Access Group is now AccessLex Institute

WEST CHESTER, Pa., March 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- To better convey its philanthropic mission and vision, Access Group, Inc. has announced its new brand and name: AccessLex Institute.

For more than 25 years, Access Group served as a leading nonprofit student loan provider until legislative action in 2010 eliminated the federally guaranteed student loan program. Since then, the company has redirected its resources toward meeting the ever-changing challenges and needs of law students while addressing the critical issues facing legal education today.

"At AccessLex Institute, we believe that law school offers training and education that is unmatched in its quality, portability and flexibility, creating the potential for a lifetime of personal and professional success for anyone with the motivation to achieve," said Christopher Chapman, President and Chief Executive Officer of AccessLex Institute. "That's why, through research, policy initiatives and educational programming, we are working to improve access for diverse and underrepresented students, increase affordability and enhance the lasting value of a legal degree."

Through the work of the new AccessLex Center for Legal Education Excellence, the company conducts research and advocates for policies that make legal education work better for students and society alike. And the new AccessLex Center for Education and Financial Capability offers on-campus and online financial education programming and resources for students and professional development opportunities and guidance for school administrators.

AccessLex Institute also operates four grant programs to fund year-long research projects exploring critical elements related to its core principles of access, affordability and the value of legal education. Since 2014, the company has awarded over $4 million in grants.

The company's new name, which borrows the Latin word for "law," reflects the organization's evolution beyond its history in student lending and better communicates the scope of its current activities. Along with its new name, AccessLex Institute reveals a whole new brand, with a new logo, new website and updated physical and online resources. Access Group will continue to do business as the loan servicing, portfolio management and default aversion division of AccessLex Institute.

About AccessLex Institute:

AccessLex Institute is a nonprofit organization committed to helping talented, purpose-driven students find their path from aspiring lawyer to fulfilled professional. In partnership with our nearly 200 Member law schools, improving access and positively influencing legal education have been at the heart of the company's mission since 1983. It has offices in West Chester, Pa., and Washington, D.C., and an external team based throughout the United States.

SOURCE AccessLex Institute