Upswing’s cover photo
Upswing

Upswing

Higher Education

Durham, NC 3,694 followers

Partnering with schools to create a connected educational experience for #TodaysStudents

About us

Upswing provides a solution to reach, relate to, and retain today’s non-traditional learners by scaling student services, supporting 24/7 online tutoring, optimizing engagement and utilizing insightful data to identify and support at-risk students.

Website
http://upswing.io
Industry
Higher Education
Company size
11-50 employees
Headquarters
Durham, NC
Type
Privately Held
Founded
2013
Specialties
Education, Online Technology, Coaching, Tutoring, Engagement, Retention, Edtech, Student Success, Student engagement, Higher Education, and Advising

Locations

Employees at Upswing

Updates

  • We’re excited to join you at the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Annual Meeting in Nashville from December 6–9! As campuses work to navigate growing challenges and create more opportunities for students, we’re ready to talk about what your learners are facing — and how institutions can turn those pressures into real progress. Come connect with Willie Barnes Jr. and Elaina Carroll to share what’s happening on your campus and explore student-centered solutions that strengthen support and engagement. #Upswing #HigherEd #SACS2025 #StudentSuccess

    • Promotional image for Upswing’s presence at the SACS conference, displaying the event dates, booth number, and location over a Nashville skyline, with the SACSCOC logo centered.
  • More than 75,000 additional students have stayed in college with Upswing — and campuses are seeing the long-term impact of stronger support and smarter engagement. Here’s how institutions are retaining more students and building sustainable success: 📈 Scalable retention strategies that help reduce dropout rates 🔍 Proactive tools that identify at-risk students early 📊 Centralized data and reporting to guide resource decisions 🧩 Holistic support that strengthens student stability and keeps learners on track Stronger student outcomes lead to stronger enrollment, persistence, and revenue that campuses can reinvest into student support. 👉 See how Upswing can help your campus retain more students: https://hubs.ly/Q03Vqj9V0 #Upswing #HigherEd #StudentSuccess #StudentRetention #EnrollmentManagement #StudentEngagement

    • Graphic showing “75k+” in large text with a student in a graduation cap and gown facing away. Text states that over 75,000 additional students have stayed in college because of Upswing.
  • Last chance to register for our upcoming webinar on the role of AI in student success. Advisors from the University of Hawaii at Manoa will share how they’re approaching AI on their campus, exploring both its potential and its limitations in student affairs and advising. You’ll walk away with real-world examples and practical insights you can apply right away. 🗓️ December 3, 2025 🕐 1:00 PM ET If you can’t attend live, register anyway and we’ll send you the recording. 👉 https://hubs.ly/Q03Vq43t0 #Upswing #HigherEd #AIinEducation #StudentAdvising

    • Promotional graphic for an Upswing webinar titled “AI in Action: Changing the Game for Academic Advisors,” featuring event date and time, a yellow “Register Now” button, and photos of three listed speakers with their titles.
  • In challenging budget climates, community matters more than ever. Learning from peers who’ve been through the same pressures can help you find new ways to advocate for your center and support your students. And as always, Upswing is here to partner with you and explore solutions that strengthen your learning center’s impact. If you’re looking for guidance on supporting your learning center through financial strain, hear directly from leaders in our recent webinar, Weathering the Storm: Critical Considerations for Learning Centers During Fiscal Downturns→ https://hubs.ly/Q03VXD3K0 #Upswing #HigherEd #LearningCenters #StudentSuccess #AcademicSupport

    • Upswing graphic featuring a quote from Geoff Bailey [Weathering the Storm Webinar] on the importance of shared voices in learning center work, set on a transparent box over a blue classroom background.
  • Upswing reposted this

    If you serve non-traditional and first-generation college students, you need to know about Upswing. Melvin Hines founded Upswing in 2013 after his own experience as a first-gen student from a small town in South Georgia where only 68 of 250 students in his class graduated high school. He built a company dedicated to supporting students from similar backgrounds, adult learners, student parents, veterans, and others navigating college without the safety nets many take for granted. Today, Upswing serves 800,000 students across 80+ institutions, primarily community colleges, @HBCUs, and HSIs. Their SMS engagement tool, Ana, doesn't just send reminders—it connects students to real humans who triage their needs and refer them to campus resources. The result: 200+ referrals per campus per month to tutoring, advising, mental health services, and basic needs support. And because of this work, Upswing has access to something rare: millions of real conversations with the students most at risk of stopping out. They just released the 2025 Ana Insights Report, and it paints a sobering picture. Student sentiment dropped by a third from last year. Nearly 50% prioritized financial aid information at the start of fall—but many have lost confidence in the system entirely and are searching for alternatives. When asked what would help, students said they're looking for positive encouragement and help understanding their future. These students are questioning whether higher education is still their path to upward mobility. And if we don't address that, we'll see the consequences in retention and completion numbers very soon. Full disclosure- I have no formal partnership or relationship to Melvin or Upswing. I see this episode as a public service because the need is so great and the lifeline an institution can provide students is so clear, I want to share it. Three ways to take action: 1. Share the report with student success leaders at your institution: https://upswing.io/ana/ 2. If your students don't have access to Ana yet on your campus, reach out to Melvin Hines and Upswing today. 3. Listen to our conversation with Melvin on the Signals in Higher Ed podcast where he shares the story behind these insights and what institutions can do about it. Grateful to Melvin for his time and passion for this work, and to my good friend, Laurie Koehler for joining me as guest host for this important episode! #HigherEducation #StudentSuccess #FirstGenStudents #NonTraditionalStudents #HBCU #HSI #EnrollmentManagement #HigherEdInnovation #SignalsInHigherEd

  • The end of the semester is approaching, and finals, projects, and deadlines can feel overwhelming for students. Support makes all the difference. With Ana, students have someone on their side to help them stay prepared, feel confident, and access the resources they need to succeed. Make sure every student knows help is available and no one has to face the end of the semester alone. 📲Learn more at https://hubs.ly/Q03VGHX40. #Upswing #HigherEd #AnaByUpswing #StudentSuccess #CampusSupport #StudentWellbeing

  • Looking for new ways to highlight the important work happening in your learning center? Whether you lean on strong data or meaningful student experiences, telling your story is one of the most effective ways to show your value. Want strategies to communicate that value in a time of financial strain? 👉 Watch our recent webinar, Weathering the Storm: Critical Considerations for Learning Centers During Fiscal Downturns—https://hubs.ly/Q03VRyT-0 #Upswing #HigherEd #LearningCenters #StudentSuccess #AcademicSupport

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Funding

Upswing 9 total rounds

Last Round

Series A
See more info on crunchbase