United Way of Greater Kansas City is thrilled to launch a new partnership with Savi and Ascendium Education, aimed at helping thousands of metro residents dealing with the crushing burden of student loan debt.
“At United Way, we’re passionate about improving healthcare, enhancing educational opportunity, and empowering both financial stability and economic mobility for every person in our community,” said United Way chief impact officer Precious Stargell Cushman. “We know that student loan debt is an issue that is at a crossroads of all of these things. It can force our neighbors to defer their dreams, put life goals on hold, and the stress of repayment can trigger tremendous physical and mental health challenges that limit our entire region’s ability to prosper.”
Effective immediately, and through December 2024, residents of all six counties served by United Way of Greater Kansas City (In Missouri: Jackson, Platte, Clay, Cass and in Kansas: Wyandotte and Johnson) will have free access to Savi and the My Way to Repay platform by simply visiting: https://unitedwaykansascity.bysavi.com/. The average user saves $1800 per year in student loan payments.
Savi offers an impressive toolkit that helps student loan borrowers explore ways to refinance federal student loan debt, streamlines the application process for loan forgiveness programs, offers interactive educational webinars on the latest policy updates and how to use the online student loan repayment tool, and personalized loan counseling. Typically, access to Savi’s full platform costs consumers $90/year. Thanks to a partnership through United Way Worldwide, borrowers in Kansas City will have access to this platform FREE for the next 15 months. It comes at a critical time, as repayments for federal student loans have just resumed after a three-year pandemic pause.
“We know the return to repayment will not be without complications or difficulties for student loan borrowers. Savi is committed to ensuring every student loan borrower has the assistance they need to transition successfully back into repayment,” said Aaron Smith, cofounder of Savi. “By teaming up with Ascendium, the My Way to Repay campaign will provide additional support to those underrepresented borrowers to ensure they don’t slip through the cracks.”
More than 46 million Americans currently hold over $1.6 trillion in student loan debt, which averages to about $35,000 of debt per borrower. Borrowers are often put into difficult payment plans and may be unaware of their options to create more affordable repayment, which can quickly lead to default and put individuals in financial danger.
Upcoming virtual workshops to learn more will be held on November 8, and December 12. Anyone interested can register to attend at mywaytorepay.com.
About United Way of Greater Kansas City
At United Way of Greater Kansas City, our mission is to creatively deploy resources towards community betterment. We achieve this by working collaboratively with local partners on long-term solutions that remove barriers to social and economic mobility so that everyone, regardless of identity, income, or background – have the opportunity and access to a life of purpose, passion, and prosperity. Every year, 1 in 3 Kansas Citians find help through the United Way, and we continue to develop new and innovative ways to connect residents to the services, support and resources they need. More information on United Way of Greater Kansas City, or to donate directly, please visit UnitedWayGKC.com
About Savi
Savi is a social impact technology startup in Washington, D.C. founded by long-time student loan experts and advocates. We’re working to solve the pressing student debt crisis affecting 46 million borrowers by helping them discover new repayment and loan forgiveness options.
About Ascendium
Ascendium Education Group is committed to making education and training beyond high school a reality for more people. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we fund initiatives across the US that help learners from low-income backgrounds achieve upward mobility; provide student employee success solutions to colleges and businesses; invest in education-focused innovations to improve learner-outcomes and provide information, tools and counseling to help millions of borrows successfully repay their federal student loans. While we have many roles, we have one goal—elevating opportunity by creating a world where everyone can rise to their highest potential. To learn more, visit ascendiumeducation.org.