The image of the education provider has shifted drastically over the last decade. Besides schools and universities, a spectrum of independent digital education providers of varying scales offer programs. The range of courses is diverse – from K12 education and graduate and post-graduate programs to skilling courses across many subjects.
Digital has transformed the way we learn, and its influence is here to stay, attracting learners of all age groups and backgrounds to be engaged. For instance, the digital education market is expected to register a compound annual growth rate of 26% from 2021 to 2031, raising market share from $12.5 billion to $125.3 billion during this period.
A key factor driving growth is the education EMI (equated monthly instalment), which is removing affordability barriers. Today, even onsite schools and colleges offer this payment option to support learners in fulfilling their educational aspirations.
Let’s understand how access to credit opportunities such as education EMI is generating opportunities for learners and increasing enrollment for education providers.
What is the education EMI?
The cost of education today is continuously rising. Learners may not have the financial resources to pay for a program upfront.
Education EMI is an affordability option that allows learners to stagger payments instead of making a one-time lump sum payment. The ability to pay in instalments opens the door for more learners to invest in building knowledge and skills.
The education EMI is becoming a popular option due to the convenience and flexibility it offers to consumers. Instead of applying for an education loan with one’s bank, a learner can choose the EMI option at the point of sale on the education provider’s website. They can proceed to pay for and start their program.
On the other hand, applying for an education loan is a long-winded process, which may take days to be sanctioned, thus delaying enrollments.
How does education EMI work?
The education EMI is a type of lending model which allows a consumer to take a loan at the point of sale. Businesses can integrate a superior payment gateway, which simplifies the entire payment workflow, offers multiple options, and a seamless user journey for any consumer.
The payment gateway, alongside other payment modes, displays an EMI option so that the consumer can seamlessly access credit right away.
The terms of the EMI are extremely flexible. Consumers can choose the interest rate, tenure of the loan repayment, and repayment schedule based on their cash flow situation. Once they have selected the terms relevant to them, they can make the payment and get started with their program.
Education providers can also offer options such as no-interest EMIs and enable payments via multiple modes, from credit cards to debit cards. Flexibility for the consumers ranges from the terms of the EMI itself to the modes of payment they are most comfortable with.
The borrower must make the loan repayments on a designated date each month. If they miss a payment, they will be charged a late fee and interest.
Benefits of education EMI for businesses
The introduction of the education EMI via a superior payment gateway unlocks several opportunities for businesses. Here is a snapshot of the advantages it brings to the table for education providers:
Accelerates enrollment rates
Today, the number of education providers has increased at all levels of education. Virtual schools, education provider platforms, K12 publishers delivering courses and eBooks, and skilling platforms are growing in their popularity.
In such a competitive landscape, education providers offering more flexibility can build a competitive advantage. The education EMI option will play an instrumental role in converting leads into customers, thus pushing up the enrollment numbers.
Increases customer lifetime value
Today’s learning culture encourages consumers to continue the learning cycle as a way to build knowledge and skills. Learners who are satisfied with their learning experiences with a platform are likely to come back for more.
Building on the affordability of EMI will further nudge learners to pursue more programs with the same provider. This trend will help businesses inspire customer loyalty and increase customer lifetime value, an important metric that determines the success of a business.
Easy collection of fees
Education providers today are investing an extensive amount of resources to enhance the quality of education via enhanced engagement and a mobile-friendly interface. However, it is equally important to build a secure payment process to foster trust in customers.
By integrating a superior payment gateway that also activates the education EMI option, customers will be more likely to proceed with payment for a program. On the other hand, businesses can be assured of a secure, transparent medium to collect payments.
Drives educational inclusion
One of the biggest legacies education providers can build via the education EMI is to enable underserved demographics of consumers to pursue education.
New markets of learners can be tapped. As they reap the benefits of such opportunities, they become lifelong customers and continue to patronize the business.
Accelerates revenue growth
As enrollments and customer lifetime value continue to grow, these factors also help to drive up revenues for an education provider.
Revenue growth can unlock further opportunities, such as access to funding and credit for businesses looking to accelerate growth and capture more market share.
Conclusion
By introducing education EMI options, education providers are attracting fresh demographics of learners who may potentially become long-term customers. This is because learners tend to go back to a provider for new programs if they enjoy high-quality learning and user experience.
Thus, this payment method enables the inclusion of learners while also driving enrollment and revenue growth for businesses. Partnering with a payments technology innovator can help businesses transform the consumer’s payment experience and foster trust with this important step.
Plural Gateway, a complete payment solution, allows education providers and institutes to offer a seamless EMI payment options to their students, giving them an advantage in a competitive learner market. We also powers other affordability options, such as payment links in a consumer’s preferred channel of engagement. EMI on education will make it accessible and affordable to all.
Our Gateway is backed with industry-standard security systems to protect customer data and provide a hassle-free integration experience with round-the-clock tech support. To learn more about Plural Gateway, reach out to us.
If you’re an educational institution, check out Qfix, our partners who offer education solutions such as fee management, fee financing and more.
Plural by Pine Labs has received an in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to operate as a Payment Aggregator.
Amrita Konaiagari is a Marketing Manager at Plural by Pine Labs and Editor of the Plural blog. She has over 10 years of marketing experience across Media & Tech industries and holds a Master’s degree in Communication and Journalism. She has a passion for home décor and is most definitely a dog person.
