EducationDynamics Acquires Education Connection Services

HOBOKEN, N.J. and BOCA RATON, Fla., April 12 /PRNewswire/ -- EducationDynamics (http://www.educationdynamics.com), higher education's leading marketing services company, today announced the acquisition of Education Connection, a valuable resource that helps prospective students find colleges that are ideally suited for their academic and career interests. EducationDynamics acquired Education Connection from Kaplan, a subsidiary of The Washington Post Company.  The deal was financed by upsizing EducationDynamics' bank facility led by BMO. Terms were not disclosed.

"EducationDynamics and Education Connection share a similar passion around bringing to market new solutions that maximize institutional and student success," explains Steve Isaac, CEO of EducationDynamics. "This acquisition further enhances our online lead generation offerings to provide higher education institutions highly-qualified prospective students with an increased propensity to enroll and complete the programs they start."

As part of EducationDynamics, Education Connection will continue its track record of delivering solutions to help post-secondary institutions better optimize their student prospecting budgets.  With the support and infrastructure of the largest provider of student prospecting services, Education Connection will expand its offering of highly engaging web and marketing programs, including TestDriveCollege.com, an innovative education portal that allows students to learn from experience whether online learning is right for them.

Education Connection was founded by Kaplan in 2006 with the leadership of Richard Capezzali, who has more than 20 years of higher education marketing experience helping advance the enrollment goals of online colleges and universities nationwide. His experience also includes being the founder and CEO of the National Institute for Paralegal Arts and Sciences, which became part of Kaplan University.

Education Connection provides prospective online learners access to experienced advisors to help them select the schools best suited to their career goals, plus financial resources to help offset tuition costs. The website, http://www.educationconnection.com, has become a trusted resource for hundreds of thousands of prospective students annually seeking online education as demonstrated by significant increases in web traffic year over year. In fact in 2009, Education Connection experienced a 76 percent spike in website traffic compared to the previous year.  

"Interest in online degree programs is higher than ever, and it has become increasingly important to help prospective online learners make informed decisions about their education to increase their chances for success.  That is our mission," says Capezzali, president of Education Connection. "Joining EducationDynamics, with its highly regarded web portals such as eLearners.com, is a natural fit in the pursuit of that mission as the company has an impeccable reputation among students and schools alike.  Their commitment to and a deep understanding of both students' and institutions' needs is unsurpassed, and their results for both is unmatched in the industry."

The acquisition of Education Connection marks an expanded student prospecting portfolio held by EducationDynamics, which also includes several high-visibility websites such as eLearners.com, EarnMyDegree.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, and more than 50 special interest microsites. The company also offers a full suite of web-based solutions for higher education institutions proven to drive enrollment growth and increase student retention. To learn more, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com.

About EducationDynamics

EducationDynamics is higher education's leading marketing information and technology services company dedicated to helping institutions find, enroll and retain students. Its content-rich and highly visible education websites, including EarnMyDegree.com, eLearners.com, GradSchools.com, StudyAbroad.com, and its more than 50 special interest microsites, make EducationDynamics the premier provider of qualified prospective students for colleges and universities. In addition, the company offers a full suite of Web-delivered services proven to drive enrollment growth and reduce student attrition. Through its Market Research and Advisory Services division, the company brings a decade of proprietary research, unparalleled market and student intelligence, and best practice insights to its clients. EducationDynamics is a portfolio company of Halyard Capital.  For more information, visit http://www.educationdynamics.com

SOURCE EducationDynamics