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Transforming Student Payments at Olds College with PayMyTuition

Olds College Banner
Olds College Logo

The Challenge: Limited Options

Olds College faced significant challenges with its previous student payment solution, which offered only the most basic functionality:

  • Restricted Payment Options: Students could pay only by credit card, incurring high fees, or through bank transfers that required staff manual reconciliation.

  • Lack of Key Features: No Interac, no eRefunds, no automated cashiering, and no payment plan capabilities.

  • Manual Workload for Staff: Business Services and Office of the Registrar teams were burdened with hours of manual posting, reconciliation, and student account adjustments.

  • Student Frustration: Students surveyed expressed dissatisfaction with inflexible and manual payment processes, particularly for payment plans and e-Transfers.

  • Compliance Risks: Attempted fraudulent chargebacks, refund attempts, and PCI compliance issues caused significant strain on staff time and resources.

Olds College of Agriculture & Technology

1913

1913

Founded

~3,500

~3,500

Student Population

Olds, Alberta

Olds, Alberta

Location

Ellucian Banner

Ellucian Banner

SIS Integration

The Solution: Choosing PayMyTuition

When Olds College issued an RFP, tight integration with Ellucian Banner was the top priority. PayMyTuition not only met this requirement but impressed by delivering a live demonstration inside Banner, proving its functionality in real time.

Key reasons Olds College selected PayMyTuition:

Key Features of the Solution

  • Direct Banner Integration: Real-time posting of payments and payment plan installments into Banner.

  • Expanded Payment Options: Support for Interac and all major payment types with seamless integration, plus competitive exchange rates for international students.

  • Fraud & Compliance Management: Built-in controls reduced attempted fraudulent chargebacks, refund attempts, and PCI exposure.

  • Transparency and Proof: Live demos within Banner convinced stakeholders that the solution truly worked.

 

“You didn’t just tell us you could do it — you showed us. That was the deciding factor.” – Joe Guenther, IT Director

 

“I still remember watching the demo. Seeing it work live inside Banner made a huge difference.” – Cindy Orr, Associate Registrar

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The Solution Features Image
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"Our previous solution was just the bare bones. We only had credit cards, no Interac, no payment plans, no eRefunds. Everything was manual and incredibly labour-intensive."

Joe Guenther

IT Director at Olds College

Deployment & Implementation

Implementation with PayMyTuition was smooth, collaborative, and exceeded expectations.

 

  • Clear Documentation: Installation packages came with precise, step-by-step instructions that worked seamlessly with Ellucian Managed Services.

  • Rapid Problem-Solving: Issues were resolved in real time, often with software updates delivered the same day.

  • Custom Development: PayMyTuition built tailored solutions for application fee and registration integrations (ApplyAlberta and MyTradesecrets), impressing the Olds College IT team with speed and quality.

  • Personalized Support: Unlike other implementations, PayMyTuition’s team offered direct access, student communication packages, frequent check-ins, and genuine partnership.

 

“Troubleshooting was solved in real time — no waiting days for answers. The turnaround on fixes blew us away.” – Mark Geiger, Systems Analyst

 

“The personal connection stood out. You don’t get that with many vendors. We knew PayMyTuition cared and was engaged.” – Joe Guenther, IT Director

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Early Outcomes and Wins

Since going live, Olds College has seen immediate improvements:

  • Significant Reduction in Manual Work: Automated posting and reconciliation eliminated hours of staff effort.

  • Faster, Easier Student Experience: Payment plans, eTransfers, easily accessible documentation, and the new payment channels are now self-service and seamless.

  • Improved Support Tools: The Student Emulator allows staff to quickly see exactly what a student sees, resolving issues faster and more professionally.

“The student emulator is an enormous help. We can now guide students directly instead of endless back-and-forth.” – Cindy Orr, Associate Registrar

 

Post-Go-Live Support

PayMyTuition’s support didn’t stop at launch. Hypercare included daily or weekly touchpoints to troubleshoot, optimize, and train staff.

“Traditionally, you install a system and never hear from anyone again. This has been the opposite — constant support, patience, and answers when we need them.” – Cindy Orr, Associate Registrar

 

Reflections & The Future

Looking back, Olds College identified three aspects as most valuable:

  1. Seamless Banner Integration
  2. Payment options that saved students’ time and money
  3. Outstanding Customer Service and Responsiveness

As they look ahead, the college is exploring:

  • Sponsorship modules to streamline third-party funding.

  • Expanding PayMyTuition into new areas like campus services and farm operations (e.g., horse boarding payments).

 

“This was bigger than just Olds College. We’ve made some significant impact for the post-secondary sector, and PayMyTuition has been a fabulous partner.” – Joe Guenther, IT Director

 

“It doesn’t feel like a stale integration that just gets by. We’re on the leading edge of new tech and banking with PayMyTuition.”

– Cindy Orr, Associate Registrar

Conclusion

By implementing PayMyTuition, Olds College has transformed its student payments landscape. What was once a patchwork of manual processes and student frustrations is now a streamlined, secure, and student-friendly system deeply embedded into Banner.

The partnership continues to evolve, with new opportunities for innovation already on the horizon.
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“Digital transformation has been on the horizon at Olds for some time, and we’re excited to step into this new era with PayMyTuition—reimagining how we serve students and preparing the college for the future.”

Dillon Andrus-Dobbs

Registrar & Director of Student Services at Olds College

Learn how our solutions can transform the student experience while optimizing your operational processes.

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