Holy Family University is launching a campus-wide partnership with StudyStash, an adaptive learning platform built on proven learning science, making personalized study tools available to every student across every course and section from the start of the Fall 2026 semester. The partnership is supported by funding from Congressman Brendan Boyle to establish Holy Family University’s new First-Generation Success and Innovation Hub. The grant funding from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development enables the University to extend personalized academic support to every first-generation student.
"StudyStash supports and benefits our students' study habits. The recall of concepts is immediate via the use of flashcards and quizzes to self-assess their understanding of the material. This platform will assist with students' choice of study strategies."
Sister Marcella Binkowski, CSFN, Ed.D.
Associate Director for First-Generation Programs and Student Support, Center for Teaching and Learning
Unlike a limited pilot, the roll-out reaches all approximately 3,500 students from day one, integrated directly within Holy Family's Canvas environment. Every course from the University’s four schools—Arts & Sciences, Business & Technology, Education and Nursing—is included, giving students study tools that respond to their individual learning needs. Faculty will also receive regular insight reports showing where their classes are struggling and need additional support, helping the University support students and identify those at risk of falling behind.
A shared commitment to student success
Founded in 1954 and a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, Holy Family enrolls approximately 3,500 students at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels across all four schools.
The University was recently named an "Opportunity College and University - Higher Access, Higher Earnings" in the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, one of only 16% of US institutions to earn the distinction, and is ranked a Tier 1 institution for Top Performers on Social Mobility by Third Way.
That mission—making a high-quality education accessible to students who might not otherwise have one—is exactly what shaped the decision to go campus-wide rather than run a limited trial. Academic support that only reaches some students risks widening the very gaps the University works to close.
The roll-out is built around four clear objectives:
"Our job is to make sure students get help before they fall behind, not after. StudyStash gives every student a way to keep working with their course material between classes, in the Canvas courses they already use. Faculty will see where a class is struggling while there's still time to act, not after final grades are in. And because it reaches everyone, we'll be able to see whether it's working for the students who need it most."
Mark Green, Ed.D.
Vice President, Institutional Effectiveness, IT, and Innovation
of undergraduates are the first in their families to attend college
First-generation students leave college within three years
2025 Carnegie Opportunity College and University
Evidence-based impact
Holy Family and StudyStash share an interest in using technology thoughtfully: testing ideas, measuring impact, and learning from real student experiences. StudyStash was built by students, for students, and adapts to learners rather than asking learners to adapt to technology. Because the roll-out covers the entire student body rather than a sample, the University will be able to evaluate outcomes across the full population - comparing engagement, grades, drop, failure and withdrawal rates, and progression against historical baselines, and look specifically at results for first-generation students.
Findings will be shared internally to support ongoing evaluation and decision-making, and will inform future development of the platform.
"Holy Family's commitment to first-generation and working students made this an easy decision, and going campus-wide from day one says a lot about how seriously they take it. Support that reaches every student, in every course, is how you actually move outcomes rather than just measure them."
Ben Ward
Co-Founder & CEO, StudyStash
About StudyStash
StudyStash is a UK-based EdTech company that uses AI and cognitive science to make studying more personalized, inclusive, and effective. The platform automatically generates adaptive study tools from course materials in 121 languages, helping students stay organized and confident, while ensuring all AI use remains secure, ethical, and aligned with institutional standards.