In an effort to improve the tuition payment experience for international students, Kent State University recently partnered with Flywire, a leading provider of global payment solutions. The goal of the partnership was to provide Kent State’s international students and their families with a simple and streamlined way to make payments using international funds. The new platform was launched late October and has been an overwhelming success by enhancing the payment experience for international students, says University Bursar Stina Olafsdottir.
“The appeal of Flywire lies in its payment options, strong customer service and the ability for students to save on foreign exchange rates, backed by Flywire’s 'Best Price Guarantee,'” she says.
Betsy Tierney, cashiering manager in the Bursar’s Office, says integrating the university’s system with Flywire was fast and seamless. Flywire’s customized Kent State implementation plan proved instrumental in keeping the department on track with launch tasks.
Beginning with the university’s dedicated Flywire page, students are supplied with clear payment instructions, which in turn reduce the number of customer service inquiries payers have. Throughout the payment experience, international students receive proactive communications at every step in the process, as well as timely status updates via text and email.
In three short months, Flywire has processed 50 percent of what the previous platform processed in over four years. International students now have an intuitive payment platform, more payment options and 24/7 multilingual support.
“We are thrilled to have Flywire on board, and we look forward to what lies ahead for this growing partnership,” Tierney notes.