Join Our Mailing List

TPA 2026

Innovation, Transformation, and Risk: The Future is Now

Savannah, Georgia, May 3 - 6, 2026

Register Here

Featured Opening Session Innovation, Technology, and Risk: The Future is Now

Sharon Butler, Executive Vice President of Global Education, Flywire Inc.; John Paul Farmer, Global Head of Public Sector, Stripe; Scott Young, Director, Senior Merchant Specialist, Bank of America, Global Payment Solutions; and Ruth Harpool, AAP, APRP, CTP, Co-Founder, The Payments Academy
From real-time rails and embedded experiences to AI-driven decisioning and richer data standards, the payments ecosystem is transforming how institutions collect, move, and protect money. For higher education, these changes are accelerating expectations for speed, transparency, student experience, and financial resilience, while simultaneously raising the stakes around fraud, compliance, and operational risk. Join moderator Ruth Harpool, Co-Founder of The Payments Academy and these industry leaders from Bank of America, Flywire, and Stripe for an opening panel that cuts through the noise to explore what's actually changing, what's coming next, and how institutions can innovate responsibly. This forward-looking session will examine how modern payment technologies are reshaping business models, treasury operations, and campus ecosystems, and what leaders must do now to balance transformation with risk readiness. Attendees will gain practical insight into how payments innovation can accelerate outcomes, where risk is emerging fastest, and how to prepare for a future that is already here.

Planning to Attend

Need help sharing the value of this event with your supervisor? Download the Justification Toolkit.
2026 Conference Times (Eastern Time)
  • Sunday, May 3, 5:00 - 6:30 PM, Welcome Reception with Supporters
  • Monday, May 4, 7:00 AM - 6:30 PM, Full day of sessions
  • Tuesday, May 5, 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Full day of sessions
  • Wednesday, May 6, 7:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Half day of sessions

Hyatt Regency Savannah

Information to make a reservation in the group block is included in registration confirmations.

Experience Savannah

Our conference is on the river, but the city and nearby beaches have so much more to experience https://visitsavannah.com!

The Program Committee

The Program Committee is a dynamic group of volunteers who strive to help their peers engage with what is happening in the evolving payments industry and learn how it affects higher education. The Conference is the place to network with other schools, meet solution providers and evaluate ways to reduce risks and lessen compliance burdens.
Kevin Sisler (Chair)
University of Kentucky
Preston DuBose
Texas A&M University
Brittney Goad
Stephen F. Austin University
Joseph K. Goodman
Virginia Tech
Amena Harris
University of Pennsylvania
Matthew Moore
The Ohio State University

General Conference Information

Event Participation
Attendance is limited to representatives from colleges and universities and supporters of The Payments Academy. If you have any questions regarding this policy or would like to inquire about becoming a conference supporter, please contact us.
Fees
The registration fee for the 2026 conference is $650. We encourage you to register and pay online. If you are unable to make a payment using the registration portal and require an invoice, please contact us. Upon payment completion, a registration acknowledgment is sent by the registration system to the registrant's email. The registration fee includes all sessions, breakfast, lunch, receptions, refreshment breaks, and access to the event app. Reception attendees must be 21 or over.
Refunds
Refunds will be made for cancellations until Tuesday, March 10, 2026. After that date, the registration fee can be transferred to a colleague for the 2026 conference. All change requests must be completed by Wednesday, April 29, 2026. To request changes to your registration please contact us.
Continuing Education Credits
We expect the 2026 Conference to be pre-approved for AFP CTP continuing education credits. You will need to submit the sessions to your certification provider for their consideration. Approval is at the discretion of your certification provider.
In all cases, you are responsible for reporting your professional credits. Conference attendees who have previously self-submitted for CE credits recommend keeping the program's Credit Reporting Form, the agenda with session descriptions, and your certificate of attendance as support should your credit submission get audited.
Conference attendance certificates will be e-mailed to all attendees within two weeks of the program conclusion. We ask that you save copies of these certificates for your records. Please note, if you decline emails from The Payments Academy, you may not receive your certificate or program updates.

Thank you to our Foundational Supporters

Thank you to our Conference Supporters

The PCI listserv

The PCI listserv is an online higher education practitioner community where members can network and share information between Conferences. To request access send an email to pci-compliance-subscribe-request@listserv.tamu.edu As a spam prevention measure, the listserv will automatically reply with another email asking you to verify it was really you who sent the request. After you act upon that verification email, the subscription will be forwarded to the list owner for approval.