SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
Thornton Academy
Since 1811, Thornton Academy has been a pillar of education in Maine, steadily growing into the largest independent school in the state, serving 1,500 students from more than 50 local towns and countries worldwide.
But with that growth came increasingly complex billing challenges and one too many hurdles in collecting its tuition and payments. As a school serving both publicly and privately funded students, Thornton needed a billing and tuition solution that could keep pace with its evolving needs and be more user-friendly for families.
At a Glance
Founded in 1811, Thornton Academy is a co-ed private boarding and day school serving grades 6 through 12 in Saco, Maine.
“We bill the town for their tuition, and another significant part of our population is private tuition students, just like any other typical private school,” explained Megan Cornwall, Thornton Academy’s Associate Director of Enrollment and Outreach.
“Our billing and finance offices have a tough job because they're perform the job of a private school business office and a public school business office at the same time."
Managing tuition for town-funded, private-paying, and some 200 international students required juggling multiple systems, processing financial aid and payment plans, and handling manual checks, cash, and wire transfers. Thornton’s existing system created inefficiencies in managing international payments across 50 different countries, and the lack of a streamlined process often led to delays in payments that required the team to follow up with families.
"We recognized the need for a more efficient way for our private school families to access their information independently,” Cornwall explained.
“Having a more transparent billing process for families is a lot more efficient for us. Now we're not spending our time answering so many questions about tuition balances and payments."
MEGAN CORNWALL
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF ENROLLMENT & OUTREACH
Finalsite Billing - A Centralized and Integrated Platform
Thornton Academy ultimately chose to switch to Finalsite Billing for its private day and international families and integrate seamlessly with the school’s existing Finalsite enrollment management system.
Seamless Integration and Dedicated Support
The ability to leverage their existing Finalsite infrastructure and the dedicated support provided during onboarding were factors in their decision to change to Finalsite Billing.
"The billing module just made a lot more sense,” Cornwall explained. “Honestly, just having the Finalsite Enrollment implementation staff help us with the onboarding process was really nice because during the regular check-ins and meetings, we would go through any questions, and that was very helpful."
Empowering Families and Staff with Flexible Payment Options
Finalsite Billing provided a self-service portal for families and automated key workflows, freeing up Cornwell and the rest of the staff’s time.
The system's flexibility in accommodating various payment methods was a major advantage not only for Thornton’s staff but also for families. Now, they can gain access to their ledgers to check their balances and see their payment options.
“Having a more transparent billing process for families is a lot more efficient for us,” said Cornwall. “Now we're not spending our time answering so many questions about tuition balances and payments."
Streamlined Operations, Happier Families, and Improved Collections
With the implementation of Finalsite Billing, the intuitive self-service portal and streamlined processes led to greater satisfaction among Thornton’s families. "Once folks logged in and they saw what it looked like, we had zero questions. No one asked us why we were doing this. No one had any questions about how to use it."
And with the automation of tasks like payment reminders and late fees, those features significantly reduced the manual work for staff. Families now get auto email reminders about upcoming payments, which previously wasn’t possible without a flurry of manual tasks. "Those little things just save so much time,” Cornwall shared, adding that the transparency has contributed to increased collection rates.
Stronger Consultant Relationships
The ability for international student consultants to access billing information has also strengthened the relationships and trust between families, the school, and the greater global network.
“I just had a student enroll from Mexico this morning,” Cornwall recalled. “I went into her record and added her consultant to their billing tab so they can log in and check their balance and help them with those payments. It really helps us with those relationships. We can let them know it’s there for them as a resource, and they're always very impressed. It’s been really useful for us to continue to build a lot of goodwill."
More Focus on Strategic Initiatives
By streamlining administrative tasks, Finalsite Billing freed up staff to focus on higher-value activities like relationship building and promoting the school's strengths, a responsibility given to every faculty and staff member at Thornton.
"I really value having a very efficient process that's very clear and very user-friendly,” Cornwall shared. “It helps us be able to focus more on sharing all the positive aspects about the school and all the really exciting opportunities for the students so that we're not spending our time just trying to talk people through the payment process or the tuition process."
With Finalsite Billing, Thornton is now keeping pace and fully embracing its growth. The system has empowered the business office to navigate the complexities of its unique billing situation with confidence, meaning Thornton can continue to provide a world-class education to students both near and far.
Simplify billing and tuition.
See how easy it is to collect tuition payments, schedule automated reminders, and customize payment schedules to increase collection rates.