Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association

What Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association does

The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA), founded in 1956 and headquartered at 555 Marriott Drive, Suite 315 in Nashville, Tennessee, is a private non-profit association representing 34 private, not-for-profit colleges and universities across Tennessee. Across these member institutions, TICUA reports an aggregate footprint of approximately 79,000 enrolled students, 21,000 employees, and 20,000 degrees awarded annually. Its mission is to engage these institutions in collaborative work across public policy, cost containment, and professional development to serve the state and its citizens.

TICUA operates as a membership-based association rather than a product or technology company. Its core service lines are organized around four pillars: Advocate (legislative activity tracking, policy publications, data collection, surveys), Collaborate (group purchasing through partnerships with the Coalition for College Cost Savings, Educational and Institutional Cooperative, and OMNIA Partners; the Multiple Employer Plan 403(b) retirement program; campus mental health resources; the Drive to 55 academic collaboration; and CHASCo safety partnership), Connect (meetings, retreats, and the Social Link member-only networking platform), and Lead (the Executive Leadership Institute, Advancing Leaders, legislative awards, and the Hall of Fame). The underlying technology is conventional membership management software (YourMembership) with social login via Facebook and LinkedIn, supporting events, directories, and member engagement; no proprietary AI or differentiated technology platform is disclosed.

TICUA generates revenue through membership dues and assessments from its 34 member institutions, supplemented by modest administrative support from procurement vendor agreements. Distribution is direct and regional, focused exclusively on Tennessee's private higher education sector. Key external relationships include regulatory and accreditation bodies (NC-SARA, SACSCOC), procurement cooperatives (Coalition for College Cost Savings, E&I, OMNIA Partners), and retirement plan service providers (TIAA, Pentegra, SageView, Millennium Advisory Services). Leadership is provided by President Cameron Conn, who also serves as Secretary on the Multiple Employer Plan Governing Committee.

Name

Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association

Legal name

Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association

Website

https://ticua.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association is a Nashville-based non-profit association founded in 1956 that represents 34 private colleges and universities in Tennessee, providing legislative advocacy, collaborative procurement, professional development, and shared retirement plan services to its member institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

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, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues and services: TICUA generates revenue through membership fees and assessments from its 34 member private colleges and universities in Tennessee. The association also receives modest administrative support from certain procurement agreements with vendors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

TICUA is a membership association that engages Tennessee's 34 private, not-for-profit colleges and universities in public policy advocacy, cost containment through collaborative purchasing programs, and professional development for institutional leadership. It represents member institutions before state and federal government, negotiates group procurement agreements through partners such as the Coalition for College Cost Savings, E&I Cooperative, and OMNIA Partners, and operates the Multiple Employer Plan (403(b) retirement plan) for participating institutions.

Product overview

TICUA is a membership-based association for private higher education institutions in Tennessee, not a product company. It provides advocacy, data collection, collaborative cost-savings programs, and professional development services to its 34 member institutions. Services include legislative advocacy, enrollment and completions data collection, group procurement agreements, the Multiple Employer Plan (403(b) retirement plan), leadership development programs (Executive Leadership Institute and Advancing Leaders), mental health resources, and the Social Link member networking platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Executive Leadership Institute A flagship professional development program designed for current and emerging leaders at TICUA's 34 member institutions, with annual cohorts (Class of 2017 through Class of 2026 evidenced).
• Advancing Leaders A leadership development program for emerging leaders at TICUA member institutions, complementing the Executive Leadership Institute.
• Multiple Employer Plan (MEP) A 403(b) Multiple Employer Plan offered to TICUA member institutions as a shared retirement plan solution, with Pentegra as ERISA 402(a) Named Fiduciary and 3(16) plan administrator, SageView as ERISA 3(38) investment manager, TIAA as plan recordkeeper, and Millennium Advisory Services providing on-campus education.
• TICUA Procurement Agreements Direct collaborative purchasing agreements negotiated by TICUA that leverage the combined buying power of 34 member institutions to reduce operating costs on goods and services.
• Social Link Member Portal A dedicated member-only online platform that enables collaboration, communication, and resource sharing among TICUA's 34 member institutions.
• Tennessee Smart Shop A cost-savings purchasing program offered as part of TICUA's Ways to Save initiatives, providing member institutions access to competitively priced goods and services.

