Western Union and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University Simplify Enrollment Fee Payments

TOKYO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Western Union, a leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments, today announced a collaboration with Western Union Business Solutions and Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU) that will enable students to pay enrollment fees (including an admission fee, partial tuition fees, dormitory fees, and insurance fees) using a simplified payment process, helping assure funds arrive on-time and in-full, without hidden charges.

The international payment platform, WU® GlobalPay for Students, provides students the ability to review payment options in advance with a price comparison tool and to lock-in exchange rates for up to 72 hours. Students can pay in their local or preferred currency and transparently track their payment status through the online portal, mobile messages and email. GlobalPay for Students also simplifies payment reconciliation to help free up financial and administration resources for education institutions.

“Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University is a pioneer in the recruitment of international students in Japan and we are proud to be a partner to provide the GlobalPay for Students platform,” said Haruhiko Ohashi, country manager for Japan, Western Union Business Solutions. “Without software to install, the system provides a simple path for APU to easily manage their international payments.”

APU currently hosts nearly 3,000 international students from more than 90 countries and regions around the world, making it the most diverse, multicultural university in Japan.

“As a university admitting large numbers of international students, the fact that this will make it easier for students and their families to remit their fees from overseas during the admissions process was extremely attractive to us,” said Yuichi Kondo, APU Dean of Admissions. “Being the school of choice for international students from all over the world, I am sure that the greater convenience offered by the implementation of GlobalPay for Students will be a positive for those applying to APU.”

Western Union Business Solutions is a trusted payment provider that has moved over $14B on behalf of education providers. Eight out of the top ten ranked universities globallyⁱ save time and money using our solutions for the education sector. In addition to enabling universities around the world to provide convenient and trusted payment solutions to their international students, Western Union Business Solutions offers users a wide range of payment solutions including transmitting outgoing payments, facilitating student refunds, and administering government loan funding. Western Union Business Solutions is a partner universities trust to drive their international financial strategy, with an extensive global network spanning 200 countries/territories and 130 currencies. GlobalPay for Students was introduced to Japanese educational institutions in 2017 and is used at universities, Japanese language schools and professional schools across Japan. For more information on GlobalPay for Students, visit our website.

About Western Union

The Western Union Company (NYSE: WU) is a global leader in cross-border, cross-currency money movement and payments. Our omnichannel platform connects the digital and physical worlds and makes it possible for consumers and businesses to send and receive money and make payments with speed, ease, and reliability. As of December 31, 2019, our network included over 550,000 retail agent locations offering our branded services in more than 200 countries and territories, with the capability to send money to billions of accounts. Additionally, westernunion.com, our fastest growing channel in 2019, is available in over 70 countries, plus additional territories, to move money around the world. With our global reach, Western Union moves money for better, connecting family, friends and businesses to enable financial inclusion and support economic growth. For more information, visit www.westernunion.com.

About Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU)

APU (Japanese: 立命館アジア太平洋大学) opened in April 2000 as Japan's first genuine international university. Nearly 20 years later, this multicultural and multilingual campus is home to approximately 6,000 students, half of whom come from more than 90 countries and regions outside Japan, and a faculty that is equally diverse. Over 18,000 alumni from more than 150 countries have experienced APU's unique bilingual approach to education. As a top-ranking university with accreditation from AACSB, UNWTO.TedQual certification, and a network of over 450 partner institutions around the world, APU and its community is leading the internationalization of higher education in Japan. Learn more at http://en.apu.ac.jp/.

ⁱ Times Higher Education Global University Rankings 2020