This past week education leaders gathered in San Diego for the annual ASU GSV Summit.

The ASU + GSV Summit features a diverse lineup of thought leaders who shared firsthand stories of inspiration and innovation. This conference brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts eager to start the dialogue necessary for success. From K-12 to Higher Ed, it was cool to see so many people partner together to find solutions to problems. My team and I were thrilled to join everyone, learn from each other, and share the unique insights that building Meratas has given us. 

A Brief Background

The ASU GSV Summit is one of the leading educational technology conferences and started in 2010. The summit is a collaboration between ASU (Arizona State University) and GSV (Global Silicon Valley). With 12 years of conferences, the summit always connects some of the brightest minds in the EdTech space.

The summits are full of actionable insights, human-centered connections, transformational experiences, and unexpected discoveries. The attendee list grows every year and boasts an average of 15,000 attendees. With so many thought leaders in the education space in one place, there was a lot we took away from this conference.

Make Financial Aid Make Sense

Why are stories like these so common?

“I didn’t know what to expect the first time I stepped foot in a college financial aid office. I assumed it would be the easiest part of college. Who knew I would be bawling in front of a stranger, telling them about one of the most humiliating and heartbreaking experiences of my life?” – Lizzy Shoben

“My financial-aid officer didn’t understand why I worked so many jobs or why I picked up even more hours at times.” – Anthony Abraham Jack

We don’t just need to help students have a better financial experience; we need to find ways to teach the people in the financial aid offices how to better present the options students have and how to use the tools at their disposal. For example, students today are confused when they are signing up for loans. They’re tired of trying to make ends meet, and they’re tired of the stress of not knowing what exactly they’re signing up for. So we need to re-educate educators to explain financial aid in a way that clearly presents its value.

There are fewer and fewer students going to college, and when a student’s financial aid is confusing and if they aren’t options that work for their specific situation, they will drop out. There has to be better financial literacy training for students. It could be at the high school level or offered as a free college pre-requisite class or training. Either way, students need to fully understand their financial options and which is the best option. Part of the issue with alternative options to student loans is that students aren’t familiar with them, so students are confused and aren’t set up for financial success.

If students are well prepared for their financial journey, they will be better set up for success in their academic journey.  No student should have to forgo higher education because they’re confused or worried about affording their payments.

Broadening access to education and enhancing career mobility for all students is crucial so we can better prepare workers for the jobs of today and the careers of tomorrow. 

Students Need to be Career Prepared and have Access To Additional Options

“ A national labor shortage has benefitted workers in the form of higher pay and greater agency in choosing an employer. In turn, employers —especially those with urgent shortages in essential roles— are seeking to differentiate. “They realize the difference they can offer to workers are skills, and workers don’t ask for skills. Instead, they ask for career advancement,” –  Romer Carlson explained at the Summit. 

The demand for career advancement drives a need among working adults to acquire new skills and competencies. At the same time, institutions are working to fill their seats. By meeting that demand together, employers can strengthen talent attraction and retention, articulate career mobility pathways, and address skills gaps by offering access to education through better financial options.

Romer Carlson also pointed out that this is a key area where major employers can make a huge difference. “…the striking thing that we find in our work with employers on one side and university partners on the other is that, at some level, the average CEO now has more insight into the skills we need five years from now than then a university president has access to and that’s a problem. We need to get that data available to everybody.”

Students Need More Options

Offering students more options to pay for their education at your institution is crucial to both schools’ and students’ success. The more options students are given and the better they understand these options, including which is the best option for where they are in life, the more likely they are to pursue their education of choice and have a better overall experience. 

The ASU GSV summit allowed me and my team to learn from the innovators, entrepreneurs, educators, and changemakers from around the country, and I’m thankful for that. By gathering the top minds and leading companies from across the industry, untapped potential is discovered, trends are identified, and innovators find inspiration for changing the future of their business.

 My team and I at Meratas are on a mission to unlock opportunities for those looking to upskill or start a new education. If you’re interested in helping your students do this, check out our Partner’s Page to learn more!

We get it – the stats aren’t the most motivating. College enrollment dropped 4.7% between spring 2021 and 2022, and many experts are suggesting that this decline is here to stay.

As an institution, however, simply making peace with it isn’t enough. Having low numbers year after year isn’t sustainable, and it’s crucial to set up your game plan for keeping enrollment as high as possible.

If you’re curious about how to increase enrollment, here’s 6 simple steps to help you get there.

What’s Inside:

• Up Your Marketing Game
• Get Comfortable with Video
• Make It Easier for Students to Get Financing
• Improve Visibility with SEO
• Secure More Reviews from Students
• Lower Your Response Times with Automated Messaging

#1: Up Your Marketing Game

We know you’ve heard it before, but hear us out. The marketing world is changing, and it’s important to keep up.

