Case studies
A unified approach: streamlining student payments and service at Tennessee Tech
Tennessee Technological University, a four-year university in Cookeville, Tennessee, is distinguished as a STEM-focused institution nestled in between Nashville and Knoxville.
Boasting eight colleges, with over 200 programs ranging from accounting to wildlife and fisheries sciences, the campus is home to over 10,000 students.
Juggling Tennessee Tech’s campus business – from payments to services like student advising – often requires multiple systems. Streamlining the multiple layers of college life meant the university could keep the students’ experience their focus.
Tennessee Tech University at a glance
- 4-year public university in Cookeville, TN
- 10,000+ students
- 200+ undergrad and graduate programs
TouchNet solutions used:
- Bill+Payment
- Marketplace
- SponsorPoint
- PayPath
- Student Account Advisor
Disconnected systems, and growing complexity
Before implementing TouchNet, Tennessee Tech managed campus payments through a frustrating mix of separate systems. As student expectations shifted toward mobile-friendly, self-service technology, and as the university saw new challenges, the limitations of existing tools became more apparent to Matt Smith, the Director of Financial Services at Tennessee Tech. “There’s nothing worse than the frustration of going to multiple systems, logging in multiple times to do related tasks. That is very frustrating,” said Smith.
For Tennessee Tech, meeting both their business operation goals and student expectations meant going further than just payments. The university needed a solution that would help power numerous online storefronts, maximize current staff to improve student advisement and find savings where it could.
Tech’s key to efficiency
After evaluating its options, Tennessee Tech selected TouchNet for its ability to centralize payments and integrate naturally with the university’s existing system. TouchNet offered the scalability and flexibility Tech needed to support students, families and staff with a seamless, modern experience.
Their first TouchNet product, Bill+Payment, increased efficiency and convenience for their staff and students alike. After implementation, the university saw a significant jump in online transactions as students opted for self service.
“Almost 90% of kids were paying online versus in person, which created a great efficiency for us from a manpower standpoint.”
— Matt Smith, Director of Financial Services
Integrating Bill+Payment — and the gain they saw from it — was only the first step of further unifying their operations to improve the student experience at Tennessee Tech. As the institution brought on more TouchNet products, they saw even more results.
A unified platform through TouchNet
Next came Marketplace, SponsorPoint, PayPath and Student Account Advisor. This unified the university’s financial systems and gave them a wider ability to streamline their payments throughout the campus and begin to save money year after year.
“The financial benefits that we’ve realized using PayPath are around a $900,000 savings
per year in passing on credit card fees to students. So, that is money that we’ve been able
to budget elsewhere and provide for the university.”
TouchNet’s centralized approach has been a major benefit for students and campus staff. Students can easily access their financial information and staff now spend less time on manual processes and more time supporting students. And the web-based system solved some of the problems the institution experienced in their everyday operations.
Bringing Student Account Advisor to the university allowed staff to immediately meet student needs, in an increasingly digital and remote environment. For Tennessee Tech, every interaction is important in helping students advance.
“We have given our academic advisors the ability to see holes, to see payment plan status,
to see account balances… What we’ve done is allowed those advisors to get information in
front of the student.”
With TouchNet as a foundation, Tennessee Tech is using each efficiency to spur on the next — further streamlining processes.
One platform for a smarter student experience
For Tennessee Tech, TouchNet has delivered:
- A unified system for all of their payments campuswide
- Nearly $900,000 in savings year after year by passing credit card fees through PayPath
- Better customer service and more facetime with students during advisement
- Shorter lines and faster transaction processing for in-person payments
- Nearly 90% student self-service payments through online options
- Efficient integration and minimal IT involvement
The right tech for Tennessee Tech
By partnering with TouchNet, Tennessee Tech has created a more efficient, secure and student-focused experience. The move has strengthened campus operations, empowered students and staff, and set a strong foundation for future transformation. Tennessee Tech continues to build on this momentum, ensuring its campus system reflects its commitment to innovation and student success.
“We have been happy with TouchNet. It is constantly evolving with new features, new
functionality…bringing us into the current age.”
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Case studies
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