Finance

Refinancing Student Loans: A Startup’s Guide

By Christy Bella | June 6, 2024

Most fresh graduates can’t have a good headstart in their adult lives because they’re still tied to their student loans. The US federal loan balance has grown by almost 300% within 15 years. In September 2023, the total student loan debt in the US was around $1.74 trillion.

The vast majority of that — about $1.6 trillion — was from federal student loans. Private student loans made up the remaining portion at around $135 billion.

On the other hand, a study released by Harvard revealed that during economic downturns, startups encounter difficulties attracting talent because job seekers tend to gravitate toward more significant, more established companies.

What’s clear about these facts is that startups can leverage the availability of fresh graduates to boost their workforce. In return, they should offer a benefit package to address the latter’s pain points.

The State of Startups’ Manpower

Startups are the driving force behind many new ideas and technologies these days. They’re always coming up with innovative solutions to push industries forward. Unfortunately, it’s a common assumption that startups can have a more challenging time when the economy hits a bump in the road.

Since they’re smaller, they only have a little financial cushion to fall back on if times get rough. It’s a lot riskier being a new business versus one that’s been around for years. So when recessions or downturns happen, startups, unfortunately, tend to feel the pinch more seriously.

Despite all these surmises, the pandemic defied expectations as venture capital investments surged in 2020 and 2021. Its straightforward funding is one of many hurdles for startups during downturns. Who anticipated such an influx amidst the crisis?

Necessary Policy Shift

Traditionally, policies prioritize funding for startups, neglecting the crucial issue of talent acquisition. With a skilled team, startups can thrive against established corporations. As economic fluctuations persist, governments and entrepreneurs must recognize the significance of talent acquisition.

Success hinges not only on finances but also on securing and retaining capable individuals across various roles. Addressing this challenge significantly bolsters the resilience and growth of small businesses amid adversity.

What makes startups different from industry juggernauts? It’s their willingness to take significant risks to create something new.

Refinancing Student Loans: A Lucrative Startup Benefit Package

Student loan debts pose a significant burden for many individuals — millions are struggling under a mountain of loans. By helping employees repay their student debt, companies have a real advantage in attracting top talent, especially younger workers worried about loans.

It also separates startups from the pack when hiring. Most studies show people, especially millennials, are way more likely to stick around if their employer lends a hand with loans.

Who would want to work for something other than a company invested in their financial well-being? Only a few companies do this, so startups can stand out as employers people want to work for.

Refinancing student loans can boost employees’ overall financial health by taking some stress off their backs. When companies provide resources like repayment strategies, loan coaches, and contributions, it lifts a massive weight off people’s shoulders. That leads to happier, more engaged employees. They’ll feel the company cares about their well-being, inside and outside of work.

Ultimately, offering student loan help is a smart way for startups to recruit and keep top talent. It demonstrates a real commitment to financial wellness that resonates with today’s workforce.

Tips on How Startups Can Implement Student Loan Repayment

Until 2025, employers can provide up to $5,250 in tax-free student loan repayment benefits, courtesy of the Consolidated Appropriations Act enacted in 2020.

This legislation, part of pandemic relief efforts, has spurred a rise in employers offering such assistance. In 2021, only 17% of companies provided loan repayment support. By October 2023, this figure had doubled to 34% of employers offering student loan benefits.

Implementing a student loan repayment benefit program can attract top talent to your company. The simplest method is partnering with a financial organization for program management. Alternatively, if you prefer a DIY approach, consider these tips:

Decide How Much You’ll Contribute

Decide on the monthly contributions you plan to make, typically ranging from $50 to $100. Despite seeming modest, this can lead to significant interest savings for employees, amounting to thousands of dollars.

Know Who is Eligible

Determine the eligible recipients of the benefit, noting that the nondiscrimination regulations that govern other benefit programs like health insurance and 401(k) plans do not extend to student loan repayment initiatives.

Set Rules

When finalizing the benefit plan, explore additional customization options to align the plan with your unique requirements. For instance, you can design a strategy to promote retention by structuring contributions based on employee tenure or implementing eligibility criteria to target particular employee segments.

Tenure-based plan tiers are a popular customization option, allowing contributions to increase with employee tenure. By exploring these customization options, you can create a sustainable and cost-effective benefit plan that aligns with your organization’s goals and priorities.

Finalize your Plan

Once you have established the plan rules and contribution amounts, the next step is to create a formal written educational assistance benefit plan to start offering a student loan assistance benefit. This is crucial to ensure tax-compliant and tax-free contributions to your employees’ student loans.

Provide a user-friendly platform to streamline the administration of your student loan repayment benefit. Choose a platform that handles everything from loan verification to eligibility checks to contribution payments, saving you and your benefits team valuable time and effort.

Launch It

Introduce your new employer’s student loan repayment benefit on the scheduled day. While some companies opt to unveil new benefits during open enrollment, you can start before this period.

Launching your employer student loan repayment benefit off-cycle allows you to promptly improve your employees’ financial, emotional, and mental well-being.

Startups and Fresh Grads: A Win-Win Partnership

Both parties are perfect for each other because they remedy their pain points. While fresh graduates provide the skills and staffing a startup needs to operate, the latter can offer the benefit package that this workforce needs to kickstart their adult lives positively.