As Apple Pay aims to replace consumers? physical wallets, experts believe the iPhone 6 will also serve universities by replacing traditional student identification cards that allow them opportunities such as on-campus access and laundry payment capabilities.

Today?s students are increasingly inclined by technology, and as their expectations must be met as consumers, they will have similar expectations as students. Universities that are equipped with modern, mobile capabilities are more likely to appeal to today?s and tomorrow?s students.

"Most college students today purchase their own smartphones and manage their accounts via the web," said Robert Huber, founder of Robert Huber Associates. "Using their phones as their new campus card will invariably be seen as an added convenience and customer benefit by most students."

Mr. Huber, a campus card industry business consultant, and his business AllCampusCard claims to have transformed the on-campus experience in 1985 with his invention of the All-Campus Card, combining numerous traditional campus applications, such as dining services, library, vending, laundry, copiers, parking, door access, etc.

By consolidating the above on-campus functionalities into one single ID card, students could conduct their student affairs with ease. As Apple Pay is expected to revolutionize the online and offline retail space, iPhone 6 capabilities can also be used for students for college purposes.

On a greater note, it is predicted that smartphones could replace drivers? licenses or ID cards in the near future.

These implementations can help make universities and colleges more appealing and marketable, as students are going to increasingly expect technological capabilities in their student experiences.

Although the education system has been slower to adopt mobile, some institutions are seeing value in mobile capabilities, such as beacons.

Stony Brook University is leveraging beacon technology to bring location-based mobile offers and messaging to its campus and drive more community traffic to its on-site arena for athletic and cultural events.

A new partnership with Mobiquity Technology will enable the New York state-based university to deliver more offers and information to students and community members, as well as enhance the amenities and services its 40,000 square foot arena offers. While Mobiquity?s technology has established a strong presence in malls across America, it is now aiming to tap into the market of college campuses (see story).

In 2013, The University of Texas at Austin and three other universities trained new math and science teachers to use mobile in what was claimed to be a first-of-its kind national program.

The pilot program ran for a year at the University of Texas, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Kansas at Lawrence and the University of Massachusetts at Lowell. It was a partnership among Verizon, UTeach Institute and the National Math & Science Initiative and was aimed at increasing student achievement in science, technology, engineering and math fields (see story).

There will surely be more involvements with mobile in education in the near future due to iPhone 6 capabilities.

"I expect to see a wave of campuses shifting from plastic cards to user-provided virtual credentials by the end of the decade," Mr. Huber said.