By: Ken Ruggiero, Ascent Co-Founder and CEO
Categories: For College Students, For Grad Students, For Parents and Cosigners
Update: On 3/20/25, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education… Read More
Managing Student Loan Anxiety: Tips from One Student to Another
Mar 14, 2025 | By: Maelia Madariaga-Ilagan
Categories: For College Students, For Grad Students, For Parents and Cosigners
When I started college, I knew I’d be taking on student loans. However, I didn’t realize just how much it… Read More