JAMEO CALVERT
On 31 March, Flywire rolled out their platform to aid UP international students make fee payments. According to Munya Chiura, Flywire South Africa Country Manager, the payment option is immediately available for use by the University of Pretoria’s international students.
Chiura told PDBY that Flywire allows international students to pay their tuition accounts from over 240 countries in their domestic currencies stating that “ [it is] especially critical now, given COVID-19”. “Students and their families can easily leverage [their] global payment network to securely make international payments from the safety and convenience of their homes”.
Their services are especially beneficial to international students during the present COVID-19 pandemic that the world is faced with, because most students are finding it difficult to leave their homes for anything other than essential services. “In many cases, these students are still in their domestic countries, and can not physically visit a bank branch to make a payment. Only 6% of the international student population at UP remained in their respective residences because they could not travel back to their domestic countries for various reasons”, she said.
“Students and their families can easily leverage [their] global payment network to securely make international payments from the safety and convenience of their homes”
Supporting 150 currencies across 240 countries, the online payment options include secure bank transfers, card payment options, and alternative payment methods such as PayPal and Alipay. International students have 24/7 access to Flywire support via phone, email, and live chat with any questions regarding their payments, according to Chiura. Furthermore, Chiura told PDBY that students can track their payments from start to finish via SMS and email.
Chiura said that “[Flywire] ensures that there is a quick delivery of international students’ fees, deposits, and accommodation payments within days, and not weeks”.International students who want to learn more about Flywire can contact the UP SRC or ICD, they can also download the Flywire mobile application on the Google Play and Apple App Store.
