What to do when a Ascent account holder dies
Contact Ascent — 6-step process, 3 required documents, and ascent does not publish a fixed timeline for processing a death forgiveness request or updating a deceased borrower's account. eligibility is confirmed through the servicer, launch servicing, once the death certificate is provided. if the deceased was a cosigner or parent loan borrower, the loan is not forgiven and repayment continues on the existing schedule.
Ascent Loan Servicing (Launch Servicing, LLC)
Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910
Ascent Loan Servicing (Launch Servicing, LLC)
Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910
Launch Servicing, LLC (Ascent loan servicer) — Death & Disability Forgiveness
Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910
Notifying Ascent of a death is not a claim for money — it is the step that stops the account, fixes the balance owed as of the date of death, and puts Ascent on notice as a creditor of the estate. The Launch Servicing, LLC (Ascent loan servicer) — Death & Disability Forgiveness (1-877-209-5297) handles it.
Gather the account holder's full name, date of birth, and any known account or policy numbers before contacting Ascent. A certified death certificate is the primary document required to start any claim.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Ascent requires:
Filing a claim
- If the STUDENT BORROWER died: request death and disability forgiveness. Ascent forgives the Ascent college or bootcamp loan when the student borrower dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled.
- If a COSIGNER or PARENT LOAN BORROWER died: the loan is NOT forgiven. The debt continues, and a surviving cosigner or the primary borrower remains responsible for the balance; the deceased cosigner's share becomes a claim against that person's estate.
Required Documents
- Certified copy of the death certificate for the deceased borrower
- The Ascent / Launch Servicing loan account number
- Written notice identifying the deceased and any surviving cosigner or borrower (Ascent does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form)
What to know at this institution
A private student loan is a debt, not an asset — it carries no payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. Ascent's published death and disability policy forgives an Ascent college or bootcamp loan when the STUDENT BORROWER dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled; it does NOT forgive the loan when a cosigner or parent loan borrower dies, so a surviving cosigner remains liable and the deceased cosigner's obligation becomes a claim against that person's estate. The deceased-borrower process runs through the servicer, Launch Servicing, LLC (1-877-209-5297), which confirms eligibility and accepts the death certificate. Ascent does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form or a documentation checklist online, so the survivor sends a written notice plus the death certificate to Launch Servicing (user-drafted).
Prepare your letter of instruction to Ascent
Ascent accepts a claimant-drafted letter of instruction. We draft it for you — addressed to Ascent's verified claims department, with the documents it requires enclosed.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at Ascent: Ascent does not publish a fixed timeline for processing a death forgiveness request or updating a deceased borrower's account. Eligibility is confirmed through the servicer, Launch Servicing, once the death certificate is provided. If the deceased was a cosigner or parent loan borrower, the loan is not forgiven and repayment continues on the existing schedule. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
To process a claim, Ascent needs Certified copy of the death certificate for the deceased borrower, The Ascent / Launch Servicing loan account number, and Written notice identifying the deceased and any surviving cosigner or borrower (Ascent does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form). Death certificates and court documents must be certified copies—photocopies are not accepted.
Frequently asked questions
Ascent forgives an Ascent college or career-training (bootcamp) loan if the student borrower dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled. The loan is not forgiven when a cosigner or parent loan borrower dies. To confirm eligibility and apply, contact Ascent's loan servicer, Launch Servicing, at 1-877-209-5297 and provide a certified death certificate.
The loan is not forgiven when a cosigner or parent loan borrower dies. The debt continues on its existing terms, and the primary student borrower remains responsible for repayment. The deceased cosigner's obligation becomes a claim against that person's estate, which the executor accounts for among the estate's debts. Contact Launch Servicing at 1-877-209-5297 to discuss the account.
Ascent loans are serviced by Launch Servicing, LLC. Ascent itself is an origination processor; the loans are made available by partner banks (Bank of Lake Mills or DR Bank for college loans, Richland State Bank or DR Bank for career-training loans). After a death, the operational contact is Launch Servicing at 1-877-209-5297, Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT.
No. A private student loan is a debt, not an asset, so there is no payable-on-death or beneficiary designation. When a student borrower dies, Ascent's death forgiveness benefit applies and the loan is discharged. When a cosigner dies, the debt continues and passes as a liability, not through a beneficiary.
Ascent does not publish a dedicated deceased-borrower claim form or a documentation checklist online. In practice the servicer, Launch Servicing, requests a certified copy of the death certificate for the student borrower. Call Launch Servicing at 1-877-209-5297 to confirm what to submit, or mail a written notice with the account number and the death certificate to Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910.
Yes. Ascent forgives both college loans and career-training (bootcamp) loans if the student borrower dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled. As with college loans, the benefit does not apply when a cosigner dies. Bootcamp loans made after June 9, 2019 are serviced through Launch Servicing; contact Launch Servicing at 1-877-209-5297 to confirm eligibility.
If the deceased was the student borrower, the loan is forgiven and no further payment is owed once the death is documented — where there was no cosigner, the debt leaves the estate entirely. If the deceased was a cosigner, the loan is not forgiven and the surviving borrower must keep paying; the deceased cosigner's share is settled as a debt of that person's estate. Discuss repayment, hardship, or forbearance options with Launch Servicing at 1-877-209-5297.
Call the loan servicer, Launch Servicing, at 1-877-209-5297, Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT. Written correspondence, including the death certificate, can be mailed to Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910. Include the loan account number so the documents can be matched to the account.
Ascent's Launch Servicing, LLC (Ascent loan servicer) — Death & Disability Forgiveness can be reached by phone at 1-877-209-5297 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Ascent primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Ascent Loan Servicing (Launch Servicing, LLC)
Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910
Ascent Loan Servicing (Launch Servicing, LLC)
Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910
Launch Servicing, LLC (Ascent loan servicer) — Death & Disability Forgiveness
Launch Servicing, LLC, P.O. Box 91910, Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1910
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