Since 2021, the University of New Hampshire has partnered with Knack to offer scalable, peer-led academic support to its undergraduate students. What began as a pilot initiative has evolved into a full-scale, campus-wide strategy. Today, UNH students have logged over 19,000 tutoring hours through Knack, demonstrating not just demand, but sustained engagement across courses and student demographics.
For UNH, this growth hasn’t come at the expense of its on-campus academic support services. In fact, Knack has helped the university reach students who had previously gone unserved. Over 54% of Knack users had never engaged with tutoring before—a critical data point for any institution seeking to improve equity in access.
More Support, Fewer Barriers
One of Knack’s most powerful advantages is flexibility. At UNH, a quarter of all tutoring sessions occur outside of regular business hours, filling the gap left when learning centers are closed. Students and tutors alike appreciate the ability to choose when and where they meet—something that’s especially meaningful for those balancing work, family, or other time-sensitive obligations.
This flexibility doesn’t just make support more convenient. It makes it more accessible. The result? Students who might never set foot in a tutoring center are getting the help they need to persist and succeed. And they're coming back for more. On average, UNH students engage in over five tutoring sessions each, suggesting strong satisfaction and value.
“We’ve seen no reduction in our on-campus support use, yet we are reaching so many students for whom Knack is the first tutoring resource they’ve used since at college!…We see Knack as augmenting our campus resources and making tutoring more equitable and accessible to all students.”
- Dr. Dawna Perez, Executive Director of The Institute for Student Success at UNH
Peer Tutoring That Moves the Needle on Retention
UNH recently conducted an internal study to evaluate the relationship between Knack usage and student persistence. The findings were striking. Among first-year students flagged for academic concerns in three or more courses, those who used Knack had a 25 percentage point higher retention rate from first to second fall.
Even more telling: that positive impact held true for first-generation students, who saw a 15-point boost in retention when they accessed peer tutoring through Knack. In a higher education landscape focused on closing equity gaps, these outcomes underscore the role peer tutoring can play in building belonging, reinforcing learning, and supporting institutional goals.
A Win-Win for Tutors and the Campus Community
The benefits of Knack extend beyond those being tutored. At UNH, peer tutors are gaining more than a paycheck—they’re developing real-world, transferable skills that will serve them far beyond graduation. Tutors report improvements in communication, leadership, and academic mastery, while also forging new connections on campus. For many, it’s a pathway to career readiness and personal growth.
This dual impact on both the students receiving and providing support is central to UNH’s success with Knack. It’s not just about scaling tutoring. It’s about creating a campus culture where peer support is normalized, valued, and integrated into the broader student experience.
“Our UNH tutors gain valuable, transferable skills for the global workforce, reinforce their own academic knowledge base, and make new connections on campus while earning money. The students being tutored are seeing concrete gains of confidence in course material consistently.”
- Dr. Dawna Perez, Executive Director of The Institute for Student Success at UNH
A True Partnership That Delivers
In the words of Dr. Perez, the experience of working with Knack has been “phenomenal.” The Knack team, she notes, is “adaptable, responsive, and exceed expectations at every turn”—whether providing data, managing implementation, or simply offering thoughtful, proactive support.
For institutions exploring scalable academic support that doesn’t compromise on quality or mission, UNH’s story offers a compelling model. By partnering with Knack, they’ve expanded reach, strengthened student outcomes, and preserved the integrity of their existing services.
If you’d like to learn more about UNH’s internal study or their experience with Knack, contact Dr. Dawna Pérez at dawna.perez@unh.edu.
