EDPlus Holdings Introduces +U™, A Personalized Online Matching Service For Students To Find Their Best Fit College, Funding And Career Path

PORTLAND, Ore., Jan. 23, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Four out of ten recent college graduates would have selected a different college if they had understood the total cost involved, according to new research from EDPlus Holdings, LLC (EDPlus Holdings). This realization is a key reason for the low number of college graduates who say they were satisfied with the online research tools they used in their search, EDPlus Holdings says.  To ensure that students are able to quickly and easily find the right school for them, EDPlus Holdings, creator of ScholarshipExperts.com, CampusDiscovery.com and EStudentLoans.com, today launches the most personalized and accurate online college matching platform, +U™.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140123/NY50879LOGO)

This first-of-its-kind "College Information Marketplace," available for free at Plus-U.com, combines students' individualized information–such as personality, financial needs and future goals–with exclusive insights derived from proprietary technology to more accurately match them to a tailored list of higher education institutions. Also, after building a profile on the platform, +U™ members can be matched to a targeted list of jobs based on their profile, skills and preferences.

"Students are inundated with information that does very little to help them make an informed decision about selecting a school that will help them succeed in not only college, but also in life," said Glenn Goad, EDPlus Holdings CEO.  "Every student is unique, and matching him or her with their best fit schools is just the beginning of why we developed this new tool. We designed +U™ to improve students' likelihood of program completion, overall satisfaction rates, school loan payback, and job matching after graduation. Through a customized process, +U™ takes the mystery out of difficult decisions for students and, ultimately, maximizes their 'Return on Education™'."

How +U™ Works

From selecting a school and funding their education, to maintaining financial discipline while they build their career, +U™ provides students with a complete College Information Marketplace that offers:

• Breakthrough Student-to-School Matching: Students log on to Plus-U.com to complete a comprehensive questionnaire on their personal school and program preferences, learning style, academic information, and other related matching data. This information is indexed with a combination of compensation, labor market and school performance data, and then fed into a sophisticated predictive modeling engine to deliver the first-ever personalized Return On Education™ calculation (MyROE™), which drives a tailored set of recommended schools for each student culled from a comprehensive database of over 7,400 colleges and universities in the United States.
• The Most Comprehensive Scholarships and Student Loan Database and Comparison Engine: By leveraging the content from its ScholarshipExperts and EStudent Loan sites, the +U™ portal is able to match each student with all available school funding sources that best fit their needs.
• Innovative Online Resources and Tools: To drive continued student success during and after college, +U™ and its affiliate network will offer a "Rewards and Loyalty" program that helps students pay back their student loans more rapidly through everyday purchases and special partner offers. Students can also earn rewards by completing modules in areas like Financial Literacy and Career Planning.
• Matching to Summer Jobs, Internships and Careers: EDPlus Holdings research found that 42 percent of college graduates are either not working at all or are not working in the field they studied in college. By building their unique profile, +U™ members can be matched to targeted jobs that specifically align with their skills and preferences.

$200,000 National College Scholarship Giveaways

To help students achieve their higher education goals, +U™ will be giving away $200,000 in college scholarships throughout 2014. The first national giveaway, open now through March 31, 2014, will award five $10,000 cash scholarships to be used toward school tuition. Students age 15 and older who are high school students or are currently admitted or enrolled in a U.S. institution of higher education are eligible to enter at Plus-U.com. Entrants are asked to submit a 200-word essay describing their ideal college experience and how it will help their future. Five winners will be selected based on the originality and creativity of their submission.

Adds Brad McMahon, EDPlus Holdings SVP of Product and Business Development: "Students are at the center of everything that we do. Their success is at the core of our mission and the development of the first-ever +U™ College Information Marketplace, which delivers breakthrough value to the market by improving students' graduation outcomes, funding options and loan payback, in addition to setting the stage for individual success post-graduation. Our commitment to improving Return On Education™ will drive us to continue developing innovative digital products, services, and financial solutions that benefit all stakeholders in the market."

ABOUT EDPlus Holdings, LLC
EDPlus Holdings, LLC, provides the most personalized and accurate platform for matching students with schools, financing, rewards and jobs. Our Network of targeted web properties delivers 4 million unique consumer interactions each year, while our Private Student Loan business includes over 100,000 loans originated and serviced, reflecting $275 million in our current portfolio. EDPlus Holdings uses its unique insights and proprietary technologies to provide complete and transparent information that helps you choose the right school for your needs and your future goals. From picking a school, to funding your education, to maintaining financial discipline while you build your career, EDPlus Holdings is your trusted and reliable partner. EDPlus Holdings, LLC is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of Aequitas Capital Management, Inc. ("Aequitas Capital"). Founded in 1993, Aequitas Capital is an alternative asset management company dedicated to innovation, discipline and excellence. With proven expertise in finance, management and technology – Aequitas sources, structures and implements Private Credit and Private Equity solutions, benefiting the individuals and institutions that trust Aequitas as a valuable investment partner. A team of more than 130 employees with cross-functional experience supports the firm, which is headquartered in Portland, with offices in Jacksonville, San Diego and New York.

EDPlus College Graduate Survey – Methodology
The national online study was conducted by ORC International from January 7-13, 2014 among a sample of 1,001 respondents, ages 20-28 in the United States who have graduated from college. The sample for the study came from an online panel. Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have volunteered to participate in online surveys and polls.  

SOURCE EDPlus Holdings, LLC