Put yourself in a potential student’s shoes — what type of content would resonate with you? If your strategy feels stale and you aren’t excited to launch the content, your audience will likely feel the same way.

Instead, look to institutions having success online and mirror what they do. Take the University of Georgia and Baylor University for example. By hopping on platforms where their future students exist and creating content that is both entertaining and informative, they’ve been able to grow a presence online while attracting new applicants.

#2: Get Comfortable With Video

It’s official — we’re living in the era of short-form video. With the rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, more and more people have grown comfortable with absorbing bits of information through easy-to-digest video content. For schools, this creates an incredible opportunity to leverage video content to attract and retain new students.

It’s what platforms are prioritizing in their algorithms, which means your content is likely to perform better, too. Some studies even report that video content performs 1200% better in comparison to other formats. This comes as no surprise given that Instagram favors Reels in its algorithm, and LinkedIn video content gets nearly 5 times the engagement.

Plus, customers retain 95% of the information they watch in a video, and 37% of them watch videos all the way to the end. By capturing more students’ attention, they’re more likely to remember your content and your institution when it comes time to enroll. 

If you’re finding that static content like newsletters, traditional social media posts, and static ads aren’t generating the results you want, try implementing video content into your strategy.

#3: Make It Easier for Students to Get Financing

Creating a killer TikTok strategy will help in creating a well-rounded strategy to increase enrollment, but it won’t address the root issue — a lack of flexible financing options. Reality is, the cost of an education has grown tremendously, and wages aren’t mirroring this growth.

This leaves 38% of students opting to not enroll, simply due to their fears around the cost of an education. While you can’t hand them a check, you can provide them with flexible financing options that make affording that cost much more simple.

A lender marketplace, like Meratas, requires minimal setup and upkeep but generates long term results. Unlike the traditional loan process — which requires students to hop from site to site in search of a loan — Meratas provides you with the all-in-one solution. Students get access to an entire marketplace built for them, with a variety of loan options to choose from.

When students have the means to afford the education they desire, and when they experience less friction in acquiring a loan, they’re far more likely to convert into a fully enrolled student.

#4: Improve Visibility with SEO

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of getting your institution’s web pages to be recognized and ranked by Google. Once you’ve got a solid SEO strategy down, prospective students will be able to find your website when searching for related questions like “Best certificate program for tech” or “Top trade school near me.” 

If your website isn’t ranking in searches, however, it’ll make it significantly harder for eager students to find your institution when looking online. Nearly 25% percent will click the first link that shows up, leaving your institution’s pages unclicked and unnoticed.

While implementing an SEO strategy can take a bit of legwork upfront, you can reap the benefits of it for years to come. 

#5: Secure More Reviews from Students

Think of enrolling like booking a luxury vacation — you likely wouldn’t book a hotel or an excursion without checking the reviews. Before spending your hard-earned cash, you want to ensure the experience will be enjoyable, worth your money, and legitimate.

Choosing where to enroll for an education is similar. Prospective students wonder what the program is really like, whether other students have enjoyed their experience there, and if the program will be worth shelling out a few thousand dollars for.

To bridge the gap, encourage students — both current students and alumni — to submit honest reviews about their experience with the program. They can do this through Google My Business, sites like Niche, or directly through your website. Then, incorporate their statements in marketing materials, such as social media posts and on your website.

#6: Lower Your Response Times with Automated Messaging

Support throughout the enrollment process is key, and today’s students expect speedy response times to their inquiries. If you’re taking a bit longer to respond, it might leave students feeling unsupported, which doesn’t give them the warm and fuzzy feeling they’d prefer to have when making their enrollment decisions.

Instead, implement automation software that lets prospective students know you’ve received their question, are working on an answer for them, and will get back to them as soon as possible. The more supported they feel, the more likely they are to think fondly of your institution when it comes time to select where they want to enroll.

Of the roughly 50% of employed Americans who intend to make career changes because of the COVID-19 pandemic 33% are interested in changing industries.

It’s difficult for hard-working students and career-changers to get into the new careers they want because of the ever-increasing cost of education. 

Many times students analyze the debt they’ll have to take on to upskill or get a new career and opt to skip higher education altogether, making it harder for them to find lasting careers that help them build the life they want and the fulfillment in their careers that they need.

What if there was a better way to pay for education? What if you could use a type of payment you’re probably already using  to pay for the training to get a better career? 

1. What is Buy Now, Pay Later? 

“Raise your hand, who else has an online shopping problem?” There’s a couple of us over here at Meratas that definitely do…

If you’ve shopped anywhere online, you’ve probably heard of companies like Affirm and Klarna that let you pay for products in installments, instead of upfront.

