Collaboration provides credit unions with the ability to reap the benefits of student loans without becoming a student lender.
New York, NY June 16, 2023 – Sparrow, an award-winning financial technology startup redefining how credit unions attract and engage the next generation, is thrilled to unveil a strategic partnership with GoWest Credit Union Association, a prominent six-state organization dedicated to serving over 300 credit unions and 16.5 million members. Recognizing the need for a solution that bridges the generational divide between credit unions and Gen Z, GoWest has turned to Sparrow’s cutting-edge platform, which offers a revolutionary approach to new member engagement.
The partnership with Sparrow represents a transformative opportunity for credit unions seeking to engage with Gen Z effectively. Our industry continues to seek connection with younger members, and Sparrow has a fresh new approach to reaching them. Their innovative model enables credit unions to launch within minutes, eliminating the need for continuous IT maintenance and mitigating any balance sheet risks. Sparrow’s solution empowers credit unions to thrive in the evolving financial landscape.
Cameron Smith, Chief Growth Officer of GoWest
Winning Gen Z Early & Often
Despite a 200% rise in private student loan volume across the last five years, only about 5% of credit unions offer student loans. However, of the borrowers who used their credit union for a student loan, 65% opened a checking account, 55% obtained a credit card, and 44% opened a savings account. Through the Sparrow platform, credit unions can achieve the same cross-selling efficacy without becoming student lenders themselves.
“We’ve removed the barrier for credit unions to swim ten years upstream of the competition and win Gen Z before they’re banked,” explained Harrison Hochman, CEO at Sparrow. “It’s a magical moment when a young adult realizes they have found a trusted financial institution in a credit union. We’re excited to join forces with GoWest to bring this magic moment to credit unions up and down the West Coast.”
How Sparrow works
Using Sparrow, credit unions launch white-labeled student loan marketplaces within minutes of signing up. Each marketplace comes with integration into 20+ non-competitive student lenders. Credit unions can activate / deactivate whichever student lenders they’d like to offer on their marketplace. The marketplace generates non-interest income on disbursed loans and provides first-party data and marketing automations to drive new membership growth.
There are key moments in the life of a consumer where credit unions have the opportunity to build resilient member relationships. Sparrow’s cracked the student lending code and I am excited to support their mission. They’ve introduced ‘memberization’ into the student loan process where credit unions can quickly offer a robust student lending program without impacting current operations, projects, or having to offer the student loan off their books.
Gene Pelham, Former CEO of Rogue Credit Union
Credit unions who have switched from traditional affiliate relationships to launching a marketplace on Sparrow have experienced:
- 144% higher payout per funded loan
- 4.5x higher funding rates per hundred requests
- Access to 260+ unique data points per non-member
Sparrow, founded in 2020 by Harrison Hochman, Griffin Morris, and Daniel Kahn, has emerged as one of the fastest-growing educational financing platforms in the United States, facilitating the search for over $400 million in private student loans.
About Sparrow
Sparrow, one of the nation’s fastest growing student financing platforms, offers solutions to borrowers and businesses. Borrowers use Sparrow to compare personalized student loans through a single form. Sparrow introduces simplicity, choice, and transparency to an otherwise inefficient and opaque lending process. Businesses use Sparrow to offer their customers a white-labeled student loan marketplace. Founded by students for students, Sparrow’s mission is to make education accessible and affordable for all. Learn more at www.sparrowfi.com and follow us on LinkedIn.
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