Scholars Network

What Scholars Network does

Scholars Network is a U.S.-based healthcare workforce development platform that operates a three-sided managed service connecting healthcare employers, nursing and allied health schools, and students through employer-backed loan repayment and tuition reimbursement. The platform is offered as a workforce pipeline solution to hospitals and health systems, enabling them to recruit and retain clinical staff (RN, SLP, OT, PT, CRNA, pharmacist, RT, rad tech, CT tech, NP, PA) while reducing agency dependency and turnover costs. Employers commit to loan repayment (up to $105,000 in disclosed programs, e.g., Penn Highlands $65,000, Women & Infants $45,000 over three years, Temple Health $105,000), and Scholars Network handles IRS Section 127 compliance verification, HRIS integration via CSV/file feed/API, eligibility checking, and direct payment routing to loan servicers or employee bank accounts.

The company's three core products are Workforce Pipeline, Student Loan Repayment, and Tuition Reimbursement, delivered through a cloud-based compliance and benefits administration platform with purpose-built application, operations, and reporting modules. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise sales to healthcare employers with channel partnerships through partner schools (60+ including Johns Hopkins, Rutgers, Penn State, Duquesne, Tulane, Arizona College of Nursing) that promote the program as a free enrollment differentiator. Revenue is generated via managed services and subscription pricing tied to the IRS Section 127 tax-advantaged annual limit of $5,250 per employee and multi-year loan repayment commitments, with Scholars Network retaining an administrative fee on disbursed flows.

Scholars Network operates as a subsidiary of Noodle Partners following Noodle's April 2026 acquisition of education benefits technology vendor Unsaddl, whose founders joined the Scholars Network team. The company is headquartered in New York, employs 251-500 people, and has launched employer programs across Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Ohio, Virginia, and Connecticut, with cumulative disclosed loan repayment secured exceeding $100 million and reported outcomes of >90% applicant-employer fit, >95% offer acceptance, and <5% pre-employment drop-off.

Name

Scholars Network

Legal name

Scholars Network

Website

https://scholars-network.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Scholars Network is a U.S. healthcare workforce development platform that connects hospitals and health systems with nursing and allied health students through employer-backed loan repayment, tuition reimbursement, and managed workforce pipeline programs, operating as a subsidiary of Noodle Partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Workforce Pipeline Services: Scholars Network builds employer-sponsored workforce pipelines connecting healthcare employers with nursing and allied health students. Employers pay for loan repayment commitments as Scholars complete education and join the workforce. Revenue is tied to successful placement and ongoing loan repayment disbursements.
2. Student Loan Repayment Administration: Platform fees for managing employer student loan repayment programs including loan verification, IRS compliance, plan design, payment processing, and ongoing administration.
3. Tuition Reimbursement Administration: Administration fees for managing employer tuition reimbursement programs including course management, compliance verification, approval workflows, and payment routing.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Scholars Network operates a cloud-based workforce development platform that connects healthcare employers with nursing and allied health students through employer-backed student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement programs. The company manages the full lifecycle — from school partnerships and student recruitment through loan verification, IRS Section 127 compliance, HRIS integration, and direct payment routing to loan servicers or employee bank accounts — in exchange for enterprise fees from healthcare employers.

Product overview

Scholars Network is a workforce development platform offering three integrated core services: Workforce Pipeline, Student Loan Repayment, and Tuition Reimbursement. The platform helps healthcare employers build steady clinical talent pipelines by connecting employers with educational institutions and offering employer-backed loan repayment and educational benefits. Students receive payments applied directly against their loans as they launch their clinical career, while employers benefit from reduced turnover and agency dependence through early talent engagement and work commitment agreements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Workforce Pipeline Connects employers with partner schools to build clinical talent pipelines through employer-backed loan repayment, shifting talent engagement earlier and tying financial support to work commitments before graduation. Includes applications, operations, and reporting platforms with real-time visibility into the Scholar pipeline.
• Student Loan Repayment Enables employers to offer student loan repayment as an employee benefit. Scholars Network verifies employee loans, confirms IRS Section 127 compliance, manages plan design, and routes payments directly to loan servicers. Supports HRIS integration via CSV, file feed, or API.
• Tuition Reimbursement Allows employers to reimburse employees for approved coursework and educational courses. Scholars Network verifies IRS Section 127 plan compliance, processes course approvals, and routes payments directly to employee bank accounts upon course completion.