You’ve probably seen this offer—

“Buy Now, Pay Later!” Just four installments of $19.99!

Basically Buy Now Pay later is structured so that you’ll pay an initial part of your full shopping trip and then pay the rest in 4 or so payments over a period of time. (Typically 6 weeks.) 

Buy now pay later (BNPL) platforms that allow customers to make purchases in installments are growing in popularity in the United States and being used like never before.

“43% of the U.S. adult population, some 111 million consumers, say they are interested in using BNPL solutions to pay for big-ticket service purchases. Travel, remodeling and medical expenses top the list.” According to a study by AWS on Buy Now Pay Later models. 

So what does that have to do with education or a new career? 

2. How to use BNPL to launch your career

Eighty-three percent of consumers who would like to use a BNPL option to make big-ticket service purchases say they see it as a practical alternative to using personal loans and credit cards for those purchases.

So what if there was a way to use BNPL to pay for your education? 

At Meratas, we took BNPL and created a way to use it towards launching your career!

Learn Now, Pay Later

The Pay in 4 is a Meratas tuition plan that separates tuition payments into four installments over the course of several months. Pay in 4 was created using Buy Now Pay Later models. You pay for your education in 4 installments over a period of time. (Varies depending on your program.) 

We partner with programs, bootcamps, and higher ed institutions that will allow you to use the same payment method you use to buy a computer or new watch to pay for your education and build your career!

You’re probably already using BNPL for your everyday purchases. Instead of taking out a traditional private student loan, why not use that same payment method to pay for your education and build your career?

Are you looking to start a new career and invest in yourself in 2022? Meratas can help – check out our Students Page for more info on how we can help you get the career you’ve always wanted!

Coding bootcamps aren’t cheap — the average program will run you around $13,580 in tuition alone. If shelling out the cash upfront isn’t an option, we don’t blame you.

Here’s six ways to pay for a coding bootcamp without dipping into your pockets.

Apply to Scholarships First

Scholarships are free money, which means you never have to pay them back. So, before you pursue any other options, apply to as many scholarships as you can.

Here’s a few places to look:

1. Your program itself
2. Course Report
3. BestColleges
4. Scholarships360
5. The Society for Women Engineers

Keep in mind that many bootcamp scholarships will be need-based, meaning you’ll have to demonstrate that you’re unable to afford the program otherwise. If you don’t fall into the threshold considered for need-based aid, narrow your search to focus on just merit-based aid.

If you don’t secure any scholarships your first year, keep applying throughout your program. There are tons of scholarships available that aren’t exclusively for first-year students. And, many students don’t know they can apply beyond their first year, so competition for these funds tends to be better.

Look at Your Employer’s Benefits

Many employers offer to cover a portion of tuition for job-related training. While some will only cover a small portion of the cost, others will reimburse you for the entire expense.

Keep in mind that these aren’t always advertised openly, so don’t be afraid to ask your boss directly. Some companies don’t offer it typically, but may be willing to if you’ve been a valuable worker they want to retain.

If your current employer doesn’t offer these benefits, consider applying with a company that does. For example, Verizon offers free technical training through their Skill Forward program.

Use the GI Bill If You Have It

If you’re a veteran with access to GI Bill benefits, make sure to use them. There are a variety of coding bootcamps that accept GI Bill funds, which would save you quite a bit.

To determine which programs do, use the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill Comparison tool. Here’s a few schools that do accept GI Bill money to kick off your search:

1. The Flatiron School
2. General Assembly
3. Coding Dojo – San Jose
4. Sabio Enterprises

Look Into Private or Personal Loans

If an income-share agreement isn’t an option, or if you’d prefer a more traditional loan, consider a private or personal loan. Keep in mind that most private lenders don’t work with coding bootcamps, but some do — they just might be more challenging to find.

Personal loans are also an option — just beware of the interest rate. Average personal loan rates range from 9.30% to 22.16%, which can skyrocket your overall debt total quickly.

Before agreeing to any loan, always compare your options through Meratas first. This will allow you to see all your options in one place to verify which loan option is best for you. Then, you can complete the application within the Meratas platform, keeping the entire loan process in one place.

Consider Crowdfunding

While asking for support from others doesn’t always feel comfortable, crowdfunding can be a successful way to pay for your degree. Platforms like GoFundMe allow you to set up a virtual fundraiser, share the page with friends and family, and accept donations. While they do take a cut from the money you receive, it helps centralize the fundraising process.

What About Federal Financial Aid?

Unfortunately, coding bootcamps aren’t eligible to receive federal financial aid. While this will save you from the headache that is the FAFSA process, it’ll mean you need to look elsewhere for funding. If you’re approached by anyone stating that you need to submit your federal financial aid forms or that you’re eligible for federal aid, it’s likely a scam.

