SoFi is a personal finance company that provides student loan refinancing, mortgages, personal loans, and investment services.
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Best Ascent Funding Alternatives ranked by AI · updated Aug 2026
Ascent Funding offers private student loans for undergraduate, graduate, bootcamp, and career-training students. Its products include credit-based and outcomes-based financing options for eligible borrowers.
Top 6 Ascent Funding alternatives
2
LEIF
Leif, Inc.
Leif is an education-financing platform that helps career-training schools offer income share agreements and other payment options. It serves schools and students...
Pros
- Supports income share agreements instead of requiring all tuition upfront
- Designed for career-training providers and their enrolled students
- Can connect repayment terms to post-program income
Cons
- Availability depends on participating education providers
- Income-share repayment can cost more than tuition if earnings are high
- Less broadly available than general student-loan marketplaces
N/A; financing terms vary by program
Climb is an education-financing platform for students attending career-focused training programs. It evaluates programs and applicants with an emphasis on employment outcomes...
Pros
- Focuses on career-training programs often underserved by traditional lenders
- Evaluates schools partly through graduate employment outcomes
- Online application and loan-management experience
Cons
- Only available for eligible programs and participating schools
- Loan availability and rates vary by borrower qualifications
- Narrower coverage than general student-loan marketplaces
Loan rates and terms vary by applicant and program
4
Earnest is a technology-enabled lender that offers student loan refinancing and personal loans with personalized rates.
Pros
- Personalized rates
- Flexible repayment terms
Cons
- Manual underwriting process
- Limited loan amounts
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5
Climb Credit
Climb Credit, Inc.
Climb Credit provides education loans for career-focused programs, including training in technology, healthcare, and skilled trades. It works with selected schools and...
Pros
- More traditional loan structure than Leif's income-share model
- Focuses on career-training programs and employment outcomes
- Offers clearer repayment schedules than many ISA arrangements
Cons
- Requires repayment regardless of employment outcome
- Eligibility and school availability are limited
- Less flexible than an ISA during periods of low income
Interest rates and terms vary by program
6
Meritize
Meritize Financial, Inc.
Meritize provides financing for workforce and career-training programs, using education, military, and professional experience in its lending decisions. It serves students pursuing...
Pros
- Considers more than a conventional credit score in underwriting
- Targets short-term workforce and technical education
- Can be useful for borrowers without extensive credit history
Cons
- Repayment is required even if training does not lead to a job
- Only participating schools and programs are eligible
- Loan costs vary and may be high for some borrowers
Interest rates and terms vary by program
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