As federal funding shrinks under new policy changes, the partnership gives students a transparent, no-cost way to compare multiple private loan offers.

BOSTON, Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Liaison, the higher education technology company behind the Centralized Application Service (CAS) network, today announced an exclusive partnership with Juno, a student loan negotiation platform, to give applicants across Liaison's health professions CASs access to vetted private loan options as federal loan funding grows scarcer. The partnership responds directly to recent federal policy changes—including program reclassifications and the elimination of Grad PLUS loans—that are pushing more students into the private loan market, often without guidance or negotiating power.

Through the partnership, Juno will use its collective bargaining model to secure student loan discounts on behalf of the large pool of applicants moving through Liaison's health professions CAS network. By creating competition among lenders, students are able to access lower cost loan offers than they could typically secure alone. Membership is free, enables students to check rates across multiple lenders with no impact to credit scores, and carries no obligation to accept a loan. Juno's annual negotiation window that benefits students runs each spring, with new rates available by June.

The partnership is designed to present options to those who need them. Applicants will continue to see federal aid and scholarships alongside the new private loan resource, with Liaison surfacing all three through its own channels, including its Explore Health Careers website, and working directly with association partners to introduce the option to their members. Liaison is not endorsing private loans over federal aid or scholarships; the goal is to make sure applicants know a vetted private option exists if institutional aid and federal loans fall short.

"For years, health professions students have relied on federal programs to bridge the gap between tuition and limited scholarship funding. With those options now shrinking, Liaison felt a responsibility to help applicants navigate an increasingly complex—and often opaque—private loan market," stated George Haddad, Founder & CEO of Liaison. "Partnering with Juno allows us to give students access to negotiated, vetted offers without steering them away from federal aid or institutional scholarships. Our goal is simple: make sure future clinicians aren't forced to choose between continuing their education and taking on uninformed, high-cost debt." 

Juno aggregates demand across large student populations and negotiates directly with multiple lenders, a model that gives borrowers access to features that are hard to secure individually, including discounted rates, cash-back incentives, rate matching, multi-year loan eligibility, and in some cases, loans without a co-signer or established income.

"Looking ahead, the students hit hardest by these changes are the ones training to fill the country's most critical shortages—physicians, dentists, pharmacists, veterinarians, nurses, PAs, and more. For most of these programs, federal loans no longer cover the full cost of attendance, so the question isn't whether students will borrow privately; it's whether they'll do it alone or with the leverage of a large community behind them," said Chris Abkarians, Co-Founder of Juno. "This partnership means applicants across Liaison's network start their careers with lenders competing for their business before they ever see an offer, plus real one-on-one help, at no cost and with no obligation."

About Liaison
Liaison is a higher education technology leader and strategic partner, supporting more than 1,500 institutions nationwide and internationally. For over 35 years, Liaison has delivered purpose-built technology and consultative expertise to help colleges and universities drive sustainable enrollment success—backed by white-glove support from planning through go-live and beyond.

About Juno
Founded in 2018, Juno secures lower cost student loan offers for a community of more than 287,000 members, with over $1 billion in loan volume successfully negotiated. The platform offers borrowing, refinancing, and free one-on-one consultations with experts across law, business, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, and other graduate programs.

Media Contact
Erin Kennedy, Communications Manager,
ekennedy@liaisonedu.com

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SOURCE Liaison