I recently sat down with Clement Ahiekpor, AVP of Partnerships at MPOWER Financing, to explore how MPOWER is reshaping access to higher education and fueling the talent pipelines that America’s economy needs most. Through its innovative no-cosigner, no-collateral student loan model, MPOWER has built a reputation as the leading education lender for international and DACA students—and is now preparing to expand further its impact to domestic learners as well.

With a strategic focus on high-demand sectors such as nursing, STEM, healthcare, and business, MPOWER’s mission is clear: empower high-potential students, strengthen educational institutions, and support the long-term competitiveness of the U.S. economy.

For more than a decade, MPOWER Financing has stood apart from traditional lenders by using a forward-looking underwriting model. Instead of focusing on credit history or cosigner barriers that prevent many talented students from pursuing U.S. education, MPOWER evaluates applicants based on their academic profile, career trajectory, and long-term earning potential.

This model has allowed MPOWER to serve thousands of students across more than 520 partner universities in North America, including nearly 490 institutions in the United States—the world’s largest and most influential education market.

As Clement emphasized: “Our philosophy is simple: when students succeed, MPOWER succeeds. Our underwriting supports the fields where students have strong career prospects and where the U.S. economy needs talent the most.”

These fields include STEM, health sciences, business, and increasingly—nursing and healthcare programs, sectors where the shortage of qualified professionals has reached critical levels.

Few industries in the U.S. face a talent gap as severe as healthcare. The country is projected to have nearly 190,000 nursing openings every year, driven by retirements, increased patient needs, and pandemic-related burnout.

Clement noted that nursing has quickly become one of MPOWER’s most important growth segments: “The U.S. doesn’t have enough qualified nurses, and financing is a real barrier for many domestic and international students who want to help fill that gap.”

To meet this need, MPOWER is expanding its network to include more accredited nursing schools, actively partnering with institutions and recruitment organizations to make nursing training more accessible. As part of its 2026 strategy, MPOWER plans to significantly scale its support for nursing education, enabling more students—both global and U.S.-based—to enter the healthcare workforce.

This positions MPOWER not only as a lender, but as a driver of national economic resilience, bridging education access with employer demand.

Clement outlined several major areas of expansion that will define MPOWER’s next chapter.

1. International Student Loan Refinancing MPOWER remains the only U.S. lender offering refinancing of loans originated in foreign currencies for international graduates. This enables graduates to reduce their financial burden and reinvest in their careers and families—unlocking a massive, underserved global market.
2. New No-Cosigner Loans for U.S. Graduate Students: In response to changes affecting federal GradPLUS loan access and affordability, MPOWER is preparing to launch no-cosigner, future-income-underwritten loans for domestic graduate students.
   These loans will mirror MPOWER’s proven international model, while being tailored to the realities and needs of U.S. learners. This product will give domestic graduate students a modern, transparent, and competitive alternative to traditional private loans—especially those seeking careers in high-demand fields.
3. Deeper Partnerships With Universities to Improve Career Outcomes: MPOWER is working closely with universities to ensure degree programs—particularly in nursing, STEM, and business—are aligned with career placement, licensure pathways, and employer demand. Through data sharing, financial literacy resources, and joint recruitment initiatives, MPOWER helps institutions attract high-potential students who are more likely to thrive academically and professionally.

Given MPOWER’s ambitious plans to address critical workforce shortages through education financing, what role do US universities have in partnering with MPOWER to ensure their programs, particularly in nursing, are structured to maximize career placement and retention for this rising cohort of global talent?