Nelnet Campus Commerce Advances Project Horizon Following Successful Virtual Client Summit

Rhea-AI Summary

Nelnet Campus Commerce (NYSE: NNI) advanced Project Horizon after its 2025 Virtual Client Summit, held Oct 16, 2025 with more than 500 higher-education attendees. The company announced product roadmap progress and feature updates co-developed with colleges, including enhanced flexible payment plans, updates to Nelnet Notify for personalized automated communications, and Scholarship Manager workflow improvements to streamline award distribution. A redesigned billing and payments platform is slated for release in late 2026. The initiative also expands support with 24/7 domestic service, proactive outreach, and client advisory programs to guide implementation.

Insights

Product & Higher Education Payments Analyst

Project Horizon shows concrete product progress, client engagement, and a clear late-2026 delivery milestone for a redesigned billing platform.

Nelnet Campus Commerce advances manifest through concrete product updates—enhanced payment plans, upgrades to Nelnet Notify, and Scholarship Manager workflow automation—that directly address operational friction for campuses and students. The summit attendance of over 500 higher-education professionals on October 16, 2025 and co-development with client partners indicate active user validation rather than speculative planning.

The initiative depends on execution risks common to large platform efforts: integration with campus ERPs, adoption by early adopters, and on-time delivery of the redesigned billing and payments platform targeted for late 2026. The announcement cites an adaptive 24/7 domestic support model, which, if implemented as described, reduces operational friction but will require sustained staffing and service metrics to be credible.

Watch for three concrete, monitorable items over the next 12–18 months: early-adopter rollouts and feedback on the redesigned billing platform, measured changes in payment engagement or on-time collections tied to the Notify enhancements, and actual deployment details for the 24/7 support model. These milestones will determine whether the roadmap delivers the promised operational benefits to campuses.

LINCOLN, Neb., Oct. 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Nelnet Campus Commerce, a trusted leader in higher education payment technology, announced major product updates and roadmap advancements following its 2025 Virtual Client Summit, reinforcing the continued momentum of Project Horizon—the company's multi-year initiative to modernize campus payment solutions.

More than 500 higher education professionals across the country attended the full-day virtual event on October 16, 2025. The summit brought together campus leaders to explore the future of Nelnet Campus Commerce, discuss new innovations, and hear directly from peers and industry experts about evolving trends in higher education finance.

Attendees previewed upcoming innovations on the Project Horizon roadmap, including new capabilities co-developed with colleges and universities. Featured updates included:

• Enhanced payment plans that are offering greater flexibility for institutions and students that match individual financial needs.
• Enhancements to Nelnet Notify, connecting seamlessly to student and payer actions to deliver personalized, automated messages that improve engagement and on-time payments.
• Scholarship Manager updates that streamlined scholarship application, review and awarding workflows help to automate award distribution at a time when students and institutions face increased financial pressures.

The summit also featured insights from Ashley Jackson of the National Association of College and University Business Officers (NACUBO). She provided updates on federal funding trends, the impacts of the recent government shutdown, and increased FAFSA engagement rates shaping financial aid strategies across the nation.

"Every element of Project Horizon is designed to reduce effort, remove barriers, and ultimately support student success," said Brittany Hubbard, director of product experience at Nelnet Campus Commerce. "By building side by side with our client institutions, we're ensuring the future of payment technology is practical, flexible, and student focused."

Project Horizon: Building the Future Together

Unlike traditional system upgrades, Project Horizon is a holistic transformation of Nelnet Campus Commerce's payment technology, support model, and client engagement strategy. Its guiding principles of control, flexibility, and integration ensure solutions are deliberately built for the way institutions work today while positioning them for tomorrow's challenges.

"Project Horizon is a bold reimagining of the way higher education approaches payments and financial engagement," said Jackie Strohbehn, president of Nelnet Campus Commerce. "The feedback and collaboration we saw at the summit reaffirm our shared vision: student-first, institution-informed technology that adapts to the evolving needs of campuses everywhere."

Three key pillars anchor the initiative:

• Engagement: Institutions are actively shaping product design through advisory boards, early adopter programs, and The Quad, Nelnet's online community connecting higher education leaders in real time.
• Product: The first new solution released under Project Horizon, Nelnet Notify, is already helping institutions send targeted, automated payment communications using ERP data. A redesigned billing and payments platform, developed in partnership with higher education design partners, is slated for release in late 2026.
• Support: Nelnet has introduced an adaptive service model featuring 24/7 domestic support, proactive outreach, and strategic account reviews tailored to institutional needs.

"Project Horizon is not just about technology, it's about partnership," Strohbehn added. "Together with our clients, we're building solutions that truly future-proof campus operations and enhance the student financial journey."

About Nelnet Campus Commerce
Nelnet Campus Commerce delivers unlimited payment opportunities for nearly 1,000 colleges and universities and serves over 8 million students across the United States. Using the latest technology to create unique and integrated payment experiences, Nelnet Campus Commerce solutions are PCI Level 1 validated and integrated with every major enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. From payment processing and disbursements to tuition payment plans and online storefronts, Nelnet Campus Commerce helps process every payment on campus.

About Nelnet Business Services
Nelnet Business Services (NBS) is a division of Nelnet, Inc. (NYSE: NNI), which provides payment technology and community management solutions for K-12 schools, higher education institutions, churches, and businesses in the U.S. and internationally. NBS serves nearly 1,000 higher education institutions and 12,000 K-12 schools worldwide.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nelnet-campus-commerce-advances-project-horizon-following-successful-virtual-client-summit-302593320.html

SOURCE Nelnet Campus Commerce

FAQ

What did Nelnet Campus Commerce announce at its Oct 16, 2025 Virtual Client Summit (NNI)?

Nelnet highlighted Project Horizon roadmap progress, new payment-plan flexibility, Nelnet Notify enhancements, Scholarship Manager updates, and a redesigned billing platform planned for late 2026.

How many attendees joined Nelnet Campus Commerce's 2025 Virtual Client Summit?

More than 500 higher-education professionals attended the full-day virtual event on Oct 16, 2025.

When will Nelnet release its redesigned billing and payments platform under Project Horizon?

The redesigned billing and payments platform is slated for release in late 2026.

What improvements does Nelnet Notify provide for institutions (NNI)?

Nelnet Notify delivers targeted, personalized, automated payment communications tied to ERP data to improve engagement and on-time payments.

How does Project Horizon change Nelnet's client support model?

Project Horizon introduces an adaptive service model with 24/7 domestic support, proactive outreach, and strategic account reviews.

What Scholarship Manager updates did Nelnet announce affecting award distribution?

Updates streamline scholarship application, review, and awarding workflows to help automate award distribution amid increased financial pressures.