Ascent Disclosures

Rate disclosure:  Ascent’s undergraduate and graduate student loans are funded by Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank, each Member FDIC. Loan products may not be available in certain jurisdictions. Certain restrictions, limitations; and terms and conditions may apply. For Ascent Terms and Conditions please visit: AscentFunding.com/Ts&Cs. Rates are effective as of 4/1/2025 and reflect an automatic payment discount of either 0.25% (for credit-based loans) OR 1.00% (for undergraduate outcomes-based loans). Automatic Payment Discount is available if the borrower is enrolled in automatic payments from their personal checking account and the amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. For Ascent rates and repayment examples please visit: AscentFunding.com/Rates. 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. Cosigned Credit-Based Loan student must meet certain minimum credit criteria. The minimum score required is subject to change and may depend on the credit score of your cosigner. Lowest rates require interest-only 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 repayment examples above, based on the amount of time you spend in school and any grace period you have before repayment begins.

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. 1% Cash Back Graduation Reward subject to terms and conditions. For details on Ascent borrower benefits, visit AscentFunding.com/BorrowerBenefits. The AscentUP platform is only available to eligible Ascent borrowers and subject to terms and conditions.  

2. Payments may be deferred. Subject to lender discretion, forbearance and/or deferment options may be available for borrowers who are encountering financial distress.

3. Making interest only or partial interest payments while in school will not reduce the principal balance of the loan. There are three (3) flexible in-school repayment options that include fully deferred, interest only and $25 minimum repayment. Visit the website of Ascent Student Loans for a repayment example.

4. Flexible repayment plans may be offered with up to a fifteen (15) year repayment term for a variable rate loan and ten (10) year repayment term for a fixed rate loan. Students must be enrolled at least half-time at an eligible school. The minimum amount is $2,001 except for the state of Massachusetts. Minimum loan amount for borrowers with a Massachusetts permanent address is $6,001. Visit the website of Ascent Student Loans for a repayment example.

5. Interest rate reduction of 0.25% for enrollment in automatic debit applies only when the borrower and/or cosigner sign up for automatic payments and the regularly scheduled, current amount due (including full, flat, or interest only payments, as applicable) is successfully deducted from the designated bank account each month. Interest rate reduction(s) will not apply during periods when no payment is due, including periods of In-School, Deferment, Grace or Forbearance. If you have two (2) consecutive returned payments for Nonsufficient Funds, we may cancel your automatic debit enrollment and you will lose the 0.25% interest rate reduction. You will then need to re-qualify and re-enroll in automatic debit payments to receive the 0.25% interest rate reduction.

6. All applicants (individual and cosigner, if applicable) are required to complete a brief online financial literacy course as part of the application process to be eligible for funding.

7. Eligibility, loan amount and other loan terms are dependent on several factors which may include: loan product, other financial aid, creditworthiness, school, program, graduation date, major, cost of attendance and other factors. Aggregate loan limits may apply. The cost of attendance is determined and certified by the educational institution.

8. The legal age for entering into contracts is eighteen (18) years of age in every state except Alabama where it is nineteen (19) years old, Nebraska where it is nineteen (19) years old (only for wards of the state), and Mississippi and Puerto Rico where it is twenty-one (21) years old.

9. Student borrowers with no credit history or limited history with no adverse credit items[3], as well as student borrowers that pass the minimum credit requirements but fail income or repayment capacity requirements for the loan product may qualify on the basis of several alternative factors which may include: school, program, graduation date, major, cost of attendance, and other factors that could allow for students to obtain a loan in their own name without a cosigner. Such borrowers are limited to selecting a deferred repayment plan, may not select a 5-year repayment term, and a fixed rate is only available upon selecting 10 year repayment term. Additionally, students must:

  • Be a college junior, senior or graduate student enrolled full-time (or with an expected graduation date within 9-months of the date the loan application is submitted) in a degree program at an eligible institution.
  • Be a U.S. citizen or have U.S. permanent resident status.
  • Have satisfactory academic performance of 2.5 GPA or greater.

Deferment & Forbearance

A borrower may request deferment in writing, or by completing and signing a deferment form and providing the appropriate documentation requested on the form. All deferments after the In-School period are provided solely at the lender’s discretion. Interest shall continue to accrue on loans during periods of authorized deferment. Unpaid interest is capitalized when the deferment period ends. Ascent Student Loans include the following deferment options:

Active Duty Military Deferment

A borrower is eligible for an Active Duty Military Deferment upon submitting an application for such and eligible documentation to the repayment Servicer showing that he or she is serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency or performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency.
  • Active Duty Military Deferment is available up to a cumulative limit of 36-months.
  • This deferment DOES extend the repayment term.

In-School Deferment

Student borrowers that have exited an In-School Status, either by separating from school (or dropping to less than half-time enrollment) and subsequently entering a repayment status prior to re-establishing at least half-time enrollment at an eligible institution, or by using the maximum allowable months of In-School Status, may be eligible for an In-School Deferment. Student borrowers must apply for an In-School deferment, and eligibility is based on verification of at least half-time enrollment at an eligible institution.
This deferment DOES extend the repayment term.

Residency / Internship Deferment

Student borrowers may be eligible for a Residency / Internship Deferment if the student:
  • Has been accepted into a Residency / Internship program which must be a supervised program; and
  • Require that the student hold at least a bachelor’s degree before acceptance into the program; and
  • Must either: a) Lead to a degree or certificate from an institution of higher education, a hospital, or a health facility that offers postgraduate training, or b) Be required before the student may be certified for professional practice or service, which must be verified by the relevant state licensing agency.
  • This deferment DOES extend the repayment term.
    Borrowers are limited to a combined total of forty-eight (48) months of eligibility for In-School & Residency / Internship Deferment described above.

Temporary Hardship Forbearance

Borrowers experiencing periods of financial difficulty may be granted forbearance. The forbearance period duration may be from a minimum of one (1) month to a maximum of three (3) months. A borrower may apply for up to four (4) consecutive periods of Temporary Hardship Forbearance. A maximum of twenty-four (24) total months of Temporary Hardship Forbearance may be granted during the life of the loan. Interest shall continue to accrue on loans during periods of authorized forbearance. Unpaid interest is capitalized when the forbearance period ends.
  • This forbearance DOES extend the repayment term.

Administrative Forbearance

An administrative forbearance may be used for temporary suspension of collection activity while researching borrower disputes, awaiting bankruptcy and death documents, or for other circumstances as approved by the Lender. Interest shall continue to accrue on loans during periods of authorized forbearance. Unpaid interest is capitalized when the forbearance period ends.
  • This forbearance DOES extend the repayment term.

Graduated Repayment Option

Upon graduation, borrowers may be eligible for the Graduated repayment option. The Graduated repayment option requires monthly payment amounts that start with an amount that is less than a fully-amortizing payment amount that step-up over time such that the loan would be fully paid within the original loan term.

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