Students love things that are open 24 hours a day - see: Wal-Mart and IHOP.
As of November, Bursar accounts have been added to that prestigious list through Cardinal QuickPay.
With the rising cost of postage and increasing expectation that students will be digitally savvy, Ball State's move away from paper bills simply makes sense.
Although no numbers are available, it's likely this simple change will save the university - not to mention students and parents - noticeable amounts of money on stamps alone.
It will also save time and confusion. With the online system, students can set up authorized payers who will be able to make payments directly through their accounts. For those who have juggled paper bills between their home and local addresses, the online system will clear up the confusion and should simplify the process. Even simpler will be the due dates - instead of randomly selected dates based on mailing schedules, each payment will be due on the first day of each month.
While QuickPay opens the process for easier payments, students can also maintain their autonomy with this system, as only they can determine who is allowed to make payments and payers have no access to the rest of the students' accounts.
However, students will need to have some accountability with this process, in making sure the payments are made - and on time, too. It will be up to students, for the first time, to know when the next bill is up for payment and when to take care of the charges.
That shouldn't be a problem, however, because the new service will be available any time from anywhere, so students can pay their bills whenever it fits into their schedules.
The digital system might not make the bill payment any less painful, but it will certainly make it easier to manage.
And the interest students have in a service like this is clear by the 25,000 hits the Cardinal QuickPay site received in a single month.
Next up: Making the Student Services Web site equally accessible.
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