Start your tech career with $0 upfront

There are four ways you can pay for the program.

• You can pay for the program in full upfront.
• You can pay for the program with $0 upfront by taking advantage of Ascent Funding’s Zero Percent Loan.
• Some companies and government programs offer sponsorships to cover the cost of the program.
• At Merit America, we believe financial barriers shouldn’t stop you from achieving your career goals. Our Opportunity for All program fully covers the cost of job training, with up to 10% of spots reserved for this initiative.

Please contact us to learn more about these options.

Ascent Funding independently evaluates eligibility for the Zero Percent Loan. Merit America has no influence over the decision-making about or administration of the Zero Percent Loan.

According to Ascent’s website:

There are two possible ways to qualify for an Ascent Zero Percent Loan: on your own or with a cosigner.  For the Merit America program, applying with a cosigner will not change your loan terms or improve your chances of obtaining a loan.

To see if you pre-qualify for an Ascent Zero Percent Loan, submit an application. In the pre-qualification process, Ascent will conduct a soft credit check with no impact to your credit score. After being conditionally approved and confirming your loan details, a hard credit check will be run to finalize the process.

Solo applicants must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.  U.S. temporary residents may apply with a qualified U.S. citizen or permanent resident cosigner. All applicants must pass a credit review that checks for certain derogatory credit items; for example, as of 2/24/2023, certain derogatory credit items that may disqualify you are:

• You have accounts in collection greater than $15,000 (excluding medical debt or student loan debt)
• You are individually a debt or in open bankruptcy proceeding

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, and underwriting requirements may be subject to change. However, there is no minimum credit history or credit score required for loan approval for the Ascent Zero Percent loan.

While the Ascent application process asks for income and employment details, they won’t use income, employment, or your requested loan amount to evaluate your application.

Learners should apply directly to Ascent Funding for the Zero Percent Loan, and will get a personalized link from our Success Sharing team during the Foundations phase of the program. You can find further information on their website.

Please note that Merit America does not administer or provide the loan, nor is Merit America involved in any determinations of eligibility or other decision-making for Ascent Funding’s Zero Percent Loan program.

According to Ascent’s website:
No, payments are not required during your program and while you’re in the three-month grace period following completion or termination of the immersion phase.

According to Ascent’s website:

If you find that you are making less than $40,000 annually in your current position or have not found employment that has a salary of at least $40,000 per year, then you may be able to take advantage of the Underemployed / Unemployed deferment option.

In order to use this option, please follow these steps:

• DEFERMENT BY CALLING: Call the loan servicer, Launch Servicing at 1-877-209-5297. Please have your 9-digit account number (for Launch) ready or the last 4 of your Social Security Number. The representative will ask you for your information. Once they are able to verify your identity, you will need to request with the representative that you want to use the Underemployed/Unemployed deferment option. From there, the representative will ask you some questions, and once answered satisfactorily, your account may then be put into deferment.
• DEFERMENT VIA PORTAL: Visit the website AscentFunding.LaunchServicing.com to set up an account in the Launch borrower customer portal. By selecting Register Now, fill out the prompts and requested information to proceed. After logged in, reach out to the Launch Customer Support Team via their internal messaging system. In a message, advise that you want to initiate the use of the Underemployed/Unemployed deferment option. A set of questions will either be sent via email or via a telephone call. Once answered, Launch may, set the account in deferment.

You will need to reach out every 3 months for the deferment to continue.

Please note this process is subject to change and Ascent will do its best to update any new procedures in a timely manner. You can always reach out to Launch Servicing directly for the most updated deferment information. They can be reached at 1-877-209-5297 or https://ascentfunding.launchservicing.com/.

We understand that sometimes life takes unexpected turns, and we want to make sure you have the flexibility to decide if our program is right for you. That’s why we’ve created a flexible refund policy.

You have 5 weeks to explore the program and determine if it’s a good fit. If you decide to leave or if you’re removed before the end of Week 5 and you’ve secured a Zero Percent Loan with Ascent, your loan will be canceled. If you paid directly, we will refund your payment.

If you leave or are removed after Week 5, you will be responsible for a portion of the program cost. If you stay through Week 9 and then decide to leave or are removed, you’ll be responsible for the full amount. Refunds and loan adjustments are processed monthly, based on the date you’re removed from the program.

We’re so confident in our program that we promise that if you still don’t earn at least $40k within the two years after you have completed the Immersion phase of your chosen Merit America program, you may be eligible for a full refund or cancellation of your loan. Learn more at www.meritamerica.org/guarantee.