Other Things to Consider

Before investing in a costly degree, it’s important to assess the potential return on your investment. Ask yourself:

• Will my future salary outweigh the upfront cost of the program?
• Does this program provide the support and resources I need?
• Am I confident I’ll be getting ample value from this program?

If you aren’t quite sure, it might be best to rethink where you plan to enroll. Also, consider whether the program offers a tuition guarantee. Programs like The Flatiron School offer a full tuition refund if you don’t find a qualifying role within six months of graduating. While most schools don’t do this, it’s a nice layer of protection to have in your back pocket.

According to the CIRR, around 71% of coding bootcamp graduates land jobs within 180 days of graduating. While some programs have higher placement rates than the average, it’s important not to rely on the odds being in your favor.

Start the process of optimizing your resume, networking with people in the industry, and applying to roles before graduating. Then, consider submitting applications at top tech companies using the strategies below.

Start the Process During School

There’s no guarantee that you’ll receive a job right after graduating. But if you make use of your time while in school, you can increase the odds that you will.

Step 1: Network

Before you start imagining shaking hands and having stiff conversations with old folks, know that networking today is wildly different (and far more exciting). Networking can be as simple as:

• Finding alumni of your bootcamp program on LinkedIn and sending them a message to ask about their experience after graduating
• Finding hiring managers at dream companies on LinkedIn and engaging with their posts
• Attending virtual events, like coding conferences and trainings, and asking meaningful questions. (Make sure to follow up with the instructor or presenter after to connect with them.)
• Chatting with fellow classmates

Research has found that around 85% of jobs are found through networking. So, the more people in your network, the better.

Step 2: Attend Job Fairs

Due to the virtual nature of many programs, online bootcamps often provide virtual career services. This includes virtual job fairs, networking events, and more.

When you can, be sure to attend the job fair. You’ll meet a variety of employers — all of which are open to hiring bootcamp grads — and can get your foot in the door early. This could lead to lining up a post-grad job before you even graduate.

Step 3: Apply Before Graduating

Begin your search early. The average hiring process takes around three to six weeks, and even longer for new positions, inexperienced hiring managers, and for larger companies. While you might graduate in June, start your search in March or April. This will ensure that you’re ahead of the curve and leave plenty of time to accommodate the hiring process.

When applying, pay attention to the effectiveness of your strategy. If you find that submitting applications on sites like Indeed, Monster, and ZipRecruiter isn’t yielding results, consider taking a different approach. One Hack Reactor graduate said he only started seeing results in his job application process when he began emailing hiring managers directly with his application.

Step 4: Take on Freelance Work or Internships to Build Up Your Resume

If you’re concerned about getting lost in the mix of applications because you’re a bootcamp student, consider taking on freelance work to gain additional experience. While most employers view bootcamp degrees favorably, a small percentage believe bootcamp grads aren’t as prepared or likely to be high performers as candidates with a computer science degree, according to an Indeed study.

One hiring manager shared a bit of advice for bootcamp grads to counteract this — make sure to highlight other experience besides your degree if you want to stand out in the flood of applications. This can be in the form of freelance work, internships, or contributing to other projects.

Step 5: Contribute to Open Source Projects

If you have a hard time landing an internship or booking a client for freelance work, consider contributing to an open source project. Open source projects give you an opportunity to put your skills to the test and gain hands-on experience. You can also contribute to them for free, on your own time, giving you flexibility that freelance work and internships might not offer.

There are a variety of open source projects you can contribute to, such as:

• 30 Seconds of Code
• First Contributions on Github
• Zulip
• TensorFlow

Tech Companies That Hire Bootcamp Grads

To kick off your application process, here’s a few tech companies that hire bootcamp grads:

Adobe

Named as one of Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For, Adobe is the place to be. They actively hire from bootcamps such as Fullstack Academy and General Assembly, but are open to others.

Cisco

In 2022, Cisco was named one of the World’s Best Workplaces — for the twelfth year in a row. They hire data analysts, software engineers, and security research engineers from bootcamps like Hack Reactor.

Meta (Formerly Known as Facebook)

As the first social network to surpass one billion registered users, Meta is an incredibly fast-growing company to work for. With over 14,000 employee reviews, they’ve earned a rating of 4.0 out of 5.0 stars — which is high for such a massive company. 

Google

As the world’s largest search engine, Google is always on the hunt for new talent to join their team. They hire from bootcamps such as Coding Dojo, Flatiron School Fullstack Academy, and more. 

