Ascent Funding is a private loan organization. They originated the Zero Percent Loan in partnership with their banking partner, Richland State Bank. Learners apply for and get approved for the loan with Ascent Funding.
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Launch Servicing is the servicer of your Ascent Zero Percent Loan, and they collect your payments during the repayment phase. If you're ready to make a payment or have any questions about your loan, you can visit Launch online or give them a call at 1-877-209-5297.

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If you opted for an Ascent Zero Percent Loan and aren’t yet earning at least $40,000 annually, you can defer your repayment upon request. Just get in touch with Launch Servicing either by phone or through their online portal (Visit Launch online or call 1-877-209-5297) and let them know you’d like to use the Underemployment/Unemployment deferment option available for the Ascent Zero Percent Loan. You can defer your payments every 3 months, for up to 60 months, until you’re earning at least $40,000 a year. Your loan term is for 60 months.

To fill out Launch Servicing’s Deferment Form click here.

Please visit the Ascent Zero Percent Loan page to preview your monthly payments using their calculator.

Repayment begins three months after completing your Immersion phase or your exit date, whichever comes first. You’ll make monthly payments for 60 months. If, after 60 months of qualifying payments a balance remains, it will be forgiven.

For questions on repayment dates please reach out to Launch at 1-(877)-209-5297 or send an email to ascentfunding@launchservicing.com.

If you don’t earn at least $40,000 within two years after completing the Immersion phase of your Merit America program, you may be eligible for a full refund. For more details, please review the Merit America Guarantee terms.

No. The goal of the Zero Percent Loan program is to increase access to training for the greatest number of people, so learners can only receive one Zero Percent Loan.

If you take a Zero Percent Loan and withdraw from the program before completion, you may be eligible to re-enroll. Borrowers are only eligible for one Zero Percent Loan, so if you re-enroll, you will need to pay upfront in full if your costs are not fully sponsored by a third party (such as an employer or a government entity).

Merit America exists to support learners to transition out of low-wage jobs into careers they love. We believe that cost should not be a barrier to your career transition. We offer learner-friendly options to cover your cost, including upfront sponsorship, Ascent’s Zero Percent Loan, and direct payment. If none of these options are available to you, Merit America has set aside a limited number of spaces for our Opportunity for All program. If you apply for an Ascent Zero Percent Loan and are denied due to debt or collections, are not sponsored by your employer, and cannot pay in full upfront, you can apply for the program, which will cover 100% of the cost for Merit America.

The Opportunity for All program is for Merit America learners who were denied the Zero Percent Loan from Ascent due to debt or collections and are unable to cover their costs through the currently available payment options, such as employer sponsorship or upfront payment.

Merit America has set aside up to 10% of our spots for the Opportunity for All program.

No. The Opportunity for All program is for Merit America learners who were denied the Zero Percent Loan from Ascent due to debt or collections and are unable to cover their costs through the currently available payment options, such as employer sponsorship or upfront payment. If you were denied the Zero Percent Loan from Ascent due to visa requirements or citizenship, you can defer to a future cohort once you meet the eligibility requirements for the Zero Percent Loan outlined here. If you’d like to continue in your program, you can cover your costs via one full upfront payment before the start of Foundations.

No, you have to apply to be covered by the program. Since the Zero Percent Loan is a product of another company, Merit America is not involved in eligibility decisions, and does not have access to the information of who qualifies for the loan and who doesn’t. If you apply for the loan, and are denied, please fill out a form to be covered by the Opportunity for All program.

No. Since spots are limited, the program is only available to learners who have been denied a loan product. Also, more people are eligible for the loan than you might think. According to Ascent Funding, “there is no minimum credit history or credit score required for loan approval for the Ascent Zero Percent loan.”

If you wish to pay in full upfront, please email Merit America at success-sharing@meritamerica.org to set up payments. It can take 2-4 business days to process direct payments. Please include the phone number, mailing address, and email address you would like to be billed to.

You will receive a payment invoice via email. Once you’ve submitted your billing information to Success Sharing, you will receive a payment invoice from Chargebee. Once you pay, Chargebee will send you a receipt.

No, one payment must be done prior to the start of Foundations.

If you apply for an Ascent Zero Percent Loan and do not qualify, are not sponsored by your employer, and cannot pay in full upfront, you can apply for the Opportunity for All Program, which will cover 100% of the cost for Merit America.

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To learn more about what is included in our cost visit this page.

We’re so confident in our program that we promise that if you still don’t earn at least $40,000 within the two years after the Immersion end date of your chosen Merit America program, you can request a full refund. Learn more at www.meritamerica.org/guarantee.

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, you will receive a full refund.

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.

Simply reach out to your coach, and they’ll assist you with the process.

We’re here for you. Please reach out to us at success-sharing@meritamerica.org, and we’ll be happy to assist.