Ascent Funding offers student loan options other lenders lack, including parent loans and outcomes-based loans that don't require an established credit history or co-signer. Rather than creditworthiness, the online lender considers your major, academic performance, graduation date, potential future income and other criteria.
Other perks include a generous autopay discount and a 1% cash-back reward on your principal balance after graduation.
Ascent private student loans
- Considers borrowers with no credit
- High loan limit
- Co-signer release available after just 12 payments
- Up to 1% interest rate discount for autopay*
- 1% cash back rewards*
- Considers alternative requirements like the borrower’s school, program, graduation date, major, GPA, cost of attendance and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to grant approval
- Maximum fixed APR is on the high side
- Doesn't offer student loan refinancing
Disclosure: *Ascent Funding, LLC products are made available through Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations, terms and conditions may apply for Ascent's Terms and Conditions please visit AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed above are effective as of 7/15/2026 and reflect an Automatic Payment Discount (ACH). The ACH discount consists of 0.25% on credit-based college student loans submitted prior to 6/1/2025, a 0.5% discount for on credit-based college student loans submitted on or after 6/1/2025 and a 1.00% discount on outcomes-based 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. Variable rates may increase after consummation.1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. For details on Ascent borrower benefits, visit AscentFunding.com/BorrowerBenefits. Ascent 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.
What types of student loans does Ascent Funding offer?
Ascent offers private student loans for students attending eligible undergraduate or graduate programs. If you're a graduate student, you can also apply for a cosigned credit-based loan if you have a creditworthy cosigner, such as a parent, guardian or sponsor, or a non-cosigned credit-based loan if you meet certain credit and income requirements on your own.
If you're enrolled in a specific type of graduate program, there are customized repayment terms available for:
- Business School (MBA)
- Dental School (DMD, DDS)
- Law School (JD, LLM)
- Medical School (MD, DO, DVM, VMD, DPM)
Ascent also offers parent student loans for parents, grandparents, guardians or sponsors who want to help cover education costs, though eligibility requirements apply, as well as bootcamp loans, which are consumer loans designed for career-focused bootcamps or accelerated-learning programs.
Offers in this section are from affiliate partners and selected based on a combination of engagement, product relevance, compensation, and consistent availability.
Undergraduate and graduate students, parents, students in MBA, law, health professional and dental programs
$5,000 (or state-mandated minimum) up to the cost of attendance
5, 7, 10, 15, years; up to 20 years for refinancing loans
Terms apply.
Undergraduate, graduate, Master's, PhD, MBA, law school, medical school, health professions, dental school, medical and dental residency loans, bar study loans.
$1,000 up to 100% of the cost of attendance
10 to 15 years
How to qualify for an Ascent Funding student loan
To qualify for an Ascent Funding student loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time at an eligible institution. If you're applying for a non-cosigned outcomes-based loan, you must be a junior or senior enrolled full-time or half-time within nine months of graduation at an eligible school.
If you're applying with a cosigner, your cosigner must have a minimum gross annual income of $24,000 for both the current and previous year. For the Outcomes-Based Loan®, you'll need to maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and meet your school's standards for satisfactory academic progress.
Enrollment status
Borrowers must be at least half-time in a degree program at an eligible U.S. college or university
Credit requirements
Ascent doesn't publicly disclose specific credit score requirements but approval depends on several factors, including:
- The type of loan
- Your credit history
- Whether you're applying with a cosigner
You can use Ascent's prequalification tool to get a better sense of which loan options you may be eligible for, without impacting your credit score.
Ascending repayment options
Ascent offers five repayment options for student borrowers:
Deferred repayment: Make no payments until after graduation or the end of your grace period. Interest continues to accrue and is added to the loan balance when repayment begins.
Interest-only payments: Make interest-only payments while enrolled and during the grace period.
$25 minimum payments: Make a flat $25 monthly payment while enrolled. Unpaid interest is added to your loan balance when full repayment begins.
Progressive repayment: Your payments gradually increase over time as your income grows.
Immediate repayment: Start making full principal-and-interest payments as soon as the loan is fully disbursed. This is the most cost-effective option, significantly reducing your total interest costs.
Ascent Funding benefits and features
Ascent offers a range of benefits for student loan borrowers.
1% cash back reward*: Eligible borrowers can get 1% of their original loan balance back when they graduate.
Autopay discount*: Sign up for autopay and receive an interest rate reduction (0.25% for autopay, with additional promotional offers sometimes available).
High loan limits: Aggregate loan limits of $200,000 for undergraduate students and up to $400,000 for graduate students
Ascent Funding pros and cons
Ascent offers several advantages but there are some limitations to consider.
Pros
- No fees or penalties
- Offers both cosigned and non-cosigned loans
- Prequalification tool available
Cons
- Interest rates may be higher without a cosigner
- Not available to part-time students
- International students must apply with a qualified U.S. cosigner
Ascent Funding customer service
Ascent offers support via phone, email and live chat during business hours. It's generally well-rated for ease of application but customer service experiences can vary.
How to apply for an Ascent Funding student loan
Applying for a student loan with Ascent is generally straightforward:
- Check your rate using the prequalification tool
- Choose your loan type (cosigned or non-cosigned)
- Complete the full application online
- Upload required documents (proof of income, ID, enrollment verification, etc.)
- Wait for credit review and approval
- E-sign your loan agreement
- School certifies your loan amount
- Funds are disbursed directly to your school
How Ascent Funding compares to other student loans
While Ascent offers flexible borrowing options, its interest rates can fall on the higher side, especially if you don't qualify for discounts. If low rates are your priority, Earnest offers some of the lowest starting APRs among private lenders. It also lets you pick your exact repayment timeline and doesn't charge late fees.