Slack

Over the years, Slack has earned a variety of awards — Best Company Culture, Best Compensation, and Best Company for Women to name a few. So, it’s no surprise that they receive rave reviews of 4.4 out of 5.0 stars from employees. They hire mostly from Hackbright Academy but are open to other bootcamp graduates.

Final Thoughts

To land a job after coding bootcamp, it’s important to start the process early — or kick it into high gear now if you’re reading this just weeks before graduation. Network with people in the industry, gain some hands-on experience you can add to your resume, and be strategic about how and where you apply.

It’s no secret — the nursing field is suffering. For years, healthcare experts have called out the increasing demand for nurses as a major threat to our healthcare systems. Based on estimations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the United States will need an additional 203,200 registered nurses (RNs) every year between now and 2031 to meet the demand.

Yet enrollment in nursing school isn’t growing at the pace necessary to meet it. In fact, enrollment in entry-level baccalaureate programs increased by just 3.3% in 2021. This leaves many in the industry wondering why future nurses aren’t enrolling and how schools can respond. Here’s what we think.

Why Is There Such a Demand?

There are a few reasons why demand is high:

#1: Baby boomers, or those born between 1946 and 1964, are aging. Given that there’s so many of them, the demand for geriatric care is about to increase significantly — smaller generations don’t have the same impact.

#2: There’s a shortage of nursing instructors. Without enough qualified nursing instructors, fewer nurses are graduating and entering the field. This leads to major gaps in nursing staffs all across the country.

#3: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has led to more patients in need of care. When the ACA was successfully able to reduce rates for uninsured patients, more patients began to seek care. While this is a positive result, as more people are able to access the care they need, more nurses are needed to meet the demand.

#4: Experienced nurses are leaving the field. It’s been estimated that around a million registered nurses will be leaving the workforce by 2030. While disappointing, it’s no surprise given the workload, toxic culture, and emotional strain the profession can sometimes come with.

The Impact

One might assume that a nursing shortage simply leads to more time in the waiting room, but the impact is far more significant. While some states have legal patient-to-nurse ratios, others don’t. This allows healthcare facilities to push the limits of their nursing staff, assigning far more patients to each nurse than they should.

This leads to more errors, higher morbidity, and higher mortality rates. Plus, caring for too many patients at once will lead nurses to experience more frustration and exhaustion at work, leading to lower job satisfaction, lower retention rates, and a stronger desire to leave the profession — making the problem much worse.

Why Aren’t Future Nurses Enrolling?

While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly made some folks reconsider their dream to be a nurse, the students aren’t entirely to blame for the lack of enrollment. In fact, one of the biggest roadblocks in enrolling more nursing students is the lack of instructors. Without them, programs face limited capacity, which in turn generates fewer certified nurses.

And this isn’t much of a surprise — nursing educators are required to have advanced degrees but earn just a fraction of a bedside nurse. The incentive to teach is nonexistent.

On top of that, finding opportunities for clinical or hands-on training is challenging, especially following the pandemic. According to the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, more than 80,000 qualified applicants were turned away in 2020 due to shortages of faculty, clinical sites, and other resources — and this doesn’t even include those that applied to community colleges.

Without the instructors needed to teach, or the clinical experience needed for students to graduate, programs are left with little resources to educate the next generation of nurses.

What Schools Should Do

While one single school can’t solve the nursing shortage themselves, it’s important to think about what you can do to help mitigate the problem. Here are a few ideas:

Provide incentives for staff. The first step to enrolling more nursing students is to have enough instructors to meet the demand. Offering a competitive pay structure with added incentives, like strong benefits, may lead to more applications.

Offer rolling admission. If you do have the faculty and clinical space to accommodate students, offer rolling admission to attract more students.

Give students flexible financing options. The number one reason students fail to enroll is a lack of funding. To bridge the gap between acceptance and enrollment, make sure your future students have flexible financing options that allow them to fund their education in the manner that works best for them.

Provide more training and guidance around state-specific certifications. Several states require nurses to have additional certifications beyond their standard degree in nursing. To make the process easier, give students the option to receive additional training and support necessary to pass their certifications.

Team up with other programs to offer dual admissions. The University of Chicago partnered with City Colleges of Chicago’s Malcolm X College to form a dual degree program. This allows students to complete their degree in less than four years, which saves them both time and money, and is thus attracting a diverse set of students.

Partner with local public health organizations for clinical rotations. If traditional settings aren’t able to accommodate students for clinical rotations, consider partnering with local public health organizations instead. Students will be able to gain the experience necessary to graduate, while the local community benefits too.

We get it – the stats aren’t the most motivating. College enrollment dropped 4.7% between spring 2021 and 2022, and many experts are suggesting that this decline is here to stay.

As an institution, however, simply making peace with it isn’t enough. Having low numbers year after year isn’t sustainable, and it’s crucial to set up your game plan for keeping enrollment as high as possible.

