“Can a KeyBank-owned student loan advisory platform retain borrower relationships as federal forgiveness program participation winds down?”
Founded in 2015 as a Philadelphia fintech focused on student loan advisory and Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) counseling. Acquired by KeyBank in 2022, becoming a brand of KeyBank N.A. and gaining access to KeyBank's banking infrastructure, including a Freedom Plus Checking Account for members. In 2025, GradFin began winding down key membership services—including government document processing, employment certification, and Membership Portal access—signaling a significant contraction of its advisory and embedded banking offerings, likely reflecting the broader post-COVID normalization of student loan forgiveness program dynamics.
Gradfin discloses KeyBank N.A. (in-house) as its banking provider, with KeyBank N.A. as its sponsor bank, according to the Embedded Finance Index 2026.
Gradfin does not disclose a bank charter of its own; its banking services are provided through KeyBank N.A..
The Embedded Finance Index 2026 maps 3 layers in Gradfin's stack: Banking / BaaS (KeyBank N.A. (in-house)); Lending (Student loan refinancing, PSLF advisory, Personal loans (via KeyBank/Laurel Road), Mortgage (via KeyBank/Laurel Road) and 1 other); Sponsor bank (KeyBank N.A.).
Gradfin is founded in 2015 and headquartered in Philadelphia, PA (acquired by KeyBank/KeyCorp, Cleveland, OH).
Get a read on where your own stack stands against Gradfin and the rest of its category — what they built versus bought, which providers they use, and where the gaps in your own strategy and competitive set actually are.