After an inspiring first day of Flywire Fusion 2025 keynote sessions, masterclasses and breakouts, it was time to connect and have fun. The scene was set once again for Flywire’s second-annual Fusion Star Awards ceremony, which celebrates U.S. higher education institutions raising the bar to drive success.
“I wish we had awards for each of you,” Flywire’s EVP for Education, Sharon Butler said, “because we continue to be inspired by everyone in this room today. The best practices and ideas you’ve shared are what truly drives success, and together we’re shaping the future of higher education.”
This year's deserving star award winners are:
Best Newcomer:
Southern Methodist University
Shortly after successfully implementing Flywire's Student Financial Software (SFS) in under six months, launching both the Collection Management and Billing & Payment Management offerings, and pioneering features like Multi-Account Type and Real-Time Student Query, Southern Methodist University:
- Processed nearly 25,000 transactions
- Established over 2,300 payment plans
- Collected more than $1.5 million in past-due debt
This success is largely attributed to their approach which was defined by strong partnership and cross-campus collaboration.
Optimization Excellence:
Cornell University
Cornell University truly exemplifies what it means to optimize for impact — transforming the payer journey through innovation, collaboration, and a shared vision for excellence!
Most recently they implemented our payer communication recommendations to enhance key areas of their Bursar website to:
- Create a more modern, intuitive, and informative experience for students, families, and payers
- Introduce new content, including AI-powered video resources
- Make their payment experience even more accessible and transparent for their global community
Best Practice Leader:
Purdue University
A Flywire client and trusted partner since 2021, Purdue University has consistently sought out opportunities for improvement, leveraging automation to drive efficiencies. Since implementing SFS Collection Management in 2024, they have successfully:
In addition, the Purdue team has saved more than 750 hours since deploying our 529 disbursement solution. But, what makes Purdue a true leader is not just their impressive results, but that they also go out of their way to share their knowledge with the broader community.
Implementation Excellence:
George Mason University
In stepping up to be a design partner for Flywire’s first Banner Ethos | SFS integration to implement Collection Management, George Mason University is truly leading through innovation. They embraced the opportunity to collaborate with curiosity, and a clear commitment to success.
Their willingness to break new ground has set the tone for future implementation projects, with our Third-Party Invoicing | Banner Ethos integration coming next.
Innovative Leader:
University of Virginia
Since winning the Cross-Campus Fusion Award last year, the University of Virginia has continued looking closely at their everyday processes to find smarter, more effective ways of working. They have:
- Streamlined their SFS Collection Management process to support a more efficient workflow, resulting in a 50% payment plan increase, 40% fewer inquiries, and an average past-due collection rate of 25% with $8M+ collected
- Broken down silos across platforms and departments to better serve staff and students
- Successfully rolled out their new One-Stop Shop
Their commitment to continuous improvement and cross-campus collaboration makes them a true leader.
Process Improvement:
Central Washington University
Since 2019, Central Washington University has been a shining beacon of continuous improvement.
Constantly striving to meet their students where they are, they quickly adopted SFS Collection Management to manage past-due tuition and recently turned on billing and payment plans. This has resulted in:
- A reduction in their payment plan default rate from 34% to less than 1%
- Time and money saving
- More students staying in school
Student Experience:
Bates College
Bates College has consistently demonstrated a deep commitment to delivering exceptional value and support to their students. By implementing our International Payments, Collection Management, and 529 Disbursements solutions, they have:
- Streamlined critical financial processes to better serve their student body
- Elevated the student experience by ensuring seamless support is available from the very beginning by integrating Flywire directly into their International Student Orientation Platform
Bates’s proactive partnership and open communication are helping to set a standard for excellence and collaboration across the industry.
Cross-Campus Fusion:
University of Portland
The University of Portland has clearly demonstrated that outstanding collaboration and communication makes all the difference in managing change.
To build consensus for a major system change they brought key stakeholders to the table early on to discuss the change and impact, and their results speak for themselves. Since their SFS implementation they have:
- Increased payment plan adoption by 40%
- Saved staff time to drive efficiencies
- Reduced printing costs while expanding self-service capabilities
Trailblazer:
University of Connecticut
The University of Connecticut is a true innovator and leader in higher ed, fearlessly transforming the way their campus community manages and interacts with financial services. In an impressively short time, UConn implemented International Payments alongside SFS for Billing, Payment Plans, and Collection Management, resulting in a more than 50% increase in payment plan enrollments.
Their emphasis on flexibility, accessibility, and user experience has set a new standard for what’s possible in student financial services. What’s more, their thought leadership and willingness to innovate not only strengthens their own results, but is shaping the model for higher ed institutions nationwide.
Shining Star:
Austin Community College
Lottia Windham, Regional Director, Financial Aid Campus Operations/Outreach at Austin Community College was the 2025 Shining Star Award recipient, voted for by the audience for her unwavering commitment to assisting families with college readiness, financial literacy, consulting and more.
Her story and insights, shared at Fusion this year, made a lasting impression on event attendees.
Partner of the Year:
Citi
A Flywire partner for 15 years, Citi’s global reach and infrastructure helps Flywire deliver the reliable payment options our clients depend on. Their scale helps us execute billions in payments each year, ensuring funds move securely, swiftly, and efficiently through our network. What’s more, their continued commitment to innovation and operational excellence mirrors our own, supporting Flywire’s strategic growth with the latest technology and payment solutions.