University Parent keeps mom, dad in loop

BOULDER — College students might not admit it, but it helps to keep mom and dad in the loop — at least about a few things.

But the parents of college students know they won’t be all that diligent about it, and often it isn’t easy to get information from colleges, either.

Those facts of life have created a profitable niche for Boulder-based University Parent Media Inc.

The company, which was founded by chief executive Sarah Schupp while she was a student at the University of Colorado, produces college guides for parents and keeps them informed about campus happenings through email updates.

The success has placed University Parent Media No. 5 on the Boulder County Business Report’s Mercury 100 list of fastest-growing companies in Boulder and Broomfield counties with less than $2 million in annual revenue. The company reported revenue of $1.88 million in 2010, up nearly 212 percent from the $603,051 it made in 2008. Last year, the company placed No. 3 on the list.

Schupp said University Parent Media is now working with about 250 colleges and universities to bring parents information about admissions, financial aid, grades, scholarships, tuition, commencement and parents’ weekend.

The guides also have useful information about schools’ hometowns, including hotel and dining options and information about the towns’ history and culture.

Schupp believes the more information about colleges and college towns students and parents have, the better able they will be to maximize the value of their considerable investment of money and time. The quality of the experience will improve, and in her eyes, that’s the most important thing about college.

“It doesn’t really matter much where you go to college. What matters is what you do while you’re there,” Schupp said.

The guides provide an easy way for parents to look up when tuition is due, or what health-care options are available the first time their kid gets sick away from home.

The guides and the email updates to parents, which University Parent Media started in the past year, are produced with the cooperation of the schools.

Gaining schools’ trust has been hard work, but University Media is establishing a reputation for quality, Schupp said.

“It’s really difficult to get into the education market because colleges are super-careful about the vendors they work with,” she said.

University Parent Media’s focus for the next year is on expanding the reach of its email newsletter service.

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