Improve school growth

How to Improve School Growth

All too often, certain barriers keep intelligent, driven people from accessing an education that will change their lives. At Climb, we’re incredibly fortunate to be able to partner with several career-focused schools and are excited to help as many people enroll in their programs as possible. So what are the barriers that prevent people from enrolling, and how can you break them down? Below, we have three key strategies on how to improve school growth.

Offer diverse payment options

One of the most important strategies for school growth is to increase financial access — after all, financing and cost are the number one factors that students look at when deciding which school to attend.* Not everyone is able to pay for the full tuition and any necessary supplies upfront. And while one person may prefer to use a short-term payment plan so as not to pay interest on a loan, another person may still be unable to make the higher monthly payment plan payments. In that case, this person might prefer to pay interest on a loan in order to have lower monthly payments. With multiple payment options available, you’ll be able to open up your program to a wider range of students in different economic situations.

Offer online or part-time programs

People’s schedules aren’t one-size-fits-all, so why make educational programs that way? By offering an array of formats for your learners, like online part-time courses, you’re opening your school up to someone who may live in another state, or whose schedule may not allow them to attend regular class hours. This past year has seen schools be incredibly innovative in providing education to those who couldn’t be there in-person — even hands-on fields like HVAC and welding adjusted to online learning!

Build your school brand

Of course, it’s difficult to attract learners without positive brand awareness. In making sure that not only are people able to find out about you, but that they’re able to get in-depth information about what your school is like and how it’ll benefit them, you’ll increase awareness and brand trust in potential students who are deciding which program to enroll in.

That’s why, here at Climb, we take time and care to help our partner schools with any marketing requests they have. From social media posts and flyers, to interactive quizzes and features on our blog, to everything in between. We believe in the education our partner schools provide, and we’re thrilled to have the opportunity to increase access to these programs.

Want to learn more about how to improve school growth with Climb?

*Statistics are based on self-reported survey results of climbcredit.com website visitors in September 2018. Synthesis of results based on 73/76 respondents.

**Based on a review of one month of applications from one of our partner schools.

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What to Expect: Realistic Outcomes

Climb’s Comprehensive Access Solution can offer a strategic balance of increased enrollments and upfront cashflows compared to traditional lenders. While no financing solution guarantees 100% collection, our data-driven approach maximizes both upfront cash and long-term repayment rates.

Typical Partner Results:

  • 15-30% of students qualify for Climb Loans with upfront tuition delivered to the school shortly after course start
  • 45-60% of students qualify for 0% APR* payment plans
  • Enrollment increases of 20%+ reported by partner schools**

**Results vary by school and student demographics. This represents performance reported by individual school partners and should not be considered a guarantee of your specific outcomes.

The bottom line: CAS is designed to maximize your net tuition recovery while eliminating the administrative headaches of student financing.

Maximizing Your Results

Pro Tip: Schools that require student deposits and set up automatic payments during enrollment see significantly better repayment performance across all financing options. These simple steps can meaningfully improve your outcomes.

FAQs

We use a comprehensive, AI-driven assessment that goes beyond traditional FICO scores to better serve career training students:

  • Climb Credit Score: Over 150 data points specifically designed for vocational students
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio: Reliable predictor of payment performance
  • FICO Score: Used primarily for interest rate assignment

Key advantages of our approach:

  • Soft credit pull until loan funding (no credit impact during application)
  • The majority of students receive instant decisions
  • Students can apply with co-borrowers directly in the application
  • More accurate placement into appropriate financing products

We use a comprehensive, AI-driven assessment that goes beyond traditional FICO scores to better serve career training students:

  • Climb Credit Score: Over 150 data points specifically designed for vocational students
  • Debt-to-Income Ratio: Reliable predictor of payment performance
  • FICO Score: Used primarily for interest rate assignment

Key advantages of our approach:

  • Soft credit pull until loan funding (no credit impact during application)
  • The majority of students receive instant decisions
  • Students can apply with co-borrowers directly in the application
  • More accurate placement into appropriate financing products

Students are placed into funding brackets (Elite, Standard, Enhanced) based on our AI assessment. Higher-credit students generate higher upfront payments to your school, while students with limited credit are seamlessly directed to our 0% Payment Plan.

These brackets are established using data from over $1 billion in career training loan originations and may be adjusted periodically based on updated repayment trends.

Important note: Regardless of which bracket a student falls into, they are considered fully paid by your school once funded. The student’s repayment obligation exists exclusively between Climb and the student.

Elite Access not available for Computer Science programs. Upfront percentages vary by industry and loan terms.

Once Climb disburses upfront funding for a student loan, that student is considered fully paid by your school. You will not receive any additional payments for that student—the single upfront payment is complete and final.

From that point forward, the student’s repayment obligation exists exclusively between Climb and the student. Your school has zero liability if the student defaults, and you keep the full upfront payment regardless of the student’s future payment performance.

They’re automatically offered our 0% Interest Payment Plan, ensuring no student is turned away while maintaining steady monthly cash flow for your school.

Higher-credit students generate larger upfront payments (75-100% of tuition), while students with limited credit use our 0% APR* Payment Plan for consistent monthly revenue. Both options are risk-free for your school

Absolutely. Climb complements existing payment options like scholarships, employer-sponsored programs, and internal financing.

Absolutely. Climb complements existing payment options like scholarships, employer-sponsored programs, and internal financing.

Typically, within 5-10 business days after your partnership agreement is signed.

Comprehensive onboarding webinar, continuous partner support via AI-assisted chat and live email—and real-time borrower assistance with our live-chat-available student success team.

No. Climb fully manages the administrative responsibilities—your team simply monitors your school’s performance via our intuitive School Portal.

Your school is fully protected either way. For Climb Loans, you keep the entire upfront payment with zero liability. For Payment Plans, you only receive what students actually pay, with no risk to your school.