Case Study: Edquity achieves 24-hour direct-deposit emergency aid disbursements with Dwolla

Needing an Ach Payment Service, Edquity and Dwolla Partnered to Distribute Emergency Aid via the Ach Network

Edquity, “the first emergency aid platform for colleges and non-profits,” helps institutions distribute micro-grants to students facing food insecurity and sudden financial hardship. The challenge was getting cash to students quickly and reliably—traditional disbursement processes could take up to 10 hours and involve dozens of staff. To solve this, Edquity partnered with Dwolla and used Dwolla’s payment platform and API to enable ACH direct deposits so students can receive funds within 24 hours.

By integrating Dwolla (with Plaid and ACH operational notifications), Edquity automated funding flows, removed manual bottlenecks, and sped up disbursements—students can submit an application in minutes and get cash the next day. Since 2019 Edquity has helped disburse more than $5 million in aid, reports 85% of students use direct deposit, and sees 90% retention among students served with a partner; Edquity cites Dwolla as the trusted payments backbone that made these measurable impacts possible.

Edquity

David Helene

Chief Executive Officer