Thanks for stopping by!

Our $100 VISA® Gift Card offer for switching to Ascent has ended, but there are other ways you can earn money! When you refer someone in college who needs a loan to Ascent, you can earn up to $525 per friend! (Terms & Conditions Apply)

Why switch to Ascent?

Ascent offers award-winning loans for college with rates starting at 6.22% APR.** Find your best student loan option in minutes – NO application fees.  The first 1,000 students who apply for and receive an Ascent college loan will enjoy a $100 VISA gift card.*

Ascent logo CollegeAve SallieMae Discover
Named Best Private Student Loan for 2021 forbes best loan award 2021Nerdwallet best loan award for 2021
Fixed or Variable Rates checkbox selected checkbox selected checkbox selected checkbox selected
Number of Loan Terms 5 4 3 1
Ways to Repay Your Loan 3 4 3 4
First Payment After Graduation 9 months 6 months 6 months 6 months
Outcomes-Based Loans without a Cosigner checkbox selected
1% Cash Back Reward*** checkbox selected
Progressive (or Graduated) Repayment checkbox selected checkbox selected
Financial Wellness in the Application checkbox selected
Automatic Payment Discounts Up to 1.00%** .25% .25% .25%
Application Fees None None None None
Time to Pre-qualify 3 minutes 3 minutes 15 minutes 15 minutes

© 2021 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. See Forbes Advisor Awards.
©2017-2021 and TM, NerdWallet, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comparisons based on information obtained on lenders’ websites as of July 2, 2021.


*To qualify for this offer, you must currently have an existing student loan from another private lender and complete and submit an application directly at AscentFunding.com/Switch for an Ascent college loan between 9:00am
PST 07/16/2021 and 11:59pm PST 09/30/2021 and subsequently be approved, accept the Ascent loan offer, and have your Ascent loan disbursed. Ascent reserves the right to require that you submit documentation as proof of an existing private student loan, including, but not limited to, a current account statement. If deemed eligible based upon these and other requirements, your $100 VISA gift card will be sent within 30 days of your Ascent college loan being disbursed to the email address provided on the qualifying Ascent application. See offer details.
**Ascent offers an Automatic Payment Discount of 0.25% for credit-based loans and a 1.00% discount on outcomes-based loans when you enroll in automatic payments. For more information, see
repayment examples or review the Ascent Student Loans Terms and Conditions.
*** 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions, click here for details

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Here’s how it works

4 simple steps –
NO application fees.

Ascent Funding loan application
loan terms
loan disbursement
gift card

What are the other benefits of an Ascent loan?

bag of money

Affordable

Affordable rates and auto-pay discounts.

calendar

Repay on your terms

Choose to start making payments now or after leaving school AND no penalty if you choose to pay off your loan early.

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Fast & easy

Complete your loan application in minutes and check your pre-qualified rates without impacting your credit score

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Free resources & apps

Ascent offers additional resources to help you thrive in school and beyond.

tablet or laptop with pen

Build credit in your own name

Apply for a loan on your own. If you don’t
pre-qualify, you can add a cosigner.

Get Started

Check your rate without impacting your credit score.

Switching to Ascent FAQs

When will I receive my $100 VISA gift card?

If eligible, your $100 VISA gift card will be sent within 30 days of your Ascent college loan being disbursed.

How will I receive my $100 VISA gift card?
Your $100 VISA gift card will be emailed to the eligible student borrower email address provided on the qualifying Ascent application. NOTE: This offer is only available to qualified student borrowers; cosigners are not eligible.
Who do I contact if I am having trouble with my $100 VISA gift card?

Our 100% U.S.-based customer service team is here to help! Call us toll-free at 877-216-0876 or email us at [email protected]

I believe I was eligible, but I never received my $100 VISA gift card?

Our 100% U.S.-based customer service team is here to help! Call us toll-free at 877-216-0876 or email us at [email protected]

How do I know if I qualify?

Students who are at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status may apply.  For additional information regarding eligibility for an Ascent college loan including citizenship requirements, please see Ascent’s FAQs.  Within 30 days of your Ascent loan disbursement, your eligibility for the $100 VISA gift card may be confirmed. We reserve the right to verify that you have an existing private student loan with one (or more) of the following lenders within the past 24 months of your qualifying Ascent application submission date: Citizens Bank, CommonBond, College Ave Student Loans, Discover Bank, Earnest, LendKey, PNC Bank, Sallie Mae, SoFi, SunTrust, and/or Wells Fargo.

Can I qualify for this offer if I am under the age of 18?

No, students must be at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status to apply.

Do I qualify if I only have a federal loan from completing the FAFSA?

No, students with only loans from the federal government do not qualify for this offer. Student borrowers must have an existing private student loan from one (or more) of the following lenders within the past 24 months to be  eligible for the $100 VISA gift card:  Citizens Bank, CommonBond, College Ave Student Loans, Discover Bank, Earnest, LendKey, PNC Bank, Sallie Mae, SoFi, SunTrust, and/or Wells Fargo.

