International Scholarship and Tuition Services

What International Scholarship and Tuition Services does

International Scholarship and Tuition Services (ISTS), founded in 1985 and headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, is a privately held, 100% women-owned managed-services provider specializing in the administration of educational assistance programs. The company serves corporate employers (notably several Fortune 500 names across retail, healthcare, technology, financial services, and consumer goods), private foundations, public charities, associations, state agencies, unions, and nonprofits, managing more than 375 scholarship and grant programs and over 70 tuition reimbursement and student loan programs annually on behalf of 335+ clients worldwide. ISTS distributes approximately $147 million in educational assistance each year and reports having helped more than 6 million students apply for aid since inception.

The operating core of ISTS is its proprietary Applicant Information Manager (AIM) platform, introduced in 2009 as a 100% paperless, cloud-enabled, mobile-responsive system supporting custom application design, document validation, eligibility verification, automated manager approvals, payroll data feeds, SFTP-based data exchange, SAML 2.0 single sign-on, a Selection Portal for committee review, and a 24/7 client reporting layer. Product breadth has expanded beyond core scholarship administration into tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, childcare reimbursement, grants and fellowships, a Business Intelligence add-on for outcome analytics, a Tuition Discount Network of 100+ academic partners, and a 24/7 Student Support Hub offering multilingual (English, French, Spanish) assistance.

ISTS generates revenue primarily through annual flat managed-services fees structured to program size, scope, and application volume—not to dollars awarded—and layers on optional services for translation, disbursement, training, and promotional support. The 2025 launch of the Co-Op Scholarship Model at $2,500/year extends the offering downmarket to budget-constrained sponsors. Go-to-market is predominantly direct sales with dedicated Vice President of Business Development leadership, supplemented by a client referral program and partnership referrals from workforce education and career development platforms (AllCampus, INTOO). The company operates as a remote-first organization with roughly 42 U.S.-based employees and remains under the ownership of CEO Becky Sharpe, who purchased the business in 2008.

Name

International Scholarship and Tuition Services

Legal name

International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc.

Website

https://applyists.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ISTS is a Nashville-based, 100% women-owned managed-services provider, founded in 1985, that administers scholarship, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, grant, and fellowship programs for more than 335 corporate, foundation, association, and government clients worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Assistance Program Management

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Scholarships, Grants & Donor-Funded Awards Management (EDALAJAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Tuition Assistance & Voucher/ESA Program Administration (EDADAHAF), Scholarships, Grants & Education Benefits Administration (Financing-adjacent) (FSAKAEAM)

Keywords

• Scholarship program management
• Tuition reimbursement services
• Educational assistance programs
• Grant administration services
• Student loan repayment

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Educational Assistance Program Management Fees: ISTS charges annual flat fees for program administration services based on program size and scope. Fees are structured around services provided and application volume, NOT the total dollars awarded through the benefit. This includes core services like custom application development, participant notifications, inquiry support, and reporting.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ISTS provides comprehensive, end-to-end administration of educational assistance programs for organizations that fund scholarships, tuition reimbursement, student loan repayment, childcare reimbursement, and grants or fellowships. Services cover the full program lifecycle—including program design, branded application intake, applicant screening, independent selection, digital funds disbursement, reporting, and compliance—delivered through its proprietary Applicant Information Manager (AIM) platform with dedicated account management and 100% paperless processing.

Product overview

ISTS provides a comprehensive educational assistance program management platform centered on their proprietary Applicant Information Manager (AIM) system. The platform supports multiple service lines including Scholarship Management Services, Tuition Reimbursement Management, Student Loan Repayment Management, Childcare Reimbursement Management, and Grants and Fellowship Management. Core services are complemented by add-on modules including Business Intelligence, Program Training, Promotional Assistance, and a Co-Op Scholarship Model for budget-conscious sponsors. ISTS also maintains a Tuition Discount Network partnership with academic institutions and strategic partnerships with AllCampus for workforce education and INTOO for career development services. The platform is 100% mobile-responsive and supports paperless processing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scholarship Management Services End-to-end outsourced administration of organizational scholarship programs for corporations, foundations, associations, state agencies, unions, and societies. Covers program design, branded application intake, applicant screening and verification, independent selection via ISTS's online Selection Portal, digital funds disbursement, and ongoing reporting, delivered through the proprietary AIM platform with dedicated account management and multilingual support in 150+ languages.
• Tuition Reimbursement Management Full-service administration of employer tuition reimbursement programs, including eligibility management, application intake, grade and expense verification, IRS Section 127 and Section 135 compliance, approval workflows, and digital disbursement for corporate and organizational sponsors.
• Student Loan Repayment Management Outsourced administration of employer student loan repayment benefits, covering eligibility, application processing, verification of qualifying loan payments, IRS Section 127C compliance (up to $5,250 tax-free annually), payment processing, and reporting for employee benefit programs.
• Childcare Reimbursement Management Full-service administration of employer childcare and dependent-care reimbursement programs, including application intake, eligibility verification, dependent-care FSA and DCFSA compliance, disbursement, and reporting on AIM.
• Grants and Fellowships Management End-to-end administration of grant and fellowship programs for foundations, corporations, associations, and government sponsors, including RFP or solicitation design, application review, independent selection, grant agreement processing, milestone tracking, and digital disbursement on the AIM platform.

