International Scholarship and Tuition Services Named A 2013 NEXT Awards Finalist
Awards celebrate excellence in business and entrepreneurship in Middle Tennessee
Nashville, TN (PRWeb) November 6, 2013
International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) has been named a finalist for the NEXT Awards. The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Nashville Entrepreneur Center (EC) will jointly present these awards to recognize the accomplishments of companies and individual entrepreneurs in five areas of business especially important to the Nashville economy: health care; technology; digital media and entertainment; social enterprise; and products and services. Individual awards for Youth Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial Partner and Entrepreneur of the Year will also be presented.
“Our region’s creative class and thriving entrepreneurial community has contributed significantly to the economic prosperity of Middle Tennessee,” said Chamber President & CEO Ralph Schulz. “We are proud to be able to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of these businesses and individuals.”
According to Michael Burcham, CEO of the EC, “The NEXT Awards represent the one constant in our economy; change. With this ceremony we honor the innovation and progress of our new and growing businesses. Our city’s success depends on the success of these companies, and this year’s list of honorees proves we are in good hands.”
International Scholarship and Tuition Services, Inc. (ISTS) is a 100% women-owned private corporation specializing in comprehensive scholarship, grant and tuition program administration. ISTS was founded in 1985 as Scholarship Program Administrators, Inc. (SPA). After purchasing the business in 2008, President & CEO Becky Sharpe changed the name to better reflect the company’s breadth of services and international presence. In 2013, ISTS completed the acquisition of Scholarship & Recognitions Programs, a former division of Educational Testing Service (ETS), received recognition as a Top Business in America by DiversityBusiness.com and won the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Excellence in Workplace Effectiveness and Flexibility.
“Our goal is to provide cutting-edge systems, proven processes and first-class service that ultimately help students achieve their academic aspirations. Our clients expect that we will continue to be the industry leader in innovations that provide faster, safer and better options to compare, select, award and track their applicants. Our collaborative work environment helps us quickly identify opportunities to enhance our work, while leveraging the vast knowledge and talents of our employees,” said ISTS President and CEO Becky Sharpe. “It is an honor to serve scholarship sponsors and applicants throughout the State of Tennessee and ISTS is proud to be nominated for a 2013 NEXT Award as a socially conscious business.”
Becky Sharpe will receive recognition as a NEXT Awards finalist at an awards dinner held Thursday, Nov. 21 at the Music City Center.
The 2013 NEXT Awards are hosted by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and Nashville Entrepreneur Center, and presented by Bank of America. Additional sponsors include Friends of the Chamber, Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP and MissionPoint Health Partners; associate sponsors Lipscomb University Center for Entrepreneurship, Kraft CPAs, Bandit Lites, Snapshot Interactive and Atiba; supporting sponsor for the NEXT Awards is the Entrepreneurs’ Organization and media partner is TN Media. For more information, visit www.nextnashville.com.