Partner With Us

The Institute of Student Loan Advisors™ (TISLA™) offers multiple partnership opportunities to schools, employers and associations who have constituencies concerned about their student debt.

According to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, 1 in 5 employees has taken time from work to deal with financial issues and 61 percent of human resources representatives’ state that personal finance issues negatively affect employee productivity. This isn’t just an issue for entry-level employees. Half of all student loan borrowers are over the age of 30 and a quarter are over 45.

From a college perspective, while there are multiple counseling opportunities offered to students about their loans, it’s no secret that the effectiveness of the timing of these counseling sessions is not ideal. In fact, according to a recent study, up to 40 percent of students don’t even recall receiving such counseling. Successful student loan management is about providing the right information, at the right time. Because the “right time” is different for every student loan borrower, they need access to expert resources on a frequent basis, and from a trusted, nuetral source.

Employers, colleges and associations can greatly help borrowers manage their student debt by providing access to these resources. Doing so can increase employee retention and job satisfaction, improve alumni relations and add significant value to association membership.

TISLA offers several customizable and a la carte services and packages to help you provide these resources to your constituency in an affordable way. Our goal is to provide you with on-going content, tools and counseling, so that your employees/members have access to the information they need, when they need it. That’s why a comprehensive Annual Plan can make the most sense.

Services include:

• PSLF PEACE OF MIND™ – Eligible employers can use the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program as a strong employee retention and retainment tool, provided employees are able to successfully navigate it.  The current approval rate for PSLF is only 1%, causing many borrowers anxiety and uncertainty about the program.  All 501(c)(3) non-profit and government employers (federal, state, local and tribal) as well as some other non-profits are considered eligible employers under PSLF, and should be working with their employees to ensure they can take advantage of this valuable benefit.  As a nationally recognized expert in PSLF,  TISLA can provide peace of mind and confidence to employees that they are satisfying all the programs requirements.  The program includes:
  • On site PSLF training and counseling for employees
  • Content to ensure employees stay on track
  • Annual email campaigns to remind staff of their recertification requirements
  • Interactive training module that can be integrated into new employee orientation
  • Training for HR staff on their role in employment certification
  • Dedicated counseling via email and phone
  • Special counseling geared towards older borrowers and those with Parent Plus loans
  • Add on tools to ensure that those for whom PSLF isn’t the best strategy can understand the best way to repay their loans
• MONTHLY ARTICLE/BLOG– to provide education. These can be sent as an email and/or posted to your website. They will include a reminder that TISLA can provide free expert, unbiased student loan advice and dispute resolution via email. Examples of popular topics include;
  • Pros & Cons of Consolidation
  • Understanding How Payments are Applied
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness
• LIVE WEBINARS– flexible calendar dates with timely topics. Allows participants to ask questions.
  • We will record the session and make it available to you for future viewings by either:
    • Posting it for you on a You Tube Channel specific to your organization
    • Posting it on your own internal website
• INTERACTIVE TRAINING MODULES – whether it’s 1 or a series of 12, our interactive training modules ensure that your constituency always has access to the information they need, when they need it. Topics include:
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness
  • Understanding financial aid
  • Choosing a repayment option
  • Getting out of default
  • Loan consolidation
  • A 12 part series that covers how to apply for financial aid to getting out of default and everything in between
• DEDICATED PHONE AND EMAIL COUNSELING – if your audience needs dedicated, expert counseling beyond the free email counseling we offer to all consumers, TISLA can build dedicated communication pathways.  As we are fiercely referral free, you can be assured that our counseling is always unbiased and not littered with the marketing of refinancing products.
• IN-PERSON TRAINING AND COUNSELING – We come to your site and provide in person training and counseling with your staff.  Over 80% of borrowers state they will be taking some sort of positive action on their loans after working with us.

Providing these resources to your employees, members or students is a valuable service that will add value to your current benefit offerings.   Your partnership with TISLA also helps support our mission as a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization who provides unbiased ad-free assistance to student loan consumers. TISLA is funded through grants, donations and our fee for service products we offer to employers, schools and associations with constituencies concerned with student debt.   Such donations and partnerships will be listed on this page to ensure continued transparency.

Pricing is determined based on number of employees/members and can be customized to suit your needs. For more information on partnering with TISLA, please contact Betsy Mayotte at betsy “at” freestudentloanadvice.org.