The University of Tampa has joined Tuition Rewards®, a nationwide consortium of 290+ private colleges & universities in 45 states. The unique program rewards families for saving for higher education with points that can be used to reduce tuition costs at member colleges. 102 colleges have joined Tuition Rewards since March, 2008. The SAGE Scholars-sponsored program encourages families to save for college and helps member colleges recruit students.
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) November 02, 2012
The University of Tampa, a dynamic, residential university is known for academic excellence, personal attention and real-world experience, has joined the SAGE Scholars Tuition Rewards® private college and university enrollment consortium.
UT is the 7th Florida independent college to participate in Tuition Rewards, a unique college funding program from SAGE Scholars, Inc. that guarantees discounts off the full price of tuition at 297 participating private colleges, from Maine to Hawaii, to students enrolled by participating financial institutions and employers.
The participating colleges in Florida include Eckerd College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Florida Institute of Technology, Florida Southern College, Rollins College and Saint Leo University.
The University of Tampa’s 105-acre riverfront campus, crowned by the towering minarets of historic Plant Hall, is nestled in a park-like setting on the edge of the Hillsborough River, two blocks from downtown Tampa. The University serves 7,000 students from 50 states and 130 countries. Half of all UT students hail from outside Florida.
During the past 15 years, the University has invested $330 million in new buildings, facilities and technology. All campus buildings are wired and connected via fiber optic cable; the campus features approximately 450 wireless zones. All 10 residence halls have been renovated since 1998.
Undergraduates are offered a choice of 150 programs of study, with biology, international business, psychology, communication, management, criminology and marine science among the most popular majors. Classes are small, averaging 22 students, with a 16:1 faculty-to-student ratio. Leadership opportunities abound. Students can get involved with more than 150 student clubs and organizations, including fraternities and sororities, as well as 14 varsity sports teams that compete in the NCAA Division II Sunshine State Conference.
A record 35,000+ new students have joined Tuition Rewards in 2012. The program boosts enrollment at member colleges. Neither colleges nor participating families pay a fee to join. Financial organizations use Tuition Rewards as a value-added benefit, paying a fee to cover administrative and marketing costs. Colleges absorb the scholarships, which are capped at one full year’s tuition, as a marketing cost to be able to effectively reach out to a wider student audience than an individual college could on its own. 102 new colleges have joined the consortium since March, 2008.
According to Dr. Allen P. Splete, former President of the Council of Independent Colleges and a SAGE Advisory Council member, “The SAGE Scholars Program, as attested by its level of growth, has proven to be an effective way to make private colleges affordable.”
Dr. James Johnston, CEO and founder of SAGE, is a former Director of Admissions and Financial Aid for the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton MBA program. Johnston predicts that Tuition Rewards is growing toward 500,000 enrolled students and 400 participating colleges. He feels that SAGE performs an important public policy function: “With the current economic climate and the resulting pressures put on higher education by state budget cutbacks, Tuition Rewards has become an important incentive to motivate families to take responsibility for planning and saving for higher education.”
Participating students submitted $19.0 million in reward points with applications to member colleges for the current freshman class. The average reward amounted to $2,790 per year for four years of undergraduate study, beginning with the freshman year.
About SAGE Scholars:
Founded in 1995, SAGE Scholars promotes private higher education and its member colleges to the 250,000+ enrolled students. Member colleges may contact students once they reach 9th grade at no charge. Tuition Rewards is the nation's largest private college funding program based on participating students and value of eligible assets.
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