Are school-fee loans the next goldmine for Indian fintechs?
Nov 24, 2024
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Parents in India are feeling the pressure of soaring school fees, and many can't afford to pay upfront. Fintech companies are stepping in with zero-cost EMIs, easing financial burdens for middle-class families while boosting cash flow for schools. Industry experts discuss the market's potential, noting a low risk of defaults but highlighting difficulties like market fragmentation. This evolution in financing reflects the growing demand for quality education, despite challenges that fintechs face, such as low profit margins.
The increasing cost of quality education in India has led to a rising demand for innovative financing solutions like zero-cost EMIs.
Fintech companies are partnering with schools to provide affordable payment options, improving cash flow for schools and accessibility for parents.
Deep dives
Rising Education Costs and Loan Demand
The rapid escalation of education expenses in India has created a growing demand for loans, particularly for kindergarten to class 12 schooling. This trend, previously uncommon, is fueled by parents' unwillingness to compromise on their children's education quality, especially in Tier 1 cities. Reports indicate that education costs could double every six to seven years, making traditional payment methods increasingly unfeasible for many families. Parents are turning to innovative financial solutions, like zero-cost EMIs, to afford the high fees associated with international and alternate curriculum schools, often costing between 3 to 25 lakh rupees annually.
Fintech Innovations in Education Financing
Fintech companies are stepping in to provide financing options to parents, leveraging models like zero-cost EMIs that have gained popularity in consumer products. Schools are forming partnerships with these fintech firms to enhance their payment options, benefiting from upfront fee collections while alleviating the financial pressure on parents. This collaboration allows schools to maintain cash flow and improves enrollment rates by making high-quality education more accessible. The potential for growth in the education financing market has attracted attention from banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), indicating a shift in how education costs are managed.
Challenges in the School Fee Financing Market
Despite the promising prospects, the school fee financing landscape faces significant challenges, including market fragmentation and seasonality that limit customer acquisition. Several fintech companies have exited the space due to the high complexity and low rewards inherent in the business. The need for fintechs to evolve has led them to position themselves as comprehensive payment solution providers rather than just lenders, offering additional services to schools. As the demand for elite education continues among middle-class parents, the partnerships between schools and fintechs must adapt to address these challenges while optimizing the student fee payment process.
Regular CBSE schools just don’t cut it anymore for the aspirational middle class parents in India. But considering how the annual fees at most of these schools can range anywhere between Rs 3 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, sending a child to one of them is no joke. Almost 90 per cent of parents who take the step can’t afford to pay the full fees up front. In fact, for most, even paying half the fee in one go is not an option.
In come the fintechs. Companies like Grayquest, Jodo and Leo1 are partnering with a growing number of schools to offer a simple solution to these aspirational parents – zero cost EMIs.
How does it work? And what’s in it for the fintechs?
Tune in.
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Daybreak is produced from the newsroom of The Ken, India’s first subscriber-only business news platform. Subscribe for more exclusive, deeply-reported, and analytical business stories.
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