If you’re curious about how to increase enrollment, here’s 6 simple steps to help you get there.

What’s Inside:

• Up Your Marketing Game
• Get Comfortable with Video
• Make It Easier for Students to Get Financing
• Improve Visibility with SEO
• Secure More Reviews from Students
• Lower Your Response Times with Automated Messaging

#1: Up Your Marketing Game

We know you’ve heard it before, but hear us out. The marketing world is changing, and it’s important to keep up.

Put yourself in a potential student’s shoes — what type of content would resonate with you? If your strategy feels stale and you aren’t excited to launch the content, your audience will likely feel the same way.

Instead, look to institutions having success online and mirror what they do. Take the University of Georgia and Baylor University for example. By hopping on platforms where their future students exist and creating content that is both entertaining and informative, they’ve been able to grow a presence online while attracting new applicants.

#2: Get Comfortable With Video

It’s official — we’re living in the era of short-form video. With the rise of TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts, more and more people have grown comfortable with absorbing bits of information through easy-to-digest video content. For schools, this creates an incredible opportunity to leverage video content to attract and retain new students.

It’s what platforms are prioritizing in their algorithms, which means your content is likely to perform better, too. Some studies even report that video content performs 1200% better in comparison to other formats. This comes as no surprise given that Instagram favors Reels in its algorithm, and LinkedIn video content gets nearly 5 times the engagement.

Plus, customers retain 95% of the information they watch in a video, and 37% of them watch videos all the way to the end. By capturing more students’ attention, they’re more likely to remember your content and your institution when it comes time to enroll. 

If you’re finding that static content like newsletters, traditional social media posts, and static ads aren’t generating the results you want, try implementing video content into your strategy.

#3: Make It Easier for Students to Get Financing

Creating a killer TikTok strategy will help in creating a well-rounded strategy to increase enrollment, but it won’t address the root issue — a lack of flexible financing options. Reality is, the cost of an education has grown tremendously, and wages aren’t mirroring this growth.

This leaves 38% of students opting to not enroll, simply due to their fears around the cost of an education. While you can’t hand them a check, you can provide them with flexible financing options that make affording that cost much more simple.

A lender marketplace, like Meratas, requires minimal setup and upkeep but generates long term results. Unlike the traditional loan process — which requires students to hop from site to site in search of a loan — Meratas provides you with the all-in-one solution. Students get access to an entire marketplace built for them, with a variety of loan options to choose from.

When students have the means to afford the education they desire, and when they experience less friction in acquiring a loan, they’re far more likely to convert into a fully enrolled student.

#4: Improve Visibility with SEO

SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of getting your institution’s web pages to be recognized and ranked by Google. Once you’ve got a solid SEO strategy down, prospective students will be able to find your website when searching for related questions like “Best certificate program for tech” or “Top trade school near me.” 

If your website isn’t ranking in searches, however, it’ll make it significantly harder for eager students to find your institution when looking online. Nearly 25% percent will click the first link that shows up, leaving your institution’s pages unclicked and unnoticed.

While implementing an SEO strategy can take a bit of legwork upfront, you can reap the benefits of it for years to come. 

#5: Secure More Reviews from Students

Think of enrolling like booking a luxury vacation — you likely wouldn’t book a hotel or an excursion without checking the reviews. Before spending your hard-earned cash, you want to ensure the experience will be enjoyable, worth your money, and legitimate.

Choosing where to enroll for an education is similar. Prospective students wonder what the program is really like, whether other students have enjoyed their experience there, and if the program will be worth shelling out a few thousand dollars for.

To bridge the gap, encourage students — both current students and alumni — to submit honest reviews about their experience with the program. They can do this through Google My Business, sites like Niche, or directly through your website. Then, incorporate their statements in marketing materials, such as social media posts and on your website.

#6: Lower Your Response Times with Automated Messaging

Support throughout the enrollment process is key, and today’s students expect speedy response times to their inquiries. If you’re taking a bit longer to respond, it might leave students feeling unsupported, which doesn’t give them the warm and fuzzy feeling they’d prefer to have when making their enrollment decisions.

Instead, implement automation software that lets prospective students know you’ve received their question, are working on an answer for them, and will get back to them as soon as possible. The more supported they feel, the more likely they are to think fondly of your institution when it comes time to select where they want to enroll.

Being in a career that isn’t meant for you can be draining. 76% of employees experience burnout—which researchers say include such symptoms as exhaustion, feeling negative, cynical or detached from work, and reduced work performance. Upskilling can take time and can also be expensive and for many, it can feel out of reach. But what if there was a way to quickly change careers by learning new skills? And what if you could pay for it in a manageable way that you’re probably already using?

