## Executive Brief: Ana Insights

# 2025

### Findings from the 2024-25 Academic Year

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# Background: About Upswing and Ana

Upswing is a mission-driven, integrated student services ecosystem dedicated to supporting the success and retention of non-traditional and underserved college students. Founded with the belief that every learner deserves equitable access to academic resources, Upswing partners with colleges and universities to bridge gaps in student support—both inside and outside the classroom.

Through its digital platform, Upswing connects students to a wide range of services including on-demand tutoring, mental health resources, writing support, critical needs support, and success coaching—all accessible within their learning management systems. By combining human support with data-driven insights, Upswing helps institutions strengthen engagement, improve academic outcomes, and reduce barriers that disproportionately affect first-generation, working-adult, and online learners.

Each year, Upswing serves nearly 1 million students across nearly 100 higher education institutions. Its holistic approach emphasizes not only academic achievement, but also the social and emotional well-being that drives long-term persistence and graduation.

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# About Ana

Ana is Upswing’s virtual co-pilot — a conversational SMS-based message tool that delivers more than 1 million conversations annually. Ana is designed to proactively engage students, answer their questions, and connect them with the resources they need most. Built to operate as a digital ally, Ana offers personalized, human-backed interactions that encourage persistence and timely action.

Unlike static chatbots that only react to inquiries, Ana is an intelligent engagement tool that initiates meaningful conversations. It can remind students about key academic deadlines, direct them to tutoring and advising resources, and even check in about nonacademic factors like motivation, time management, or feelings of belonging.

Ana’s insights are driven by a combination of behavioral data and natural language understanding. Through millions of student interactions, Ana has become a powerful lens into the lived experiences of today’s learners—revealing trends in student stress, confidence, and engagement that help institutions make data-informed decisions.

## Findings from Ana Insights 2024-2025

### INSIGHT

**Proactive Messaging Can Reduce Stressors Early on in the Semester**  
**Background Information**  
Each semester, Ana sends a “Getting the Semester Started” campaign within the first two weeks of classes. The goal is to equip students with essential information to help them feel prepared.

**Campaign Analysis**  
This data reinforces a clear theme: before students can focus on academics, they need clarity about their financial situation.

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### INSIGHT

**The Demand for Basic Needs Support Is Widespread**  
**Background Information**  
Ana’s Community Resources campaigns connect students with support for non-academic needs — including food, housing, financial support, childcare, and healthcare.

**Campaign Analysis**  
In both semesters, help with paying bills was the top choice among students who engaged. This reflects the financial pressures students face.

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### INSIGHT

**FAFSA Confusion Limits Student Engagement; Increases Demand for Scholarship Opportunities**  
**Background Information**  
Each fall, Ana sends a dedicated FAFSA campaign to help students prepare for and complete their financial aid applications for the following academic year. However, the 2024–2025 cycle created unprecedented challenges due to delays.

**Campaign Analysis**  
This was the second year students ran into trouble with the FAFSA process, and students are seeking alternatives to FAFSA funding options.

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### INSIGHT

**Affirmative and Supportive Wording May Reduce Stigma When Discussing Academic Support**  
**Background Information**  
The Academic Support campaign revealed a behavioral trend around how students perceive tutoring. A subtle shift in language improved engagement with tutoring resources.

**Recommendations for Institutions**  
We encourage institutions to review how tutoring is described across student-facing channels. Presenting tutoring as part of an academic success plan can help normalize its use and reduce stigma.