It's good economic news for Rhode Island. After an exhaustive search for expanded quarters, Middletown-based Tuition Management Systems has announced it is relocating its national headquarters to Warwick. The move is expected to be completed by late May, with the opening of a custom-built 26,000 square foot facility on Service Avenue. A search is also underway for 70 new full-time and seasonal employees who will work at the new location, according to Steven Dodd, founder and President of Tuition Management Systems.

It is not the first relocation for Tuition Management Systems, which has had a quiet but meteoric rise in the competitive “education payment services” sector. The firm's core business is producing tuition bills, and advising students and families on how to fit the bill into their budgets. The company arranges and administers interest-free monthly payment options, provides loan information, and processes all of the educational payments. Students and families receive free advice on how to afford education, according to Dodd, and can arrange and make payments through the company. Today, Tuition Management Systems serves almost 700 colleges, universities and K-12 institutions nationwide. Dodd reports student enrollment at Tuition Management Systems client campuses at more than 1.4 million.

Rhode Island Roots run deep
Brothers Steven and Jon Dodd opened Tuition Management Systems twenty years go in the Edgewood section of Cranston. After a few short months operating out of an increasingly cramped apartment, they found inexpensive office space in Newport and moved. Within several years, growth once again prompted another move - this time to nearby Middletown.

By 1995 the firm had attracted more than 300 client campuses across all 50 states. With the need to hire more employees and a growing reputation for innovation and top-notch customer service, they moved yet again to still larger quarters, says Dodd. Finally, in 2004, the brothers began the search process that resulted in today's relocation announcement.

Although rapid growth was pushing the company's current facilities to the limit, the decision to go to Warwick was not a simple one, according to Jon Dodd, Executive Vice President. After criss-crossing the state and looking into Massachusetts and Connecticut, the decision was made to stay in Rhode Island.

“We quickly learned that there were very few available office spaces large enough for us,” says Jon Dodd.

The company's lengthy list of criteria for the move included space for 135 current employees and 70 more that will be hired shortly, a sophisticated telephone and internet-based education payment contact center, and a data processing operation.

“We are excited about moving to a more central location in the state, and about the fact that our employees can continue to enjoy living in this great state,” says Jon Dodd. He also noted the additional benefits of being able to tap into Warwick's large, high-quality employment base. Company executives are quick to underscore the value that their employees bring to the company's success. Tuition Management Systems was recently recognized by the National Association of College and University Business Officers as having a business model that was a higher education “best practice”. Tuition Management Systems was the only company in its specific business sector to be recognized, and one of only five earning the distinction in all of higher education, according to David Pelkey, Chief Operating Officer.

“The mission has not changed since we opened our doors,” says Steven Dodd. “It was always focused on the simple premise that we could help families afford education. What's amazing is that we now positively impact hundreds of thousands of students and families each year. Everyone here is certainly proud of that.”