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Fintech
Product Strategy
UX/UI Design
Web Development
6 weeks
As a cloud-based digital marketplace, Lendkey connects borrowers with hundreds of institutions. Their platform works as an aggregator and loan servicer that lets people apply for private student loans and refinancing through a single application. LendKey currently partners with roughly 400 credit unions and banks to offer education loans directly to members.
After leaving the military, school is supposed to be the easier part. Frustratingly, for a lot of veterans it isn't. The GI Bill, Yellow Ribbon, BAH housing rates, and eligibility windows are all tied to service dates. None of it is designed in a way that can be read once and understood. So veterans end up having to piece it together themselves, late at night, across VA pages, forum threads, and secondhand advice. Some give up on the benefits they've earned and take out a personal loan instead, simply because a personal loan is more straightforward.
LendKey's partner credit unions are exactly the kind of lender built to serve this borrower best. Veterans are also a strong credit segment: 25 to 32 years old, mostly employed full-time, defaulting at roughly half the rate of the general student loan population. But none of that matters if a veteran never gets far enough to apply. Crema was hired to examine the path from “what am I eligible for?” to a successful loan application.
The calculator launched to the public in June 2026. For a veteran, that means sitting down once, answering a handful of questions, and walking away with real numbers: an estimated benefit coverage and a funding gap. This was the goal set from day one.
The team swiftly delivered the infrastructure requested: eligibility logic mapped chapter by chapter, three MVP flows scoped and tested, the underlying calculations checked against real VA rules (tuition rates, BAH by ZIP code, Yellow Ribbon amounts). Early feedback confirmed the experience was delivering tangible value. The client was happy to report that both the business and user goals landed in the same release.
For the credit union, deploying the calculator took a subdomain, a config file, and a logo. No custom development required. That data updates on a documented annual cycle that LendKey can run on its own. The roadmap was drawn during the engagement, so the next steps are already clear.
