Essay Contest
Each year, Tuition Management Systems, headquartered in Warwick, Rhode Island, selects 60 finalists to compete in an essay contest to win a grand prize $5,000 scholarship or one of five $1,000 scholarships. The finalists are asked to submit an essay to discuss how Tuition Management Systems education payment services has helped their family afford education.

Grand Prize Winner
This year’s grand prize winner is Mallory Happel who attends Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. Happel’s essay was selected among several written by students who address the difficulties they and their families face in affording an education. In her essay, Happel explained how one of the greatest concerns her family encountered was the possibility of being faced with repayment of sizeable loans. She wrote:

“When I found out that Miami University has one of the top Speech Pathology and Audiology programs in the state of Ohio, I knew it would be the perfect place for me. There was one small problem: I had no idea how expensive college would be or how my parents and I would manage the tuition costs. Financial Planning has been a major concern for my family because I have an older brother who is also in college. The Tuition Management Systems payment plan has lifted some of the financial burden from my family’s shoulders. The payment plans allowed my family to budget a monthly amount without interest. Thanks to Tuition Management Systems I have not had to take out any student loans yet. There is a very good chance that I will graduate from Miami University without the pressure of paying back large loans.”

Following are excerpts from this year’s runner-up essays:

Jessica Colella, Framingham State College, Framingham, MA
$1000 Winner
“Immediately after graduating as a registered nurse with an associate’s degree, I returned to school to complete my bachelor’s degree in nursing. It became apparent that deciding to go back to school was not going to me the most difficult part, but financing my degree would be. On my tuition bill, I saw the option for Tuition Management Systems and knew it was prefect for me. Paying monthly rather than one large bill has given me financial freedom while attending college. Working full time and attending college has been challenging, but being able to eliminate the anxiety provoking aspect of a large bill each semester has been incredibly helpful.”

Laura Dodon, Steven’s Institute of Technology, Hoboken, NJ
$1000 Winner
“With TMS, my father now could contribute a significant portion of my college expenses without having to go further in debt or cutting back on essential expenses, like food or the mortgage. But it has also really helped me out as well. With my father contributing a sizeable amount to my college expenses he has in turn reduced my overall debt. Now when I get out of college, I will be less in debt than I would have been without TMS. Without having to worry about my financial situation, I can concentrate on getting the best education that I possibly can.”

Vincent Mazzurco, Lambuth University, Jackson, TN
$1000 Winner
“I knew my dream was coming true when Lambuth University in Tennessee offered me a tuition scholarship to play football. Reality hit when I realized the scholarship would not cover all of my college expenses. Tuition Management Systems’ education payment services seemed the most reasonable and most effective way to afford school. TMS broke down the balance into monthly payments that would not financially break my parents. I do not have a student loan to worry about and I am not pressured into getting a job during football season. Thanks to Tuition Management Systems, I can participate in something I love, get an education and become successful in todayís world.”

Blake Rzemieniewski, ArcBishop Stepinac High School, White Plains, NY
$1000 Winner
“My parents said that using the (Tuition Management Systems) system was an easy decision. My parents work hard all year and in the beginning of August we go on vacation that we enjoy very much. Tuition payment is due in August, so by using the TMS 10 month program my family and I can really have fun on our vacation and not have anxiety about coming up with a full tuition payment when coming home. The TMS payment services have helped my family and I in so many ways. It has given me an opportunity to be at a very good school and it has enhanced my education greatly. It has also given my family an opportunity to pay tuition in a very simple way that helps them save money. This system has been fantastic and my family and I look forward to using in in my next two years at Archbishop Stepinac.”

Aung Paing Soe, Wentworth Institute of Technology, Boston, MA
$1000 Winner
“Tuition Management Systems has the great advantage in that there are payment options. I was able to choose the best payment plan for my family and me with the help of the toll-free education payment counseling service. Moreover, there is no interest unlike taking a loan, except only a small registration fee for all those services. We decided to choose the Monthly Payment Option that eliminates unnecessary borrowing.”