INvestEd

What INvestEd does

INvestEd is an Indiana-based nonprofit organization that provides free financial aid guidance, college planning resources, and counseling to Hoosier students, families, and school counselors, augmented by private student lending products. Founded around 1980 as Indiana Secondary Market for Education Loans, Inc., it operates under statutory authority of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and is the only state-based nonprofit student loan organization in Indiana. Its free service layer includes FAFSA filing assistance, financial literacy presentations delivered at 1,000+ annual events, school counselor support, the Award Advisor™ mobile application (iOS/Android), and the College Planning Toolbox.

Its revenue-generating layer consists of three loan products - a Student Loan (4.53%-10.13% APR), Parent Loan (4.53%-9.69% APR), and Refinance Loan (5.41%-10.72% APR) - originated and serviced through strategic partnerships: Bank of Lake Mills serves as the regulated lender, Campus Door as the loan processor, and American Education Services as the loan servicer. Loan portfolios are funded primarily through bond issuances, bank loans, or other securities secured by student loan revenues.

INvestEd serves Indiana residents and students attending Indiana colleges through three GTM motions: direct-to-consumer online applications, community-led engagement via in-person events at schools and community organizations, and a Bank Referral Program that allows partner financial institutions to earn commissions on funded loans. The organization operates a single headquarters in Indianapolis (301 Pennsylvania Parkway, Suite 360) with 11-50 employees and is led by President and CEO Joe Wood and VP of Marketing Bill Wozniak.

Name

INvestEd

Legal name

Indiana Secondary Market for Education Loans, Inc.

Website

https://investedindiana.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

INvestEd is an Indiana-based nonprofit that provides free financial aid guidance, FAFSA counseling, and college planning resources to Indiana students and families, complemented by private student, parent, and refinance loan products originated through Bank of Lake Mills and processed via Campus Door.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Lending

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Student Loans (Undergraduate & Graduate) (FSAKAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Parent & Family Education Loans (e.g., PLUS/private parent loans) (FSAKAEAC), Education Funding Planning (College/529) (FSAEAAAF), Student Loan Intermediation & Refinancing (FSAEAEAL)

Keywords

• Private student lending
• Financial aid guidance
• College planning services
• Education loan refinancing
• Nonprofit student loans

Headquarters

HQ city

Carmel

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Student Loan Interest: INvestEd originates and services private student loans for Indiana residents and students attending Indiana colleges. Revenue is generated through interest payments on these education loans with rates ranging from 4.53% to 10.13% APR depending on loan type and borrower qualification.
2. Parent Loan Interest: INvestEd offers parent loans for families to finance their student's education. Revenue generated through interest on these loans with rates from 4.53% to 9.69% APR.
3. Refinance Loan Interest: INvestEd helps borrowers refinance existing high-interest private and federal loans. Revenue generated through interest on refinanced loans with rates from 5.41% to 10.72% APR.
4. Bank Referral Program Commissions: INvestEd partners with banks through a referral program where banks earn commissions when their customers are approved for and receive INvestEd student loans.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

INvestEd originates private student loans, parent loans, and refinance loans for Indiana residents and students attending Indiana colleges, priced with fixed or variable rates (4.53%-10.72% APR depending on product and rate type) and no origination fees or prepayment penalties. Complementing its lending products, the nonprofit delivers free financial aid counseling, FAFSA filing assistance, college planning guidance, the Award Advisor™ mobile app, and the College Planning Toolbox to help families maximize grants and scholarships and minimize debt.

Product overview

INvestEd is Indiana's nonprofit resource for higher education planning and financing. The organization operates as a platform combining free educational services with loan products. Free services include FAFSA filing assistance, college planning guidance, financial literacy presentations, the Award Advisor™ mobile app, and the College Planning Toolbox. Loan products include the INvestEd Student Loan, Parent Loan, and Refinance Loan—these are offered through strategic partnerships with Bank of Lake Mills (lender), Campus Door (processor), and American Education Services (servicer). The organization also runs a $1,000 Scholarship Giveaway and offers a Bank Referral Program for partner institutions. All services are designed to help Hoosier families maximize free financial aid and minimize student loan debt.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Award Advisor™: A free mobile application tool to help families understand and compare financial aid offers, upload award letters, and calculate college costs.