Can I qualify if I don’t have an existing loan with another private student loan lender?

No, student borrowers must have an existing private student loan from one (or more) of the following lenders within the past 24 months to be eligible for the $100 VISA gift card: Citizens Bank, CommonBond, College Ave Student Loans, Discover Bank, Earnest, LendKey, PNC Bank, Sallie Mae, SoFi, SunTrust, and/or Wells Fargo.

Do you pay off my loan or do I need a new one?

No, Ascent does not refinance previously  originated loans or other private/federal loans.

Do I have to refinance my loan? What if I already graduated?

No, Ascent does not refinance previously originated loans or other private/federal loans. Ascent’s college loans may be used to cover educational related expenses as certified by an eligible school for a loan period not to exceed one full academic year. Ascent’s college loans must be certified by the school within 180-days from the end of the loan period for which the loan proceeds are to be used. At the time of request, the student must be enrolled or registered for enrollment at (or graduated from) the same institution listed on the application. The student must have been enrolled during the prior enrollment period for which the loan is requested and must not have withdrawn with no intention of re-enrolling, as verified by the school.

Are cosigners eligible for the $100 bonus?

At this time, this $100 VISA gift card is paid to student borrowers only. From the very beginning, we try to put money in the hands of those who need it most – the students.

Do I need to have an undergraduate loan to get $100?

No, this offer is available for Ascent’s undergraduate and graduate private student loans. This offer is not available for Ascent Bootcamp loans.

Can I participate if I take out a bootcamp loan?

No, this offer is not available for students who take out a bootcamp loan with Ascent. This offer is available for students who take out an Ascent undergraduate or graduate private student loan.

What if I have a loan with Ascent already?

If you already have an Ascent loan, thanks for coming back to us! You can still qualify for Ascent’s “switch” offer if you have an existing private student loan from one (or more) of the following lenders within the past 24 months: Citizens Bank, CommonBond, College Ave Student Loans, Discover Bank, Earnest, LendKey, PNC Bank, Sallie Mae, SoFi, SunTrust, and/or Wells Fargo.

If I have more than one loan from different companies, can I receive it twice?

No, each eligible student borrower may only receive one $100 VISA gift card. If you meet the eligibility requirements and have an existing private student loan from one (or more) of the following lenders within the past 24 months you are eligible for the $100 VISA gift card: Citizens Bank, CommonBond, College Ave Student Loans, Discover Bank, Earnest, LendKey, PNC Bank, Sallie Mae, SoFi, SunTrust, and/or Wells Fargo.

Can this be combined with the refer a friend bonus?

No, this offer cannot be combined with other Ascent offers or incentives.

Do I need a co-signer?

Not necessarily. Ascent considers several factors including: creditworthiness, school, program, graduation date, major, GPA, cost of attendance, and other factors that allow for undergraduate students to potentially obtain a Non-Cosigned Outcomes-Based Loan in their own name without a cosigner. Nevertheless, applying with a cosigner may result in a lower interest rate. Students that are a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status may apply without a cosigner.  Students that are not a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident or have DACA status may apply for an Ascent loan with a creditworthy cosigner that is a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident, but they are not eligible for this offer.

Is there a minimum/maximum loan amount to qualify?
The minimum loan amount for an Ascent private student loan for college is $2,001. The maximum loan amount is $200,000 (aggregate total). Maximum for academic year:

  • $200,000 for Undergraduate and Graduate Credit-Based Loans
  • $20,000 for Undergraduate Non-Cosigned Outcomes-Based Loans

TERMS & CONDITIONS

To qualify for this offer, you must complete and submit an application directly at AscentFunding.com/Switch for an Ascent college loan between 9:00am PST 07/16/2021 and 11:59pm PST 09/30/2021 and subsequently be approved, accept the Ascent loan offer, and have your Ascent loan disbursed. Offer may only be redeemed by the eligible participant; such eligibility determined by Ascent in its sole discretion. The qualifying student must be at least 18 years of age and a U.S. citizen or permanent resident or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA) status. Within 30 days of your Ascent loan disbursement, your eligibility for the $100 VISA ® gift card may be confirmed. We reserve the right to verify that you have an existing private student loan with one (or more) of the following lenders within the past 24 months of your qualifying Ascent application submission date: Citizens Bank, CommonBond, College Ave Student Loans, Discover Bank, Earnest, LendKey, PNC Bank, Sallie Mae, SoFi, SunTrust, and/or Wells Fargo. Additional terms and conditions may apply, depending on other terms offered or chosen. For most people, federal student loans are a better deal than private student loans, so you’ll want to take advantage of federal options first. Students should consider grants, federal student loans, and other sources of funding before taking out a private student loan.

Your $100 VISA gift card will be sent within 30 days of your Ascent college loan being disbursed to the email address provided on the qualifying Ascent application. NOTE: This offer is only available to qualified student borrowers, cosigners are not eligible.

College Loans (Ascent Funding, LLC):

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