Ascent, a Southern California company offering financial products and student support services, announced a $45 million Series C funding round. The company will invest in growing its leadership team, scaling its education financing platform and expanding into new education verticals.
The company partners with over 2,300 institutions and training providers to help students cover their tuition bills. Ascent has disbursed over $1.5 billion in education loans over the last decade through its suite of traditional college loans and additional financing programs. Its offerings include an aviation loan program, a graduate outcomes-based loan product and a loan calculator for graduate school.
“At Ascent, we’ve always believed that a student’s potential shouldn’t be limited by their current financial circumstances, but rather fueled by their future success,” Ken Ruggiero, Ascent’s CEO and co-founder, said in a statement. “As federal policies shift and traditional funding gaps widen, our mission to offer financing for traditionally overlooked and underserved individuals and families so they can gain access to post-secondary education and build a foundation for durable economic mobility has never been more important.”
