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                                                                   Exhibit 31.1


                                 CERTIFICATION


I, Gary Stern, certify that:

1.   I have reviewed this quarterly report on Form 10-Q of Asta Funding, Inc.;

2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement
     of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the
     statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such
     statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered
     by this report;

3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial
     information included in this report, fairly present in all material
     respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of
     the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

4.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for
     establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as
     defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant
     and have:

     (a)  Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such
          disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our
          supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the
          registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known
          to us by others within those entities, particularly during the
          period in which this report is being prepared;

     (b)  Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls
          and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about
          the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of
          the end of the period covered by this report based on such
          evaluation; and

     (c)  Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal
          control over financial reporting that occurred during the
          registrant's most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth
          fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially
          affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the
          registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.   The registrant's other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based
     on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial
     reporting, to the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the
     registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent
     functions):

     (a)  All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design
          or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are
          reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to
          record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

     (b)  Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or
          other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's
          internal control over financial reporting.

February 10, 2004

                                           /s/ Gary Stern
                                           -----------------------------
                                           President and Chief Executive
                                           Officer

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 302 has been
provided to Asta Funding, Inc. and will be retained by Asta Funding, Inc. and
furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.


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