Navodya De Silva is a 25-year-old student from Sri Lanka studying at Coventry University in the UK. Her parents paid her tuition fees of GBP 8,000 before the deadline. The money left their account in time. But due to a delay in the international banking process, it arrived in the university's account one day after the cutoff.
The university reported the delay to the UK Home Office, as it is required to do under UKVI rules. Her visa was curtailed. She was unable to continue her degree. She is now waiting on a decision that will determine whether she is deported back to Sri Lanka.
"I was a student who attended all my classes, got high marks and did all my assignments. I never expected this to happen."
The university did not act maliciously. The Home Office did not act outside its remit. Everyone followed the rules. And yet a student's future is now in serious jeopardy over a one-day banking delay that she had no control over.
This is worth sitting with, because the same situation could happen to any international student who uses a standard bank transfer to pay university fees.
Why the banking system is not built for this
When you send money internationally through a regular bank, your payment rarely goes directly from your bank to the university. It typically travels through one or more correspondent banks, each of which processes, verifies, and forwards the funds. This adds time, and that time is not always predictable.
How a typical international bank transfer works
Your bank sends the payment to a correspondent bank in an intermediary country. That bank converts the currency and forwards it to a partner bank in the destination country. That bank then credits the recipient's account. Each step has its own processing window, and any one of them can introduce a delay of one to three business days.
Add to this that large transfers, particularly from certain countries, can be held for compliance reviews. Public holidays, weekends, and high-volume periods like the start of an academic term all slow things down further. The sender cannot see exactly where the money is. The university cannot see it either until it arrives.
For most purchases, a day or two of delay is inconvenient. For an international student paying tuition, it can be the difference between continuing a degree and losing a visa.
What students can do differently
The practical steps here are straightforward. The problem is that many students and their families are not aware of the risk until it is too late.
- Send your payment at least 10 to 14 days before the deadline, not just 2 to 3 days prior, as bank processing times can vary based on country, currency, and seasonal demand.
- Get written confirmation from your bank showing when the funds were actually dispatched, not just when you initiated the transfer, to maintain proof of timely payment.
- Check if your university offers or recommends a dedicated education payment platform, as these systems are often faster, more secure, and easier to track than standard bank wire transfers.
- If you expect any payment issues, contact your university’s finance or international student office before the deadline rather than after, since proactive communication is far more effective.
- Keep detailed records of all payment-related documents, including transfer screenshots, bank confirmation emails, and communication with the university, to safeguard against disputes or delays.
How Inforens and Flywire work together to reduce this risk
This is exactly the kind of situation that dedicated education payment platforms were designed to prevent. Flywire is a global payment platform used by over 2,400 universities worldwide. It is built specifically for international tuition payments, which means it integrates directly with university finance systems, provides real-time tracking from the moment you pay to the moment your university confirms receipt, and offers competitive exchange rates without hidden fees.
Inforens has partnered with Flywire to give international students a trusted, straightforward way to make this payment, with one added benefit.
When you pay your university fees through Flywire via Inforens, you receive 0.2% cashback on your payment, up to £100, credited directly to your account by Inforens. Students paying to universities in the US receive cashback in USD; students paying to universities in Europe receive it in EUR.
The bigger picture
International students carry an enormous amount of risk that domestic students simply do not face. Visa status, fee payment timelines, accommodation, and academic performance all have to be managed simultaneously, often in a new country and a second language. And a failure in any one of these areas can have consequences that cascade far beyond the original problem.
Navodya's case is a reminder that the systems international students navigate are unforgiving even when the student has done nothing wrong. The best protection against that is preparation, not perfection.
Send fees early. Use traceable payment methods. Keep records. And if something goes wrong, communicate with your university before the deadline, not after it.
If you or someone you know is dealing with a fee payment issue or visa concern related to a missed deadline, contact your university's international student services office as soon as possible. Acting early is always the right move.
With Inforens, you get just that, access to a strong international student community, guidance from experienced mentors with whom you could book personalized calls, and our expert professionals who can help you throughout your study abroad journey!