Quantifiable outcome

• ISTS can launch scholarship or grant programs in as little as two weeks
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability7 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AllCampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkforce education partnership with AllCampus, a public benefit company committed to making higher education affordable and accessible. The partnership provides an easy-to-use platform and wraparound services helping learners research, select and enroll in education programs. AllCampus is also part of ISTS Academic Network with a portfolio of 25+ learning providers offering 500+ programs, over half with no out-of-pocket tuition costs for employees using tuition reimbursement.
• INTOOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCareer development partnership with INTOO, the career development and transition flagship for Gi Group, a global HR leader. INTOO's award-winning career development platform provides resources and tools for job seekers and career coaching. ISTS offers these services to program participants through trusted industry partners.
• American Military UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering discounted tuition rates to participants of ISTS-managed programs. AMU is part of a network of 100+ learning providers offering 1,000+ courses and programs.
• Arizona State University OnlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering discounted tuition rates to participants of ISTS-managed programs.
• Boston UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering discounted tuition rates to participants of ISTS-managed programs.
• Cornell University (eCornell)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering professional development and certificate programs at discounted rates.
• Harvard University (Harvard Extension School)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering access to Harvard Extension School programs at negotiated rates.
• Vanderbilt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering local university access at discounted rates for ISTS program participants.
• Purdue University GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering online degree programs at reduced tuition for ISTS-managed program participants.
• Western Governors UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering competency-based online degree programs at discounted rates.
• Penn State World CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering online programs from Penn State at reduced tuition rates.
• Middle Tennessee State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner in the Tuition Discount Network (TDN), offering local university access at discounted rates for Nashville-area ISTS program participants.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Scholarship America: Largest US nonprofit scholarship management organization, offering directly comparable scholarship program administration, selection, and disbursement services to corporations, foundations, and individuals. The most direct competitor to ISTS's core scholarship management offering.
• Guild Education: Leading employer-sponsored education benefits platform connecting Fortune 1000 employees to tuition-funded degrees and learning programs. Closely comparable to ISTS's tuition reimbursement and workforce education service lines, with overlap on Fortune 500 client base.
• InStride: Employer education benefits platform providing tuition assistance program management, network of academic partners, and learner support. Direct peer in the corporate tuition reimbursement and education assistance space.
• Tuition.io: Specialized platform for employer student loan repayment and 529 contribution benefits administration. Directly comparable to ISTS's student loan repayment management service line, targeting overlapping HR/benefits buyers.

Broad incumbents

• Bright Horizons (EdAssist): Large education benefits administrator within Bright Horizons, offering tuition reimbursement management, student loan repayment, and childcare benefits for enterprise employers. Comparable to ISTS's tuition reimbursement and childcare reimbursement lines as part of a broader dependent care platform.
• EAB (Royal Consulting): Education advisory firm offering research, technology, and services to educational institutions and scholarship providers, including scholarship management consulting. Overlaps with ISTS's grants/fellowship and program management offerings but as part of a broader edtech portfolio.
• Nelnet Campus Commerce: Subsidiary of Nelnet Inc., providing tuition payment plans, campus commerce, and K-12/529 administration. Overlaps with ISTS's tuition reimbursement and student accounts-adjacent services through large institutional infrastructure.
• SoFi at Work: SoFi's employer benefits division offering student loan refinancing, repayment assistance, and financial wellness benefits to corporate HR. Comparable to ISTS's student loan repayment management service line as part of a broader consumer fintech platform.

Emerging players

• Going Merry: Scholarship application platform used by schools, nonprofits, and foundations to manage scholarship programs. Competes with ISTS's Co-Op Model and small/mid-market scholarship management through a SaaS-style delivery model.
• Fastweb: Long-standing scholarship search and matching database for students, with adjacent content and program support. Adjacent to ISTS's applicant-facing services but focuses on student discovery rather than sponsor program administration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/applyists
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@applyISTS
• Facebookfacebook.com/applyISTS
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-scholarship-and-tuition-services-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Scholarship and Tuition Services