School loans for your bright future.

Ascent Funding is an award-winning company, committed to revolutionizing how students pay for higher education at colleges and coding bootcamps. Ascent was named Best Private Student Loan for 2021 by Forbes Advisor, NerdWallet, and Money.com. Ascent empowers students from all economic backgrounds and disciplines (including DACA students). To set students up for success, we incorporate financial wellness into our application process (the ONLY student loan company) and offer exclusive benefits for students like the opportunity to qualify for a loan without a cosigner (for juniors and seniors), 1% cash back, no fees, and over $70,000 in scholarships awarded every year.

Students from all majors at every grade level that are attending an eligible institution can apply for an Ascent loan.

Ascent’s credit decisioning criteria is proprietary and subject to change, but you can check what rates you pre-qualify for in just four (4) steps without impacting your credit score. We consider credit history and several other factors including, but not limited to, credit score.

Cosigned Credit-Based Loan for undergraduate and graduate students:

• Student borrowers must have a minimum credit score. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your cosigner.
• Cosigners must have a minimum credit score. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your borrower.

Non-Cosigned Credit-Based Loan for undergraduate and graduate students:

• Student borrowers must have more than two (2) years of credit history with a minimum credit score.

Non-Cosigned Outcomes-Based Loan for undergraduate (juniors and seniors ONLY):
Eligible student borrowers with no credit score, or eligible students that meet a minimum credit score with or without two (2) years of credit history. (See Non-Cosigned Outcomes-Based Loan eligibility requirements.)

Yes, Non-US Citizens that meet certain eligibility criteria can apply for an Ascent College or Bootcamp Loan.
Please see the required documentation and cosigner requirements below.

Permanent Resident

Required Documents:

• Unexpired Permanent Resident Card (If expired, provide extension letter)
• Social Security Card

Cosigner Requirements: You can apply as a solo applicant, or with a U.S Citizen or U.S Permanent Resident
Cosigner

Temporary Resident:

Required Documents:

• Unexpired VISA with an acceptable category as follows:F-1, F-3, G-1, H-1B, H-1C, H-2B, H-3, J-1, L-1, M-1, M-3,
  T-1, TN
• Social Security Card

The following documents may also be submitted in lieu of a VISA and Social Security Card

• I-20 Form (pages 1 & 2 signed) (if applicable)
• Unexpired Passport from country of origin
• *Temporary Protected Status:
  • See here for eligible countries: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/temporary-protected-status
  • Required Documents:
    • Form I-797, Notice of Action
    • Unexpired Passport from country of origin
    • Social Security Card (if applicable

Cosigner Requirements: A U.S Citizen or U.S Permanent Resident Cosigner will be required with your application.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA):

Required Documents:

• Unexpired Employment Authorization Card with your name and a C33 category code
  • If expired or in process we need a Form I-797, Notice of Action or written notice of DACA and employment
    authorization
• Social Security Card

Cosigner Requirements: You can apply as a solo applicant, or with a U.S Citizen or U.S Permanent Resident
Cosigner

NOTE: The option to apply to release the cosigner after making twelve (12) consecutive full principal and
interest payments on-time or an equivalent prepayment amount while also meeting the other eligibility
criteria to qualify is only available to student borrowers that are U.S. citizens or have U.S. permanent
resident status or DACA status. (See FAQ, “Can I eventually remove the cosigner from my loan?”)

Students enrolled full-time or at least half-time at an eligible institution may qualify. Certain limitations may apply for such applicants that apply without a cosigner.

The maximum loan amount for Ascent loans is limited to the total cost of attendance for a period not to exceed one full academic year, less any financial aid, 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:
  • $400,000 for Undergraduate and Graduate Credit-Based Loans
  • $20,000 for Undergraduate Non-Cosigned Outcomes-Based Loans

Your interest rate on the loan is the cost you pay to borrow the money. Your monthly payment is based on the interest rate for your total loan balance. You can choose between a fixed rate or a variable rate.

A fixed rate means your interest rate will not increase or decrease while you are making monthly payments until your loan is paid in full. It will stay the same for the life of the loan.

A variable rate means your actual interest rate could be lower or higher during your loan term than the rate you are given while completing the loan application.

Choosing a fixed rate versus a variable rate is entirely up to you but be sure to do your research beforehand on what will be best fit for your journey to financial wellness.

Ascent Funding’s loan process is broken out into 4 easy steps:

Step 1: Submit your application and receive a preliminary decision.

Step 2: If pre-qualified, accept your offer and choose a repayment plan.

Step 3: Complete your tasks and upload your required documents to the Ascent Portal (1-2 business days for review).

Step 4: Your loan is sent to your school for certification/validation.

With federal student loans, you borrow money directly from the Department of Education. To apply for a federal student loan, you need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application by visiting: https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out.

Private student loans help fill the gap between your college expenses, including books, school supplies, rent, groceries, parking, gas, and anything else not covered by FAFSA or scholarships. Ascent offers flexible options to help you manage your monthly payments as you enter repayment.