Edstart | A better Way to Pay School Fees

At a glance

Located in Melbourne's outer North East, ELTHAM College is an independent school with students from early learning to Year 12

As part of their strategic plan they want to create a more connected community, and are looking to create long-term partnerships with organisations to help achieve this

They formed a strategic partnership with Edstart to grow their community by providing parents increased payment flexibility and a better experience with their school fees

By making budgeting for school fees easier for families, Edstart has helped the College with attracting new enrolments as well as with retention of students

The school

ELTHAM College is located in Melbourne’s outer North East, an area affectionately known by locals as the ‘Lungs of Melbourne’ for its stunning eucalypt canopy. With over 650 students nestled at the start of the Yarra Valley, the College even has its own vineyard and winery on site.

"I'm really proud of the fact that we're an independent school set up 50 years ago for the community. We were set up to be a beacon of innovative learning and we really keep that value really central to everything that we do. It drives our vision and we really are here to help our community grow and prosper."

Richard Lisle, Principal & CEO

As part of their strategic plan they want to grow the College and create a more connected and engaged community. To help them achieve this they’re looking to develop long-term and transformative partnerships with organisations that align with their values and benefit their community.

The partnership

The partnership began in 2022 when Edstart was brought on as a strategic partner to help enable more students to attend ELTHAM College. Although they already offered families some options to pay in instalments, they wanted to provide parents with even greater flexibility and an improved payment experience, allowing more families in the community to attend the College.

"So we're currently partnering with Edstart on a five-point plan to enable more students to experience an ELTHAM College education. For us it was more about giving families increased flexibility should they need it and increased customer experience."

Stuart Wenn, Director, Business & Operations

Also recognising that many families prefer to keep financial discussions separate to what their children are doing at school, the College wanted to provide them with a specialist they can talk to who understands the challenges of balancing school fees with the family budget.

The results

Edstart has been actively involved with the implementation of ELTHAM College’s strategic plan and helping the College drive enrolments during their Open Days and community events.

Many families have been making the most of the extra flexibility on offer, which has made it easy for them to move quickly to different payment options if they experience a bump in the road.

"Edstart Plus is a massive benefit for our families as it affords them the flexibility that they need in managing their day-to-day cash flow, and with the economy the way it is at the moment that just adds so much value to us as a school with retention and it just adds so much more flexibility for the families that we weren't able to offer before."

Stuart Wenn, Director, Business & Operations

The College is now at ease knowing their families are well cared for by our Family Support team.

"We have had quite a few families who have responded with how wonderful the customer team has been in replying to their enquiries, they're really really supportive for our families and we can trust that our families are in good hands."

Lisa Burleigh, Accounts Receivable Officer

The Finance team also has a much more streamlined process in place.

"Edstart Plus has impacted my daily operations in a way that it just frees up more time. I've got so much more time now to add more value-based projects within the Finance team."

"It does feel like we've gained more members of our Finance team."

Lisa Burleigh, Accounts Receivable Officer

School case study

At a glance

The school

The partnership

The results

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