Community Spotlight: How a Small Team at Lewis University Scaled Student-first Solutions with Nelnet Campus Commerce

Lewis University, a Catholic Lasallian institution in Illinois, serves a diverse student population of over 7,000 with a Student Accounts team of just four full-time staff and one graduate assistant. Their mission: deliver accessible, equitable financial services to every student—whether traditional, adult, commuter, or international.

With a lean team and a complex student body—including 1,500 international students and a growing number of adult learners—Lewis University faced a common but critical challenge: time.

Lewis University adopted a suite of Nelnet Campus Commerce solutions to streamline operations and improve the student experience:

• Payment Plans – Expanded access for all student types, helping the university grow participation from 120 to more than 800 students per semester while easing financial barriers through multi-payer flexibility.
• Billing – Transformed a weeklong manual billing process into a one-hour workflow with consistent, timely e-bill delivery.
• Refunds – Accelerated disbursement timelines and reduced student questions by providing a predictable, reliable refund experience.
• Payment Forms – Gave departments across campus a simplified way to collect payments, reducing administrative bottlenecks and ensuring accuracy.
• 1098-T Integration – Eliminated manual handling and redirected students to a single, self-service hub, reducing call volume and support time.
• Authorized Payer Access – Empowered families to manage payments independently, improving transparency and reducing the need for staff intervention.
• Multilingual Support – Strengthened onboarding and communication for Spanish-speaking families—critical as Lewis prepares to welcome students from its St. Augustine College merger.

Lewis began its Nelnet Campus Commerce journey in late 2018, rolling out solutions in phases to ensure smooth adoption and alignment with institutional goals.

The impact of Nelnet Campus Commerce’s solutions has been measurable and mission-aligned:

• Payment Plan Participation: Increased from 120 to over 800 students per semester
• Student Account Holds: Reduced by 50%
• Billing Efficiency: Monthly billing process reduced from one week to one hour
• Family Access: 24/7 availability and multi-payer flexibility improved service for diverse family structures

Lewis is one of fewer than 100 U.S. institutions offering an aviation curriculum. With Nelnet Campus Commerce’s help, they introduced:

• A dedicated payment gateway for flight program costs.
• A 12-month aviation-specific payment plan launching Fall 2025.
• Seamless integration with the university’s FBO system.

Lewis University’s success with Nelnet Campus Commerce is rooted in shared values and a mutual commitment to student-first service:

• Mission Alignment: Both organizations prioritize equity and access, especially for overlooked and underserved students, through a Lasallian lens.
• Scalability: Nelnet’s tools empower Lewis’s small but might team to support over 7,000 students efficiently.
• Innovation: Custom solutions—like aviation-specific payment plans—reflect a shared drive to meet students where they are.

Lewis continually refines its services to be more intuitive and student-friendly—an approach that aligns seamlessly with Nelnet Campus Commerce’s platform design. In fact, in 2024, Lewis renamed its Bursar Office to Student Accounts as part of this broader effort.

While the Lewis team appreciates the breadth of Nelnet’s platform, what stands out most is the shared understanding of today’s students and families. Nelnet Campus Commerce’s tools are built with the same empathy and flexibility that Lewis strives to offer—especially for families with complex financial dynamics.

Learn More

• Payment Plans
• Billing & Payments
• Refunds
• Payment Forms