Products and services

• INvestEd Student Loan Private student loan for Indiana residents and students attending Indiana colleges, offered with fixed rates from 4.53% to 8.62% APR and variable rates from 5.84% to 10.13% APR, with no origination fees and no prepayment penalties. Eligibility is based on borrower and typically cosigner credit, and loans are made by INvestEd or Bank of Lake Mills.
• INvestEd Parent Loan Private parent loan for Hoosier families to fund their student's education, with fixed rates from 4.53% to 8.41% APR and variable rates from 5.78% to 9.69% APR. Repayment is the parent's responsibility, with no origination fees and no prepayment penalties.
• INvestEd Refinance Loan Refinance loan that consolidates existing high-interest private or federal student loans into a new INvestEd loan, with fixed rates from 5.41% to 9.88% APR and variable rates from 6.59% to 10.72% APR. Minimum refinance amount is $5,000 and maximum is $250,000.
• Award Advisor™ Mobile App Free iOS and Android application that helps students and families understand and compare financial aid offers by adding up to four schools, uploading award letters, including resources such as 529 plans and scholarships, and producing side-by-side cost comparisons.
• College Planning Toolbox Interactive online tool that helps families track college planning information, project costs needed to cover college, calculate savings to reduce potential loan debt, and compare various savings options.
• $1,000 Scholarship Giveaway Sweepstakes offering Indiana residents the chance to win one of five $1,000 cash scholarships toward postsecondary education; no purchase is necessary to enter.
• FAFSA Filing Assistance Free expert guidance and resources that help students and families complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), delivered via online resources and on-site FAFSA filing events at Indiana schools.
• Financial Aid Literacy Presentations Free financial aid literacy presentations customized for audiences from elementary through high school, covering career and major selection, college selection, scholarships, grants, net price calculators, and FAFSA filing. Delivered at over 1,000 school and community events annually in Indiana.
• Bank Referral Program Partnership program that allows banks and credit unions to offer INvestEd student loan products to their customers. Referrer banks earn commissions when referred customers are approved for and receive INvestEd loans.
• Spanish-Language College Planning Resources College planning and financial aid resources available in Spanish, including school search questions, scholarship search help sheets, StudentAid.gov account creation guidance, FAFSA essentials, and college cost comparison worksheets.

Quantifiable outcome

• 0.50% interest rate reduction available for automatic payment enrollment on all loan products
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Campus DoorcoreTechnology or IntegrationCampus Door serves as the loan processor for INvestEd's student loan, parent loan, and refinance products. The company handles the application processing and loan origination workflow for INvestEd lending products.
• American Education ServicescoreOthersAmerican Education Services (AES) serves as the loan servicer for INvestEd lending products, handling ongoing payment processing, customer service during repayment, and related servicing functions for student loans, parent loans, and refinance loans.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA): Rhode Island's state-based nonprofit student loan provider offering student loans, parent loans, and refinance products with a comparable community outreach and education focus.
• MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority): State-based nonprofit student loan organization serving Massachusetts families with similar dual mission of financial aid guidance and private student lending. Directly comparable business model to INvestEd.
• Earnest: Student loan refinancing specialist with strong digital underwriting capabilities. Direct competitor in INvestEd's refinance segment, particularly for creditworthy Indiana graduates.
• SoFi: National fintech lender offering student loan refinancing and private student loans with aggressive digital-first pricing. Direct competitor in the refinance segment and broader private student loan market.
• VSAC (Vermont Student Assistance Corporation): Vermont's nonprofit state agency providing education planning, financial aid guidance, and student lending services. Structurally analogous to INvestEd as a state-affiliated nonprofit education finance provider.
• New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC): New York's state student loan and financial aid agency offering similar services including private student loans, refinancing, and free financial aid counseling. Comparable regulatory and operational structure.
• College Ave Student Loans: National private student loan lender offering undergraduate, graduate, parent, and refinance loans. Competes directly with INvestEd's lending products.
• CommonBond: National student lender offering undergraduate, graduate, and refinance loans with a mission-driven positioning similar to INvestEd's nonprofit ethos.

Broad incumbents

• Citizens Bank Student Lending: Major regional bank offering student loans, parent loans, and refinancing to students across the U.S., including Indiana. Represents the type of larger bank INvestEd competes against.
• Discover Student Loans: Large established financial services brand offering private student loans, parent loans, and refinancing. Competes broadly with INvestEd on undergraduate and graduate lending products.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/investedindiana
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWcKNHvr0Szg_nFRog7TyMw
• Facebookfacebook.com/INvestEdIndiana
• Instagraminstagram.com/INvestEdIndiana
• Pinterestpinterest.com/INvestEdIndiana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about INvestEd