You’ve probably seen this offer before—

“Buy Now, Pay Later!”

It often applies to retail shopping. Platforms like Afterpay, Klarna, and Affirm allow users to make big box purchases like a new computer without having to shell out the entire cost upfront. Instead, they typically let users pay in four installments over six weeks. 

Buy now pay later (BNPL) platforms that allow customers to make purchases in installments are growing in popularity in the United States and being used like never before.


Four easy payments of $19.99 is becoming the default choice when shopping.

What if there was a way to use BNPL and installments to pay for your education?

At Meratas, we took BNPL and repurposed it with student education in mind.

Quality education does not always have to be financed with traditional student loans that acquire more interest over time. Buy Now Pay Later options are the future of education for students!  

The Flat Payment Plan incorporates all of the flexibility and reliability that you need.

This tuition product is best suited for you if you have long-term plans designed to ensure you have the time needed to pay. 

The Flex-Plan is designed to provide students with the same benefits of a traditional Income Share Agreement!

If you are looking into Income Share Agreements or other flexible financing options, it is very important to do your research. You want to make sure that you understand the terms surrounding your financing completely. You don’t want to be surprised by a high or variable interest rate. 

If you’re not happy in your current role. If you’ve been putting off a new career because of the cost of learning new skills, Meratas can help. Visit our student’s page and get matched with the perfect education program to help you get the amazing career you deserve. Check out the Meratas blog for more!

Attending college can be difficult for many students to afford without financial assistance. With even a semester of community college costing thousands of dollars these days, college affordability often makes a big difference in which college you’re able to choose. Thankfully, several higher education loan options are out there to help you pay your college bills, including scholarships, federal aid, private loans, and Income Share Agreements (ISA).

Private loans for college are worth considering if your federal student aid allotment isn’t enough to cover your tuition and other costs. However, some private lenders will tell you to consider taking out federal loans before weighing their products. 

This is because of the protections that the government affords its borrowers. However, those same private lenders will present their student loan options as customizable to your financial situation while positioning the federal government as one-size-fits-all.

At Meratas, we offer a host of alternative financing options to help students pay for their education. Options like installment plans, Income Share Agreements, and other Buy Now, Pay Later financing choices can oftentimes be a better fit than a traditional private student loan. Many of our options offer more flexibility than what is often available with traditional private loans.

However, if you’ve exhausted all your other financing options, you may need to turn to traditional private student loans to finish your education.

Unlike federal student loans, private student loans offer variable interest rates in addition to fixed rates. So if your credit history is strong, it could also lower your interest rate, as well as if you have a cosigner with a high credit score. 

When comparing private lenders to federal loan options, ensure that you do the research for yourself and know exactly what you want. After all, not all lenders are created equal.

What are private student loans?

Unlike federal student loans, which the government designates, independent lenders issue private student loans. These can be traditional banks or credit unions or student loan-specific organizations like Sallie Mae.

Each organization has different eligibility requirements, interest rates, and repayment terms. So, it’s a great idea to compare other options before choosing one. Even though private student loans may not always be your best financial option, there are some situations where taking out a personal student loan makes sense. Let’s look at three types of private student loans for college and beyond.

 In-school loans for students and parents

The beauty of in-school student loans in the private marketplace is that there are many to choose from. Whether you’re a college freshman, a scholar seeking a doctoral, or are the parent of one — there’s something for everyone. Sallie Mae, for example, offers 13 different education loans, from paying for the private kindergarten of your toddler to financing your study for the bar exam.

But with varying loan types come more choices. Take repayment as one example: College Ave offers undergraduates four options while they’re in school:

• Defer payments entirely
• $25 monthly payments
• Interest-only payments
• Full principal-and-interest payments

 Refinanced loans for graduates

Private lenders offer the option of refinancing federal and private loans into one new loan. The key difference between private refinancing and federal loan consolidation could cost you more in the long run, as the repayment term could lengthen. 

However, private loan refinancing could award you a lower interest rate and could help you save on the total cost of your debt. In addition, a solid credit score and steady income may help you qualify for the lowest interest rates.

Private lenders promote their average customer’s savings by refinancing. So it’s especially crucial to proceed with caution if you’re refinancing federal loans as well and would lose their associated protections and forgiveness programs.

You should know some things before you refinance any of your student loans, such as what interest rates you’ll end up with, how much you can afford to pay each month, and if you meet all the lender’s requirements.

The repayment process for private student loans

There are a few ways to make using private loans more manageable. First, aim to put extra money toward your loan’s principal to knock it out sooner. Doing so could save you a lot of money on interest.

