The University of Louisiana System Expands Payments Across Eight Universities with Nelnet Campus Commerce

• System-wide agreement covering eight universities and more than 80,000 students, signed March 2026
• Expanded access to flexible payment and commerce solutions without added barriers
• Improved visibility into receivables and forecasting
• Reduced administrative burden for campus finance teams
• Foundation for retention-focused financial literacy programs

Long before he became president of the University of Louisiana System (UL System), Rick Gallot, Ph.D., J.D., had direct experience with Nelnet Campus Commerce (NCC).

“I was returning to school for the first time in 30 years, and I can tell you from the student perspective that Nelnet services, particularly the payment plan, was extremely helpful as I navigated re-entry into higher education.”

When Gallot stepped into the System president role and began exploring how the UL System could grow and operate more efficiently, he focused on the student experience and saw NCC as a natural partner. “I knew what a flexible payment experience could mean for a student because I had experienced it myself,” Gallot says. “The opportunity was to make those kinds of tools more accessible to our universities and explore how they could better serve students and families.”

Claire Norris, Ph.D., senior vice president for advancement, research, and strategy for the UL System, also understands the issue from the perspective of a parent making college tuition payments through NCC. “I know the importance of removing barriers to payment and access for students and their families,” says Norris. “Our students and families have very different financial circumstances. Giving them greater flexibility in when and how they make payments can make navigating college expenses more manageable.”

“There is a certain degree of stress that accompanies seeing the total tuition bill," Gallot acknowledges. "Students and families need options for managing that financial obligation, and Nelnet offers a more manageable tuition payment structure.”

Drawing on its experience with more than a thousand higher education institutions nationwide, NCC signed an agreement with the UL System in March 2026. The partnership expands access to a greater number of payment options and is a step toward increased system-wide operational efficiencies.

Through the partnership, universities across the UL System have access to NCC solutions, including electronic billing and payment processing; flexible tuition payment plans; refund management; campuswide commerce capabilities beyond tuition, such as checkout cashiering and merchant processing; and seamless integration with institutional electronic records and payment systems.

The new agreement also creates opportunities to strengthen financial operations across the UL System, where tuition and fees comprise 70% of institutional budgets. “As a university system, we are always striving to do a better job at budgeting and forecasting,” says Norris. “Institutions will now have access to a better picture of their receivables and a new opportunity to help meet university obligations.”

Where institutions adopt common tools and processes, there is also an opportunity to reduce duplication and administrative burden, freeing campus teams to focus on student support. Modernized payment infrastructure strengthens data management, security, and institutional risk management.

Planning remains critical to the budgeting process. “Life happens, and it helps to have a solid plan in place to keep students moving toward their degrees,” says Norris. “We know finances can influence whether a student is able to remain enrolled. This partnership gives us another opportunity to examine how better payment options and financial tools can help reduce those barriers.”

Last year, the UL System completed a multi-year strategic planning process that established key pillars for the System, including operational efficiency and excellence as well as student success and access. “All our universities can leverage the power of this partnership in realizing the opportunity to create common ground in student success,” says Gallot, who looks forward to sharing the story of how the UL System is working on behalf of students and their families.

Gallot notes a change in his perspective about the retention process. “I used to think retention was all about students achieving the grades. I now understand the role finances play in student success; the ability to continue enrolling in classes is just as important as grades earned in those courses,” he says. “Forty-seven percent of UL System undergraduates are on Pell and need the tools in place to help them navigate an affordable college education. With Nelnet Campus Commerce, we will have those tools in place.”

The partnership illustrates how a system-level agreement can create broader access to solutions while preserving campus-level decision-making and flexibility. It provides a framework for the System and its universities to explore improvements in both operational performance and the student financial experience.

Consistent billing and flexible payment options reduce stress and tension for students and their families and can improve student satisfaction and retention. The UL System is also exploring how payment tools can complement broader efforts around financial literacy and student financial wellness. “The Nelnet products give students options to make payments and opportunities to better budget their funds. If students can pay tuition early or over time, they may be less inclined to take out loans or have their educational journey interrupted,” Gallot explains.

Norris agrees students can gain valuable, real-time budgeting experience. “Our students know the importance of budgeting and the value of transparency in their budgets, adulting concepts we all should embrace,” she says, noting this experience may better prepare students to have a stronger voice and greater agency with future financial partners such as credit card companies.

In assessing the NCC partnership, Gallot applies the same litmus test he applies to other aspects of his work as UL System president: “I often ask four questions: Is it good for the student? Is it good for the university? Is it sustainable? Is it scalable? The answer is a resounding yes for each question, and that is what makes Nelnet a great partner.”