StudyFree

# StudyFree: High-Level Overview

StudyFree is an EdTech platform that helps students from underserved geographies access international education through scholarships and grants.[1] Founded in November 2018 by Dasha Kroshkina, the company operates as a community-driven B2C SaaS model connecting students with universities and graduate programs worldwide.[3] The platform addresses a critical barrier to global education: cost. By aggregating over 300,000 scholarship-backed programs and leveraging a network of alumni mentors, StudyFree enables students to potentially save up to $100,000 on tuition fees while dramatically reducing application timelines.[1][3][4]

The company has demonstrated significant traction, with international students using its platform having received scholarships and grants worth $10.3 million.[3] StudyFree currently serves over 25,000 active users from 108 countries, with a particular focus on emerging markets including India, Russia, Ukraine, Africa, Kazakhstan, Brazil, and Asia.[1] The platform boasts a 98% success rate for student admissions over the last three years.[3]

# Origin Story

Dasha Kroshkina's personal journey directly inspired StudyFree's creation. Born in a small Russian town with limited financial means and family support, Kroshkina secured over $100,000 in scholarships and grants to study in Spain, China, and Stanford University, later working for an investment bank in Singapore.[1] This experience revealed both the transformative power of international education and the systemic barriers preventing talented students from accessing it.

Recognizing this gap, Kroshkina founded StudyFree to democratize access to global education opportunities. The platform gained early validation through accelerator support—it participated in Berkeley Skydeck and TechStars NY—and secured a $600,000 pre-seed round led by Acrobator VC in its initial funding phase.[1] By December 2021, the company had raised $3.6 million total, with a $3 million seed round led by I2BF Global Ventures and TMT Investments.[3]

# Core Differentiators

• Community-Driven Mentorship Model: Unlike traditional consulting agencies, StudyFree leverages an independent network of alumni mentors with study abroad experience who provide guidance, host community events, and assist new applicants—creating human capital as a core product feature rather than an afterthought.[3]

• Scholarship-First Approach: The platform uniquely focuses on full or partial funding solutions rather than just application facilitation, helping students identify programs with built-in financial support.[1][3]

• Scale of Opportunity Database: With over 300,000 programs across bachelor's degrees through Ph.D. levels with scholarships globally, StudyFree aggregates opportunities that would be fragmented across individual university websites.[3]

• Proven Success Metrics: A documented 98% admission success rate and $10.3 million in scholarships secured by users demonstrate tangible outcomes that differentiate it from competitors.[3]

• Flexible Financing Options: Beyond scholarships and grants, the platform facilitates income-sharing agreements and bank loans, providing multiple pathways to affordability.[2]

# Role in the Broader Tech Landscape

StudyFree operates at the intersection of three powerful trends: the globalization of higher education, the EdTech revolution, and the growing focus on financial inclusion. As international student mobility continues to rise, traditional barriers—information asymmetry, application complexity, and cost—remain significant friction points. StudyFree addresses these by digitizing and democratizing a process historically controlled by expensive consultants.

The company's emphasis on underserved geographies reflects a broader market recognition that emerging economies contain vast untapped talent pools. By enabling students from India, Africa, and Eastern Europe to access Western universities affordably, StudyFree contributes to global talent mobility while creating a feedback loop: educated alumni return home with advanced skills, strengthening their home markets and creating future mentors for the platform.

The competitive landscape includes ApplyBoard (a unicorn valued at $5.6 billion), but StudyFree's community-first model and scholarship focus position it distinctly.[3] As traditional education consulting faces disruption, StudyFree's technology-enabled, peer-driven approach represents the future of the sector.

# Quick Take & Future Outlook

StudyFree is well-positioned to capture significant market share in international education access. The company's expansion into India—identified by Kroshkina as a high-potential market—combined with its proven product-market fit and strong investor backing, suggests continued growth. Future success will depend on deepening its mentor network, expanding program partnerships with universities, and potentially exploring adjacent services like visa support or housing coordination.

The broader EdTech landscape is consolidating around platforms that solve real financial and logistical barriers rather than simply digitizing existing processes. StudyFree's focus on outcomes—measurable scholarships secured and successful admissions—rather than vanity metrics positions it as a meaningful player in reshaping global access to higher education.