At the same time, pay attention to the interest rate on your loans. If it’s variable and keeps climbing, look into refinancing your student loans. Refinancing is a fancy way of saying “swapping an existing loan for another.” Qualifying for a lower interest rate by refinancing will lower your monthly payments, too.

Finally, reach out to your lender if you wind up struggling to keep up with your private student loan payments. Some will work with you if you’re having a hard time. For example, they might allow you to defer payments temporarily or lower your interest rate.

It always pays to max out your federal borrowing options and alternative financing options first before resorting to private loans. But if you need to borrow privately, aim to find loan servicers with the most favorable terms. Then be vigilant about paying them off as quickly as you can once you graduate.

The most common repayment processes include:

Immediate repayment: You will start making principal and interest payments while still in school. This could help keep down your out-of-pocket costs, but it might present additional financial pressure while you’re in school.

Interest-only repayment: You will only pay the interest while in school, which could reduce the total cost of the loan payment you’ll have to repay. Even if the monthly interest costs are minimal, you’ll have to budget this into your monthly expenses and might need to take on a part-time job to cover the payments.

Deferred repayment: You will only start paying back the loan amount once you’ve graduated or dropped below half-time enrollment. Interest could still accrue during this time, making your overall debt higher.

Refinancing your private student loans: You might get a lower interest rate if you have a solid income and excellent credit. Depending on your specific situation, this can help you spend less money over the life of your loan program. However, keep in mind that lower monthly payments might mean an extended loan term. A longer-term could cost you more, so weigh out the pros and cons of refinancing private student loans.

In general, repayment terms for private loans for graduate students can range anywhere from five years to over 20 years, but remember that the interest will add up over time.

Options to Consider Before Private Student Loans

Unlike traditional private student loans, Buy Now Pay Later options are relatively new to the financial aid scene.

There are three different types of buy now pay later options that Meratas helps schools offer to their students: Installment plan, Flat plan, Hybrid plan.

Buy Now Pay Later options are proven to increase conversions. No consigner is required for students, making your program more accessible to students.

Our Installment Plan option is a fixed payment plan for students. Tuition payments are divided equally, and they are collected over the course of a few months. 

The Flat Payment Plan incorporates all of the flexibility that your students want with the reliability that you need.

The Hybrid Plan means your students don’t have to start paying back their tuition until they’re making over the minimum income threshold and their payments are linked to their income by a percentage.

How to know if you’re eligible for private student loans

While the government considers your level of financial need when issuing financial aid, private lenders have different requirements. Factors that are considered can include your income, credit score if you have a cosigner, and debt-to-income ratio. Eligibility will vary by lender, but having a low credit score or no credit history will likely make it difficult for you to qualify. Having a cosigner can help if their credit score and income meet the eligibility requirements.

Overall, the decision to take out private student loans is one you should consider carefully. However, if you’ve already exhausted federal student loans and other alternative financing options but still need funds for school, a private student loan may be the last option for finishing school. Carefully work through your options before taking out private student loans. If you’re interested in learning more about great financial aid or alternative financing options for schools or programs, check out our student’s page!

Does your current career feel like the wrong fit? Are you tired of feeling like you’re not making any progress in your career? Do you feel like life is standing still while you’re trying to get ahead? If you’re unhappy in your current employment, now is the time to change that.

But the job market is a harsh place. It’s difficult to upskill and learn new skills to change careers. You may be saying to yourself: I don’t have the time to learn a new skill. How am I going to pay for the training? I don’t even know where to start.

It’s hard to get a new job, and it’s even more difficult to get a job in a field you love. If you want to learn the skills required to upskill to a new career it may be difficult to know where to start.

Well, Meratas is here to help. Many people feel stuck in the wrong job or the wrong industry—and they know there’s something better out there for them, but don’t know how to get there. That’s why we are here. You can change careers! The path to a new career is closer than you think! We’re here to help you find a career you love.

If you’ve found your passion or are even just curious about where to get started, Meratas is here to actively partner you with one of our bootcamps or colleges to change your career and start something new.

We partner with programs like Sales, UX/UI Bootcamps, coding bootcamps, and colleges that are dedicated to their student’s success. If you need flexibility in paying for your education, we can help there too. All partners on the Meratas platform offer a form of incentive-aligned tuition which means not only do you have options no matter what your financial situation looks like, but you and your partner program’s goals are aligned. 

Incentive aligned tuition options give you access to things like income-linked repayment, deferment in case of career hardship, a cap on the maximum you’ll pay, and many other benefits!

We’re looking to help people bridge the gap between their current job and their dream job.  Meratas helps you find and finance your next career steps through our partnerships with colleges and bootcamps.

Are you ready to start a new career and get ahead? Let us help you kickstart your new career journey. Fill out the info on our student’s page and get started today! Check out our get matched page to get started!