ClarifiED

A recommendation engine that helps students find private loans when federal aid isn’t enough.

The Preferred Lender List Trap

Every financial aid office deals with students who have maxed out their federal eligibility and need private loans. The options today are bad. You either maintain a preferred lender list — which puts you in HEOA crosshairs and invites questions about how you picked those lenders — or you tell students to figure it out on their own. Neither serves the student.

A Recommendation Engine, Not a Marketplace

ClarifiED is a recommendation engine and comparison tool that schools give directly to students who are short on funds. Each school gets a unique URL and can issue personalized links that pre-fill the student’s borrowing details. Lenders are ranked using our “No-Influence” ratings — scored on three criteria: Access, Affordability, and Flexibility — using a published methodology free of lender influence. Students see lenders ranked based on their stated needs, not based on who paid the most.

How It Works for the School

• Students who exhaust federal eligibility get directed to ClarifiED
• Each school gets a unique URL and can issue personalized links
• The tool presents private loan options ranked on objective criteria
• Your office never touches lender selection
• Free to adopt. No IT integration required. PLL-compliant by design.

How It Works for Students

• Personalized recommendations based on borrower-selected criteria
• Objective ranking — not the school’s preferred list, not the lender’s marketing
• Clear breakdown of rates, terms, and borrower protections

No Commissions. No Bounties.

Unlike commission-based platforms, ClarifiED doesn’t earn a referral fee when a student borrows. Lenders pay a flat annual access fee — not a per-click or per-loan bounty. Desata earns the same whether a student borrows or doesn’t. That keeps us focused on one thing: helping the student make the right decision.

What It Costs

Free to schools. Lenders pay a flat annual access fee.