Updated: October 1, 2024

Ascent Graduate Student Loan Review

General Graduate Student Loans

Pricing disclosure
Graduate
Student Loan Rating
4.5 of 5
Check Rates
Fixed APR i x While Savingforcollege.com strives to keep the information up to date, the lender rates, terms and other information are subject to change at any time. Interest rates listed include an autopay discount if available.
4.59% - 14.16%
Variable APR i x While Savingforcollege.com strives to keep the information up to date, the lender rates, terms and other information are subject to change at any time. Interest rates listed include an autopay discount if available.
7.85% - 15.46%
Repayment Terms
7, 10, 12, 15 years
Important Information

Rewards: Auto-Debit Discount, Graduation Reward, Current Customer Discount

Yearly Borrowing Limit: $200,000

Overall Borrowing Limits: $2,001 (minimum, $6,001 for borrowers with a MA permanent address), $400,000 (aggregate maximum)

Cosigner Terms: Cosigner is optional, offers Cosigner Release after 12 months of on-time payments

The bottom line:

Ascent's graduate loan provides remarkable flexibility when it comes to repayment, having a cosigner, and satisfying credit requirements. We rate them as one of the best lenders because of their lenient terms and generous rewards.

Pros

  • Offers cosigned and non-cosigned loan options
  • Offers a graduated repayment plan
  • You can borrow up to the full cost of attendance

Cons

  • Only offers a 10-year repayment term for Borrowers choosing the Fixed Rate
View full rankings of the best student loans for grad school
Ascent Student Loans Earnest College Ave
Rates from (APR) i x While Savingforcollege.com strives to keep the information up to date, the lender rates, terms and other information are subject to change at any time. Interest rates listed include an autopay discount if available.
Fixed:
4.59% - 14.16%
Variable:
7.85% - 15.46%
Fixed:
3.69% - 14.30%
Variable:
5.89% - 15.97%
Fixed:
3.87% - 14.49% 1
Variable:
5.59% - 14.49% 1
Loan repayment terms (Years) 7, 10, 12, 15 years Up to 15 years 5, 8, 10, 15 years
Cosigner release? Yes, after 12 months on-time principal and interest payments None Yes, after 24 months on-time principal and interest payments
Check Rates
Check Rates
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You’ll notice we rate Ascent highly compared to other lenders, and there’s good reason for that. Their loans are flexible when it comes to repayment and less stringent when it comes to qualifying. 

Here’s what makes their graduate school student loans special: they provide cosigned and non-cosigned loan options, they offer a graduated repayment plan, and you can borrow up to the full cost of attendance at your school. Like other lenders on our list, they don’t charge application, origination or guarantee fees, and they offer fixed and variable interest rates (which are among the lowest in the market). If you choose to repay your loan early, they won’t charge you prepayment penalties. And when it comes to rewards, borrowers enjoy an auto-debit discount, graduation reward and current customer discount, plus a referral program.

Too good to be true? Well, like anything in life, there are drawbacks. You can borrow up to the full cost of attendance with Ascent, but that is limited to an annual and aggregate maximum of $400,000.

Ascent Student Loans - Private Student Loan Details

Interest Rates, Fees and Terms
  • Credit Check: Not specified by lender
  • Repayment Terms: 7, 10, 12, 15 years
  • Minimum Borrowing Limit: Not specified by lender
  • Yearly Borrowing Limit: $200,000
  • Aggregate Borrowing Limit: $400,000
  • Application Fee: None
  • Origination Fee: None
  • Prepayment Penalty: None
  • Late Fee: Yes
Requirements to Qualify
  • Minimum Credit Score: Not specified by lender
  • Minimum Annual Income: None
  • Maximum Debt-to-Income Ratio: None
  • Citizenship Restriction: Available to Citizens, Permanent Residents, DACA students, and International Students with a credit-worthy Citizen or Permanent Resident cosigner
  • Minimum Enrollment Restriction: Half-Time
  • List of States where Loan is Not Available: None
  • Approved Schools Include: Not specified by lender
Repayment Options
  • Immediate Principal and Interest Repayment: None
  • Fixed Monthly Repayment: Yes, 25
  • Interest-Only Repayment: Yes
  • Full Deferment: Yes
Repayment Details
  • Length of Grace Period: 9 months
  • Maximum Deferment Period: 48 months
  • Maximum Forbearance Period: 24 months
  • Cosigner Release Option: Yes, after 12 months on-time principal and interest payments
  • Death Discharge: Yes
  • Disability Discharge: Yes
Customer Service
  • US-Based Call Center: Yes
  • Hours of Operation (in addition to weekdays): No Evenings or Weekends
  • Application Timeline: 1-2 business days to review required materials
Extras
  • Scholarship Search Tool: Yes
  • Sponsors a Scholarship: Yes
  • Job and Career Assistance: Yes
  • Financial Literacy Training: Yes
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Other Loans that Ascent Student Loans Offers:

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Savingforcollege.com provides our readers with free access to objective information, articles and tools to help them make informed decisions about saving and paying for education. We are able to do this because we are compensated by our partners, including some private student lenders. Some, though not all, of the products featured here are offered by partners who may pay us a sales commission. Our partnerships do not influence our ratings or reviews, which are based on in-depth research and objective methodologies, though they may influence which products we write about and where those products appear on our site. Our opinions are our own.