alt Hacker News> paid directly to the school
This is probably better, but just shifts the trust to the institution rather than the individual, which can also be hit or miss.
Replies
latexr • today at 5:29 PM
I mean sure, but at some point you have to trust someone. Take it far back enough and we could argue you also have to trust the banks used for the transaction.
The institution has more eyes on it than an individual—be it journalists, the government, concerned citizens, even the students themselves—and is thus more likely to be caught in fowl play.
You keep contact with both. Pay the money to the school, but get the feedback directly from the student. The school would have to collude with the student to claim that school fees are paid when they actually aren't.