Quantifiable outcome

• >$100M in loan repayment secured for healthcare workers
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Penn Highlands HealthcareflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Penn Highlands Healthcare launched the Scholars Network Program offering up to $65,000 in loan repayment to nursing and allied health students who commit to working at the health system after graduation. Program aims to address workforce shortages in rural Pennsylvania.
• Arizona College of NursingflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 April 2026Partnership addresses national nursing workforce shortage by connecting graduates to healthcare employers offering guaranteed employment and employer-sponsored student loan repayment. Initially supports students at campuses in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Falls Church, and Hartford.
• Noodle Partners (Parent Company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 April 2026Noodle Partners acquired Unsaddl and integrated it into the Scholars Network to expand healthcare workforce development capabilities. The acquisition strengthened the platform's ability to improve student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement processes for healthcare workers. Unsaddl's founders joined the Scholars Network team.
• Women & Infants HospitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 February 2026Women & Infants Hospital launched employment and loan repayment program for nursing students in Providence. Program provides $45,000 in loan repayment spread over three years for students committing to work at the hospital after graduation.
• Temple HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTemple Health is a key employer partner offering up to $105,000 in loan repayment for nursing positions. Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro visited Temple Women & Families and called Temple Health a model for investing in recruiting and retaining nurses.
• Penn MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPenn Medicine is a leading healthcare employer partner in the Scholars Network, using the workforce pipeline to recruit nursing and clinical staff.
• Duquesne UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDuquesne University is a partner school in the Scholars Network. Dean Dr. Mary Ellen Smith Glasgow has publicly endorsed the program as addressing the nursing crisis from both ends by helping students afford nursing school while ensuring employers have skilled professionals.
• Johns Hopkins UniversitycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJohns Hopkins University is a partner school in the Scholars Network, one of the major research universities leveraging the loan repayment program for nursing students.
• The Guthrie CliniccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Guthrie Clinic is an employer partner with Chief Nurse Executive Deb Raupers speaking publicly about the program's real-world impact on clinical staffing and nursing excellence.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SoFi: Consumer finance platform offering student loan refinancing and employer benefits. Operates a student loan benefit product targeting similar HR buyers at a much larger scale.
• Aya Healthcare: Large healthcare staffing and workforce solutions company serving hospitals nationwide. Offers broader staffing services but increasingly competes for the same retention and pipeline budgets.

Direct peers

• Tuition.io: Employer student loan repayment and tuition reimbursement administration platform. Directly competes in the same Section 127-compliant benefits administration category with similar HRIS integrations and employer buyer.
• Nomad Health: Online staffing marketplace for nursing and allied health travel roles. Competes for healthcare employer recruitment spend that could otherwise fund workforce pipeline programs.
• Vivian Health: Healthcare job marketplace and staffing platform. Targets the same healthcare employer buyers for clinical hiring and competes for the recruitment budget that funds loan repayment programs.
• Incredible Health: Healthcare-focused job matching platform for nurses and allied health professionals. Competes for healthcare employer recruitment dollars with a marketplace model rather than a loan repayment model.
• Goodly: Employer-sponsored student loan repayment benefit platform serving SMB and mid-market employers. Competes head-to-head for HR and benefits buyers looking to add loan repayment as a recruiting and retention tool.
• Trusted Health: Healthcare workforce platform with travel nursing and benefits offerings. Competes for nurse recruitment and retention budgets at hospitals and health systems.
• Edly: Income share agreement and student loan benefit platform for employers and education providers. Overlaps with Scholars Network in employer-sponsored repayment and education-linked workforce programs.

Emerging players

• Brightside Health: Emerging employee financial wellness platform that includes student loan support. Competes in adjacent benefits categories rather than direct healthcare workforce development.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/thescholarsnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Scholars Network