Named customers34 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Coalition for College Cost SavingscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTICUA is a member of the Coalition for College Cost Savings, a group purchasing organization comprised of 33 non-profit higher education member organizations dedicated to helping nearly 900 non-profit higher education institutions improve processes and reduce costs through collaboration.
• Educational and Institutional Cooperative (E&I)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorE&I is a not-for-profit buying cooperative established in 1934 that provides goods and services to members at competitive pricing. TICUA member institutions access nearly 100 contracts through this partnership.
• OMNIA PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOMNIA Partners is the largest cooperative purchasing organization driving excellence in higher education procurement, providing best value contracts from industry-leading suppliers.
• Millennium Advisory Services, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerProvides on-campus education services for participating institutions in the Multiple Employer Plan, including group education sessions, individual financial planning meetings, and ongoing help for plan participants.
• PentegracoreTechnology or IntegrationServes as the ERISA 402(a) Named Fiduciary and the ERISA 3(16) plan administrator, responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Multiple Employer Plan.
• SageView Advisory Group, LLCcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerServes as the ERISA 3(38) investment manager, responsible for the selection and monitoring of the funds in the Multiple Employer Plan investment menu.
• TIAAcoreTechnology or IntegrationPlan recordkeeper for the Multiple Employer Plan, bringing over 100 years of experience in financial reporting and plan sponsor and participant services for the not-for-profit community.
• NC-SARA (National Council - State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements)coreOthersNC-SARA allows institutions to offer certain academic programs in other states without seeking authorization in each member state. TICUA members participate in NC-SARA through state authorization.
• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)coreOthersAccreditation body to which complaints relating to quality of education or accreditation requirements can be referred for TICUA member institutions.
• CHASCominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHASCo is a private-public partnership of higher education institutions, funded by the State of Tennessee, working to ensure the health and safety of campus communities through collaboration and shared best practices.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU): National umbrella organization representing private nonprofit colleges and universities in Washington, D.C. NAICU is the federal-level analog to TICUA, which is itself a member of the broader NAICU network and addresses the same advocacy and policy agenda at the national level.

Direct peers

• Ohio Foundation of Independent Colleges (OFIC): Ohio's nonprofit association representing the state's independent colleges and universities, with a focus on cost savings, scholarship programs, and advocacy. Directly comparable to TICUA in mission and member institution profile.
• Georgia Independent College Association (GICA): Georgia's association for private nonprofit colleges and universities, focused on legislative advocacy, cost-saving programs, and professional development. Closely analogous to TICUA in scope and member profile within a neighboring Southeastern state.
• Independent Colleges of Indiana (ICI): Indiana's state-level association of independent nonprofit colleges and universities, providing advocacy, shared services, and collaborative programs. Closely analogous to TICUA in mission and service portfolio.
• Connecticut Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU): Connecticut's state-level association for private nonprofit colleges and universities, providing advocacy, cooperative purchasing, and shared services. Closely comparable to TICUA in mission, governance structure, and member institution profile.
• Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities (AICCU): California state-level association of independent nonprofit colleges and universities. Direct analog to TICUA in mission (advocacy, cost containment, professional development) and structure, differing only by serving California's private higher ed sector.

Others

• Coalition for College Cost Savings: A group purchasing organization comprised of 33 nonprofit higher-education member organizations serving nearly 900 institutions. TICUA is itself a member, so Coalition is a partner-up rather than direct competitor but operates in adjacent procurement space.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ticua
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tennessee-independent-colleges-and-universities

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association