Chad Augood

Ascent is a mission-driven, institutional funded fintech company based in San Diego, CA committed to evolving the education finance industry by providing more than just student loans to drive long-term impact in student success. We empower students to plan, pay, and succeed in school and are proud to lead the industry in driving positive learner outcomes and durable economic mobility. Our goal is to increase student income by $10 billion by 2028. Check out our impact report here: https://www.ascentfunding.com/impact-report/ Our Impact Vision & Goal. Ascent is leading a long overdue transformation in higher education by providing accessible, comprehensive funding for college students and those attending technical career and skills training programs. We believe student loans should expand possibilities, not limit them. That’s why we offer innovative college and career/trade school student loans that allow more students to qualify, with or without a cosigner and support multiple Pay It Forward programs in partnership with philanthropy. We prioritize transparency and financial wellness, integrating financial education into the application process so students and families can make informed decisions about their investment in education. Our borrowers benefit from student-friendly features that encourage and incentivize smart financial decisions such as discounts for auto pay, cash rewards for graduations and we’ve awarded over $330,000 in no-essay scholarships to date. Additionally, borrowers gain access to AscentUP, our edtech career success platform, designed to support students in their education-to-employment journey with career readiness tools, access to paid, remote work opportunities, and valuable tools to help students thrive both in school and after graduation.   Ascent continues to innovate, developing new products to meet the evolving needs of our borrowers and school partners.