Elevate Credit, Inc. announced that its internal thinktank, the Center for the New Middle Class, will collaborate with University of Georgia's Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics to publish research and insights on the financial wellbeing of middle class Americans. The two-year partnership will allow the CNMC to showcase data it has collected to better understand the unique challenges faced by non-prime Americans—those with credit scores below 700. Over the past four years, CNMC has collected more than 20,000 consumer surveys, tracking 50 metrics that encompass household consumer finance.

UGA's Department of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics, which researches financial, housing, and consumer questions that directly affect family economic well-being, will co-author papers with CNMC with the goal of publishing this research in a peer reviewed journal. In addition to the academic research partnership, Elevate will serve as a Department sponsor to further the academic contributions of Ph.D. students and faculty.