Ascendium wins E&I contract to expand access to Attigo student success tools

Ascendium Education Solutions has secured a competitively solicited contract with E&I Cooperative Services, giving colleges and universities nationwide a streamlined way to buy Attigo student success solutions. The deal expands access to tools for loan education, repayment counseling and default prevention as institutions face growing pressure to improve student financial outcomes.

Why it matters: - Colleges and universities can now buy Attigo by Ascendium through E&I Cooperative Services’ cooperative purchasing program. - The contract gives E&I members a compliant procurement path, discounted pricing, pre-negotiated terms and a simplified buying process. - The agreement is aimed at helping institutions support students beyond graduation and improve repayment outcomes.

What happened: - Ascendium Education Solutions received a competitively solicited contract with E&I Cooperative Services. - The contract was announced July 29, 2026. - E&I members nationwide now have access to Attigo by Ascendium through the cooperative.

The details: - Attigo’s offerings include student loan education, debt management, default prevention services, personalized repayment counseling and targeted engagement and communication strategies. - The product suite also includes online education, tools, resources, personalized counseling and data-informed outreach. - Ascendium said the solutions are designed to support persistence and completion, improve financial knowledge and strengthen repayment outcomes. - E&I said the agreement gives members access to solutions that help strengthen financial literacy, improve repayment outcomes and support students after graduation. - Brett Lindquist, vice president of communications and community engagement at Ascendium, said the partnership is intended to expand access to tools, expertise and guidance that can make a measurable impact. - Eric Frank, CEO of E&I Cooperative Services, said the contract aligns with the cooperative’s commitment to helping institutions achieve meaningful results.

Between the lines: - The contract fits a broader higher-education push to reduce student debt strain and improve post-college financial performance. - The cooperative model matters because it can shorten procurement time for institutions that want vetted vendors without running a separate bidding process. - The deal also positions Attigo as a bundled student-success offering rather than a single-purpose repayment product.

What's next: - E&I members can begin using the new purchasing pathway to adopt Attigo services. - Ascendium will likely use the contract to expand institutional adoption of its student success tools nationwide. - Colleges and universities may use the agreement to implement services that support students from enrollment through repayment.

The bottom line: - Ascendium and E&I have created a faster route for colleges and universities to buy student success and repayment support tools at scale.