Bringing online payment convenience to school for everything Meeting parents needs with Amazon- like experience for sign- up and paying

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1 Bringing online payment convenience to school for everything Meeting parents needs with Amazon- like experience for sign- up and paying Modern parents have to juggle multiple demands, schedules and responsibilities in their complex lives. When they have children in schools, they need to pay for their meals, get them registered for activities and provide documentation such as physicals and permission forms, among many other tasks. Taking care of these tasks can mean writing multiple checks and hoping they aren t lost in a backpack, keeping track of and completing a variety of forms, and taking time out of their workday to go to the school to sign up for activities. This reality is a far cry from the convenience many parents have come to expect in a world where they now pay bills, do their banking and even shop for groceries online. Now this is changing as schools adopt comprehensive fee management software that lets parents pay all school- related fees, register their students for activities and submit forms online, all through one convenient, secure and easy- to- use web site. The challenges of creating convenience and efficiency Two primary challenges in instituting a one- stop shopping experience for parents are making it simple and inviting to use, and breaking down silos in schools to bring everything together in one place. Currently, many schools have online payment system parents can use for school lunches and some fees. They may also have another system for registering for community education classes and still another system for paying for child care. To use these, parents have to go to multiple web sites and remember multiple logins or submit paper forms with a check. Still there are things they can only accomplish by going to school. Some parents only use their checking account for school payments, using electronic payments, bank cards and online shopping for all other purchases. White Paper Bringing online payment convenience to school for everything 1

2 Part of this fractured approach is the result of different stakeholders in schools having different needs and processes, from food service directors who manage meal payments to athletic directors who need to know whether a student has an up- to- date physical, to business managers coping with cash and checks and teachers seeking permission slips from parents for field trips. Engaging all the stakeholders in the success of a comprehensive fee management system is imperative for making the experience convenient and rewarding for parents. The solution: A single gateway to all revenue and registration processes Meeting the diverse needs of various school stakeholders while simplifying payment and registration for parents requires instituting a single system that has broad functionality to encompass a variety of processes but is still is easy to use, attractive and convenient. The Rosemount- Apple Valley- Eagan Public Schools Minnesota s fourth largest district, with more than 27,000 students set out to find such a system. One of its first steps was to form a team of stakeholders to ensure that everyone community education, food services, finance, technology, operations, athletics, fine arts, academics, high schools, middle schools and elementary schools had a voice at the table to define the overall objectives of such a system and identify the critical needs for each of their specific areas. The goal was to find a single system that would encompass all the areas that generate revenue and require registration in the district. The desired result for parents would be an Amazon- type, one- stop- shopping experience with a uniform look and functionality. For the district, it would be a single solution that would allow staff to efficiently manage activity registration, requests for products or services and account for payments both online and in person. It also would integrate with the district's finance and student information systems to automate much of the process. Important benefits A single- site, single- login comprehensive fee management system offers a number of important benefits. White Paper Bringing online payment convenience to school for everything 2

3 Ease of use and convenience. A secure online payment and registration system that is uniform, seamless and easy to use offers parents the convenience and efficiencies they have come to expect from their experience with such familiar online retailers as Amazon. Comprehensive functionality. The market offers a variety of programs that handle individual functions, such as community education registration, athletics registration, and food service payments. However, a single system that comprehensively encompasses all revenue- and registration- related functions allows districts to support a single product with current and future expansion capabilities. It replaces multiple systems and gives parents a uniform, easy- to- use interface and process. Improved efficiency. Parents no longer have to come to school to register students and pay for activities or other services, providing valuable convenience. The elimination of manual registration also saves significant school staff time and resources. Eliminating or greatly reducing the use of cash ends audit questions and problems with handling cash. A comprehensive fee management system also improves tracking of all revenue streams. What to look for in a solution When considering a comprehensive fee management system, be sure to look for the following features: Easy- to- use interface: Everything about the experience should be geared toward customer satisfaction and service. In addition to allowing transactions from multiple departments or programs, the system should require just a few steps to finish the transaction. Compliant with standards: A comprehensive fee management system must be PCI- DSS compliant to ensure security of the transactions and identify information. Integration: For full automation functionality, the system should integrate with the school s student record, finance, food service and other databases. Reporting should be robust, with the ability of users to access custom, ad hoc and canned reports at different authentication levels. Efficiencies: The system should automate manual functions without increasing current workloads or processes. It also should: White Paper Bringing online payment convenience to school for everything 3

4 provide robust financial tracking capabilities allow sliding fee scale for fees and automatically calculate fees based on eligibility identify if a student qualifies for a service or reduced pricing allow parents to type into active forms and sign them electronically provide immediate proof of approval, confirmation or receipt let parents see fees paid, completed forms and class/activity information allow for refunds based on district policies and parameters conduct a placement of registrations or applications by a lottery process include class planning and event set- up capabilities Extensive support: Look for a vendor who will collaborate with the district to support the system for the long- term, providing consulting, implementation, training and support. The FeePay : Comprehensive Fee Management System advantages The District 196 team put together a needs assessment that resulted in a vision of a comprehensive fee management system that would meet those needs. It identified 13 potential providers and issued a detailed request for proposals outlining its desired system. After thorough review of responses to its request for proposals and realizing none met all the requirements the district chose to work with TIES to enhance the FeePay online payment system to add the functionality the district needed and turn it into a Comprehensive Fee Management System. After adopting the enhanced FeePay Comprehensive Fee Management System, the district realized a 265 percent increase in online payments in one year. FeePay Comprehensive Fee Management System provides the following unique advantages: Most comprehensive system: FeePay is the only solution that includes community education and prek- and school- age child care registration and payment, in addition to meals, transportation, activities and other school- related activities and fees. Full integration: FeePay integrates with any student information and finance system, providing for optimal automation. White Paper Bringing online payment convenience to school for everything 4

5 More than 46 years of experience: FeePay : Comprehensive Fee Management System was developed by TIES in partnership with Arux and BankCard Services Worldwide. TIES was established in 1967 as a collaborative of Minnesota school districts to develop innovative software for school administration. TIES understands the unique needs of education and is dedicated to meeting them. TIES believes engaged parents and a supportive community foster academic and financial success of schools. To find out more about FeePay : Comprehensive Fee Management System, please contact sales@feepay.com. Copyright 2013, TIES. White Paper Bringing online payment convenience to school for everything 5