The warning lights are already on
Higher Ed’s Financial Pressure Is Now a Retention Problem
Closures, job cuts and program reductions are the symptom. Student persistence is one of the few levers colleges can act on now.
Retention = revenue protection
This is not a “future demographic cliff” conversation anymore. It is a current operating pressure conversation.
Sixteen
nonprofit colleges announced closures in 2025
9,000+
jobs cut or bought out in 2025 alone
Hechinger | four-year institutions
1,500 experienced declining net tuition revenue
440
finished in the red in at least 3 of 5 years
Why we are here...
Nearly 4 in 10 college students do not complete a credential within six years. That comes directly from the 61.1% national six-year completion rate according to National Student Clearinghouse...
Why did we create this tool?
Student retention is more critical than ever. RetainMe.AI helps institutions identify at-risk students early, understand the factors affecting their progress, and support targeted interventions that keep them on track toward graduation.
It also supports professional students by helping institutions monitor progress toward key milestones, including two-year testing requirements, placement exams, and other critical academic benchmarks.
RetainMe.AI helps schools improve retention, strengthen student outcomes, and protect long-term enrollment stability.
Our Approach
The Method
Data-Driven Identification
Data Collection:
- Leveraged student demographics, academic history, financial need indicators, and engagement metrics.
Leveraging cutting-edge data cleansing tool.
- In partnership with, a cutting-edge AI tool for preparing data, we empower our analysts to easily build complex analytics with their purpose-built no-code user interface.
Predictive Modeling & Scoring
Machine Learning Analysis:
- Applied logistic regression to estimate the likelihood of student attrition based on historical patterns.
Risk Scoring and Decile Ranking:
- Assigned each student a risk score to quantify their likelihood of dropping out, then ranked these into deciles for clearer prioritization.
Security
Segmentation Based on Needs:
- RetainMe.AI is developed and deployed within your institution’s own Microsoft Azure environment, allowing your data to remain inside your existing systems and security framework.
- Student information is not transferred to or stored in an outside your database, helping your institution maintain control over access, privacy, governance, and data security.
Actionable Insights for Remediation
High-Impact Strategies:
- Developed tailored interventions for each group, from financial counseling for FLS students to mentoring and academic support for ASP students.
Ongoing Evaluation:
- Plan for regular follow-ups and adjustments based on each group’s response, enabling continuous improvement in student retention outcomes.
The Modeling
Our Team
Tom Estella
Founding Partner | AlphaAdvisors
Scot Drake
AGD Education Lead
Kyle Murphy
Digital Transformation and AI Expert
John Halford
RetainMe AI Digital Specialist
Stephen Gray
Co-founder of AGD+ Collective
Tom Estella
Founding Partner | AlphaAdvisors
Well-rounded analytical professional with primary strengths in digital, statistical, technical and client management areas. Proven expertise in strategic and tactical planning in the digital and traditional space. Ability to translate complex analytical theories to a broader audience.
Tom Estella
Scot Drake
Strategic planning, change management and developing the Collective needed for each client. Scot leads the AGD education team specializing in recruitment, retention, public/private partnerships, and special program/institute branding and launch.
Kyle Murphy
Founder @ AlphaAdvisors | Digital Transformation and AI Expert. My mission with AlphaAdvisors is to make these technologies accessible and actionable for businesses, empowering them to navigate the digital landscape confidently.
John Halford
With over three decades of experience in radio and digital platforms. His extensive background in strategy and digital execution has endowed him with a profound understanding of how to seamlessly integrate innovative strategic planning with the latest digital technologies.
Stephen Gray
Co-founder of AGD+ Collective, Steve drives strategic vision and agency management while fostering innovation. With decades of experience leading higher education clients, he specializes in strategic planning, marketing and communications, recruitment, creative strategy, and branding to deliver impactful results.
Empowering Growth Through Collaboration.
We partner with diverse industries to deliver tailored solutions in recruiting, data cleaning, predictive analytics, analysis, and counseling. Together, we drive innovation and growth through strategic, data-driven collaboration.
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