Income Share Agreements (or ISAs) are a different form of financing that many may not be used to. Since ISAs have built-in protections and guidelines set in place to make sure students are not overpaying for their education, the Income Share Agreement journey can look different for everyone. There are also several ISA terms necessary to know in order to fully understand ISAs.

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There are multiple schools, coding bootcamps, and programs including Lambda School and Holberton that are helping students learn new skills and get high-paying jobs faster. Each of these programs also offer an Income Share Agreement (ISA) to open its doors and students only pay for school once they’ve found a high-paying job.

We’re pretty big fans of podcasts here at Meratas. One of the best ways to learn and better understand ideas is by listening to podcasts. We’ve put together a list of some of the best ISA podcast episodes to help you learn more about the amazing innovations taking place in higher education today.

1. a16z Podcast – Are ISAs the solution to Student Debt? 

The a16z Podcast discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future – especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other curious thinkers and voices from around the world. In “Are Income Share Agreements the Solution to Student Debt?” Lambda School CEO, Austen Allred, dives into the proposal of ISAs:  You go to college for free, then pay back the school after graduation-but only if you’re earning a high enough salary to afford the repayments. 

Student loan debt currently stands at more than 1.5 trillion dollars, which makes it the second-highest consumer debt category besides mortgage debt. The discussion covers both the promises and the challenges of ISAs-why they’ve been relatively slow to gain traction and why some are still skeptical.

2. Making College Affordable – Exploring a new way to pay for college through Income Share Agreements.

College is expensive and the process of finding and getting into the best colleges is more complicated and competitive than ever. You owe it to yourself to become an educated consumer. Making College Affordable will show you how to gain a competitive advantage over the game of choosing and paying for college. 

In this episode, the host, Jason, explores the details of ISA and what you need to know if an ISA is the right option for you.

3. Enrollment Growth University- ISAs at the University of Utah

Enrollment Growth University is a professional development podcast for higher ed leaders looking to grow enrollment at their college or university If you’re looking for tactics, strategies, and best practices to build a step-by-step road map toward enrollment growth in higher education at your institution, this podcast is for you. 

Dr. Courtney McBeth, Special Assistant to the President at the University of Utah, joined the podcast to talk about the potential of ISAs.

4. The First 1000 –  Making ISAs available for the masses.

Matt Quinn has been on a mission to be a 10x better founder by meeting incredible founders who have gone before him to get an answer to the question: How did you get your first 1000….? Your first 1000 customers, sign-ups, fans, users, clicks, and dollars invested. The first 1000 is all about interviewing these founders. 

For the 20 million enrolled college students who have to find financing, ISAs haven’t been widely available. This podcast covers why and how they can eventually become more accessible to students.

5. Planet Money – A New Way to Pay for College

Planet Money is an amazing podcast explaining the economy. In this episode, the Planet Money team explains the concept of Income Share Agreements. However, they take you on a trip to the South American country of Chile, the recording studio of David Bowie, and eventually back to Purdue University in Indiana, where students today can use ISAs to help them pay for college.

These podcasts hold some great insights into ISAs,  so whether you’re a student considering using an ISA or working at a school or program looking to offer an ISA to their students, check into one of these to learn more about ISAs. If you’re interested in what programs offer ISAs check out our Students page!

We know that Income Share Agreements can be confusing. They’re an uncommon way of financing that includes many terms people may not be familiar with.

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Income Share Agreements (ISAs) have what you could call “consumer benefits” built-in to help students through tough times. Besides the absence of growing interest and generally, no upfront payments, a significant benefit of Income Share Agreements is the fact that there are certain instances when your payments are paused or deferred.

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Student debt in the US has grown significantly since the passage of the 1965 Higher Education Act, which mandated the Federal government to guarantee student loans made by banks. As a response to the 1.75 trillion in student loan debt as of 2022, many are starting to rethink tuition funding.

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At Meratas, we believe Income Share Agreements (ISA) are part of the solution to the current educational financing. Though still a newer concept, Income Share Agreements have become an educational finance alternative to traditional private student loans. If you aren’t familiar with them, an Income Share Agreement typically grants a deferred tuition option in exchange for a percentage of the student’s pre-tax income after graduation.

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As more students are concerned about how they will afford traditional loan repayments, schools and programs are beginning to think of different ways to finance the cost of tuition. Income Share Agreements can be an excellent alternative for students. 

As the cost of college continues to feel out of reach for many students, schools and bootcamps are beginning to think of new ways to finance the cost of higher education. Income Share Agreements (ISA) are one method winning the attention of educators and students. An Income Share Agreement (ISA) is a contract between a student and their school, skills training program, or lender, where in exchange for an education, the student agrees to share a fixed percentage of their post-graduation, pre-tax earnings over a set period of time.

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New Year’s is the traditional time not just for taking stock of the year gone by, but also for anticipating the challenges and opportunities of the year ahead.

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