As the cost of college continues to feel out of reach for many students, schools and startups are beginning to think of new ways to finance the cost of tuition. Income-share agreements, or ISAs, are one method winning the attention of investors and education providers alike.
The University of Utah today announced the launch of Invest in U, a pilot program designed to help students pay education-related costs so they can complete their degrees faster and launch their professional careers. The U is the first major university in the Western region to offer its students this type of financial assistance.
An ambitious new philanthropic initiative at Colorado Mountain College (CMC) will provide access to higher education financing for undocumented students and others not eligible to receive federal financial aid
Since Lackawanna College’s inception, our programs and mission have been tightly coupled with in-demand jobs in the region -- jobs that provide family-sustaining wages that can encourage economic mobility for many in Pennsylvania.
Katie Blot is COO of Vemo Education. I read the same headlines that many school administrators do: College enrollments are...
Innovating financial aid for student success seems like a daunting task. But numerous recent developments in Income Share Agreements (ISAs)...
An income share agreement (ISA) is a contract between a student and their school where a student receives education funding in exchange for sharing a fixed percentage of their post-graduate income for a defined period of time. Because the amount paid is based on income, payments should always remain affordable. ISAs help reduce financial barriers to education, align incentives between schools and students, and increase college affordability.
ISA amount
The amount credited (funded) to a student’s account.
Income share
The percent of income a student pledges to pay after leaving their school or program.
Minimum income threshold
Students shouldn’t face hardship to pay for their education. Our minimum income threshold guarantees that students don’t have to make payments if their income falls below a certain salary level.
Payment cap
The maximum amount a student would have to pay relative to their funding amount. Many schools have a 1x cap, so that students never have to pay more than the initial funding amount.
Payment term
The maximum number of monthly payments required to fulfill a student’s ISA obligation.
Access and opportunity
Increase college going aspirations by reducing financial barriers to education.
Retention
Use income-based financing to keep students in school.
Completion
Increase graduation rates by eliminating financial barriers to degree completion.
Align interests and signal value
Show students you care about their post-graduation success and outcomes by aligning value with price.
Reduce financial risk
By Introducing a pay it forward tuition model, allow students an option that reduces the financial risk too often associated with post-secondary education.
We work with management teams of universities, colleges, and skills training providers to design ISA programs to improve access, retention, and completion.
After a student graduates, their account enters a grace period that gives them time to find a job. After their grace period ends and if their income is high enough, students start making monthly payments.
One of the most progressive features of ISA are the student-friendly protections. A student’s payment obligation ends after a fixed period of time, regardless of whether the student has paid the initial tuition funding amount or even nothing at all. This guarantees that students only pay if and when they are succeeding. Schools implement payment caps and payment windows to create student-friendly programs.
The magic of ISAs is that they reduce the risk associated with paying for school so that if a student is making less than a school’s minimum income threshold or doesn’t have a job at all, they don’t have to make a payment.
Because ISAs reduce the financial risk of paying for school, students aren’t pressured to pursue the highest-paying job in their field and have the freedom and flexibility to go into public service work, non-profits, and other career paths that are vital to our communities.
Schools implement many student friendly protections which include:
– Minimum income thresholds
– Payment cap
– Payment window
– Grace period
– Career flexibility