- Student loan refinancing available
- Offers the option to apply with a co-signer
- Nine-month grace period
- Borrowers can skip one payment per year without penalty
- No physical branches
- Student loan refinancing not available in Mississippi
Actual rate and available repayment terms will vary based on your financial profile. Our lowest rates are only available for the most credit qualified existing cosigned loan borrowers who receive the 0.25% Loyalty discount and requires selection of our shortest term offered, full principal and interest payment while in school, and enrollment in our 0.25% Auto Pay discount. Enrolling in Auto Pay is not required as a condition for approval. Interest rates are subject to change.
Residents of Hawaii must request a loan of at least $1,501.
You can take advantage of the Auto Pay interest rate reduction by setting up and maintaining active and automatic ACH withdrawal of your loan payment from a checking or savings account. The interest rate reduction for Auto Pay will be available only while your loan is enrolled in Auto Pay. Interest rate incentives for utilizing Auto Pay may not be combined with certain private student loan repayment programs that also offer an interest rate reduction. It is important to note that the 0.25% Auto Pay discount is not available when loan payments are deferred during the interim period as a result of selecting the deferred repayment option.
To be eligible for the Loyalty Discount, applicants must have previously obtained an Earnest Private Student Loan and apply using the same email address associated with that loan. Only one Loyalty Discount may be applied per eligible Earnest Private Student Loan. Not all applicants may qualify. This offer cannot be combined with Earnest's Rate Match program. Earnest may modify or discontinue this offer at any time and without notice, however, once a Loyalty Discount is earned, it will not be taken away.
Nine-month grace period is not available for borrowers who choose our Principal and Interest Repayment plan while in school.
Earnest clients may skip a payment through a single, one-month forbearance during a 12 month period. Your first request to skip a pay can be made once you've made at least 6 months of consecutive on-time full principal and interest payments, and your loan is in good standing. The interest accrued during the skipped month will result in an increase in your remaining minimum payment. The final payoff date on your loan will be extended by the length of the skipped payment periods. Any unpaid accrued interest may capitalize (added to the principal balance) at the end of the forbearance period by adding unpaid accrued interest to the outstanding principal as permitted by law and the terms of the loan agreement. Please note that skipping a payment is not guaranteed and is at Earnest's discretion. Your monthly payment and total loan cost may increase as a result of postponing your payment and extending your term.
If you're looking to refinance your student loans after graduation, SoFi® Private Student Loans are a top alternative. SoFi allows you to consolidate federal and private loans with no fees and potentially lower your interest rate, especially if your credit has improved or your income has increased.
- $25/month partial interest payment option available while you are enrolled at least half-time
- 0.25% interest rate discount for autopay
- Co-signers eligible for release after 12 consecutive payments
- Offers a $250 bonus to eligible borrowers with a 3.0 GPA or better
- Existing SoFi members may qualify for an additional rate discount
- Good to excellent credit is typically required for approval
- $5,000 minimum loan amount is higher than other lenders' minimums.
Interest Rates: Eligibility and Important Details. Fixed rates range from 2.99% APR to 15.99% APR with 0.25% autopay discount. Variable rates range from 4.64% APR to 15.99% APR with a 0.25% autopay discount. Unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law, Variable Interest rates are capped at 17.95%. SoFi rate ranges are current as of 9/3/2026 and are subject to change at any time. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on the term and type of repayment option you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, presence of a co-signer (if applicable) and a variety of other factors. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Check out our eligibility criteria at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/. For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases.
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Disclosure: *Ascent Funding, LLC products are made available through Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Subject to credit approval. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations, terms and conditions may apply for Ascent's Terms and Conditions please visit AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed above are effective as of 7/15/2026 and reflect an Automatic Payment Discount (ACH). The ACH discount consists of 0.25% on credit-based college student loans submitted prior to 6/1/2025, a 0.5% discount for on credit-based college student loans submitted on or after 6/1/2025 and a 1.00% discount on outcomes-based 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. Variable rates may increase after consummation.1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. For details on Ascent borrower benefits, visit AscentFunding.com/BorrowerBenefits. Ascent 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.
Interest Rates: Eligibility and Important Details. Fixed rates range from 2.99% APR to 15.99% APR with 0.25% autopay discount. Variable rates range from 4.64% APR to 15.99% APR with a 0.25% autopay discount. Unless required to be lower to comply with applicable law, Variable Interest rates are capped at 17.95%. SoFi rate ranges are current as of 9/3/2026 and are subject to change at any time. Your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on the term and type of repayment option you select, evaluation of your creditworthiness, income, presence of a co-signer (if applicable) and a variety of other factors. Lowest rates reserved for the most creditworthy borrowers. Check out our eligibility criteria at https://www.sofi.com/eligibility-criteria/. For the SoFi variable-rate product, the variable interest rate for a given month is derived by adding a margin to the 30-day average SOFR index, published two business days preceding such calendar month, rounded up to the nearest one hundredth of one percent (0.01% or 0.0001). APRs for variable-rate loans may increase after origination if the SOFR index increases.
Autopay Discount: The SoFi 0.25% autopay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly payments as outlined in your loan agreement by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. This benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. When the autopay interest rate deduction is added or removed, the next time the loan is re-amortized (quarterly for fixed rate loans; monthly for variable rate loans),the principal balance of your loan will be spread over the remaining loan term, and your monthly payment amount will change. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment, grace period, or forbearance. Autopay is not required to receive a loan from SoFi.
