Is it real?
Yes. Never revoked by the IRS. Latest filing on record: FY2025. IRS ruling in Feb 1955.
IRS Pub. 78 · IRS Auto-Revocation List · IRS Business Master File
Where the money goes
74 cents of each dollar spent went to programs.
Form 990 Part IX, line 25, columns B–D. Every line is in By the numbers.
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Who runs it and what they're paid
32 people listed on the 990; $867K paid to officers and key staff.
Dr Andy Sheppard’s $353K as President is at the 74th percentile of top reported officer pay among 3683 $10–100M education nonprofits. Peer set: organizations in the same NTEE major field of work and revenue-size band, compared on each org’s own highest-paid officer/key-employee, from Form 990 Part VII / 990-PF Part VIII. Descriptive placement, not a verdict on whether the pay is appropriate.
Compensation history total reportable pay by year · 8 named individuals · Part VII
| Name | FY2025 | FY2024 | FY2023 | FY2022 | FY2021 | FY2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dr Andy Sheppard | $353,345 | $271,133 | $268,464 | $268,464 | $235,644 | $235,644 |
| Mr Randy Livingston | — | $132,676 | $140,271 | $140,221 | $140,121 | $136,040 |
| Mrs Susan Backofen | — | $114,205 | $134,050 | $134,000 | $133,900 | $130,000 |
| Kurt Stringfellow | $129,055 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Mr Kurt Stringfellow | — | $124,876 | $113,637 | $100,291 | $100,291 | $85,000 |
| Susan Backofen | $116,148 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dr John K Meis | $113,751 | $101,003 | $98,650 | $98,500 | $98,500 | $93,500 |
| Stephen Ferguson | $104,000 | — | — | — | — | — |
Total reportable compensation (Form 990 Part VII column D / Schedule J column E) by filing year, matched by name within this organization. The Schedule J base / bonus / deferred breakdown is not parsed into this dataset.
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Questions the 990 asks
The form asks each of these directly. These are the filed answers.
- Family or business ties among officersPt VI · Ln 2No
- Top official's pay set by an independent reviewPt VI · Ln 15aYes
Programs and updates
Educates students for successful careers and responsible citizenship through undergraduate and graduate programs.
Questions for Thomas University INC
Your first name shows with your question. Thomas University INC answers here, for everyone.
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The primary exempt purpose of thomas university is to provide educational and general instruction services through a dynamic learning environment. Innovative models for reaching learners by faculty and staff.
Student Services
A thomas university education includes curricular and co-curricular experiences which increase the trajectory of a student's development socially, physically, culturally, and intellectually.
The university conducted auxiliary programs for the convenience of students, faculty, staff, and the at-large community. These programs consist of student housing, food sales, and athletic camps.
Funders
Who pays for it.
From grant filings on record. Receipts are incomplete: individual donors are never listed.
Grants
By the numbers
The FY2020 990, line by line.
Download 990
| Line | Start FY20 | End FY20 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash and savingsLn 1–2 | $226K | $1.0M |
| InvestmentsLn 11–13 | $5.7M | $5.5M |
| Land, buildings, equipmentLn 10c | $15.3M | $15.0M |
| Total assetsLn 16 | $21.9M | $22.2M |
| LiabilitiesLn 26 | $6.9M | $7.1M |
| Net assetsLn 32 | $15.0M | $15.1M |
| Line | Total | Programs | Management | Fundraising |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grants to domestic individualsLn 2 | $3.2M | $3.2M | ||
| Pay of current officers, directors and key staffLn 5 | $867K | $317K | $550K | |
| Other salaries and wagesLn 7 | $6.7M | $5.6M | $1.1M | |
| Pension plan contributionsLn 8 | $260K | $8K | $252K | |
| Other employee benefitsLn 9 | $750K | $209K | $540K | |
| Payroll taxesLn 10 | $548K | $434K | $114K | |
| Advertising and promotionLn 12 | $90K | $81K | $9K | |
| Office expensesLn 13 | $296K | $196K | $85K | $15K |
| OccupancyLn 16 | $199K | $91K | $108K | |
| InterestLn 20 | $291K | $200K | $91K | |
| Depreciation, depletion and amortizationLn 22 | $731K | $501K | $230K | |
| InsuranceLn 23 | $44K | $44K | ||
| Other expenses (24a–d)Ln 24 | $2.5M | $1.5M | $910K | $50K |
| All other expensesLn 24e | $1.2M | $747K | $421K | $19K |
| Total functional expensesLn 25 | $17.7M | $13.1M | $4.5M | $94K |
Filing history
| Year | Money in | Money out | In minus out | Net assets | Download |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 Latest | $21.3M | $22.4M | −$1.0M | $15.9M | 990 PDF |
| FY2024 | $22.4M | $22.9M | −$530K | $19.2M | 990 PDF |
| FY2023 | $19.8M | $20.1M | −$364K | $18.8M | 990 PDF |
| FY2022 | $20.5M | $20.0M | $536K | $19.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2021 | $19.8M | $17.4M | $2.5M | $19.0M | 990 PDF |
| FY2020 Viewing | $18.0M | $17.7M | $335K | $15.1M | 990 PDF |
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Schedules filed Part IV
See the full FY2020 990 (6 parts)
Part I · Summary $17,997,836 revenue, 12 lines filed
Part VI · Governance 26 of 26 board members independent, no flags
Part VIII · Statement of revenue $17,997,836 across 6 lines filed
Part IX · Statement of functional expenses $17,663,102 across 14 lines filed
Part X · Balance sheet $22,184,125 assets, 17 lines filed
Part XI · Reconciliation of net assets $15,063,071 net assets at year end
Form 990 e-file (XML) FY2020 from the IRS · Classification, formation year and address from the IRS Business Master File
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