SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Woz U, Steve Wozniak’s EdTech company that transforms how individuals are educated with personalized, tech-based career training, announced today the expansion of its financial aid options available to students through its new partnership with Meritize. The agreement with Meritize, an education lender that uses an individual’s academic, military and work achievements to enhance credit evaluation and expand funding for career-based education, emphasizes Woz U’s objective to educate students to join the technology workforce quickly and more affordably.
Woz U now affords an additional lending alternative for individuals pursuing a technology profession through Meritize, which partners with schools and training programs delivering highly specialized, skills-based education that leads to sustainable careers. The Meritize proprietary merit-based funding platform looks beyond traditional credit scores and incorporates individual academic and experiential data into the credit analysis which can improve loan terms and increase borrowing opportunities for students.
“Meritize is to finance as Woz U is to education – we are both disruptors in our space, combining to find new and inventive ways to provide students the support they need to succeed,” says Chris Coleman, president of Woz U. “Offering students innovative financing solutions aligns perfectly with our vision of making higher education affordable to those who seek it.”
Rather than adding to the overburdened student debt crisis, Meritize focuses its lending activity in skills-based education programs, such as Woz U, which offer strong employment outcomes, and which typically are less expensive than traditional four-year colleges. Jobs in the technology and healthcare sectors, in particular, are in high demand and require specialized training that can frequently be obtained in two years or less. This reduces a student’s education debt and increases the return on investment with a direct path to employment.
“We’re delighted to partner with Woz U to provide funding options that give their students financial credit for their academic, military and work merit,” said Meritize CEO Chris Keaveney. “Woz U is committed to excellence in delivering education that provides a high return on investment for its students by meeting the needs of employers – here and now – and that’s exactly the kind of educational partner we look to support.”
Woz U currently offers Software Developer, Data Science and Cyber Security programs.
For more information about Woz U, visit www.woz-u.com.
About Woz U
Steve Wozniak’s Woz U transforms how individuals are educated with personalized, tech-based career training. Woz U’s modernized approach to career education empowers students to achieve the professional development skills needed to enter high-demand positions in the technology industry. Bringing innovation to education, Woz U’s Education as a Service (EaaS) model designs customized technology courses for students to quickly become workforce ready and graduate with less debt. Woz U graduates receive access to Woz for Life, a lifetime resource to remain current on the latest course offerings to advance their technology education along their career pathway. Woz U partners with businesses, colleges, universities, and K-12 schools to enrich technology-based education initiatives. Learn more at www.woz-u.com.
About Meritize
Meritize is an education lender that uses an individual’s academic, military and work achievements to enhance credit evaluation and expand funding for skills-based career development. The company’s proprietary merit-based lending program goes beyond traditional underwriting to leverage individual academic and experiential data, resulting in increased access to educational funding and improved outcomes. The Meritize SkillsBuilding™️ platform promotes skills-based education designed for current employer needs and supports employer training and talent development to close the skills gap and improve productivity. Frisco, TX-based Meritize is privately held. For more information visit www.meritize.com.