As a Tennessee student, you have access to additional financial aid resources and programs that are exclusive to our state, regardless of the path you have chosen and your income level. These resources and programs can help when deciding your best financial fit for college. Please note that all of the programs and scholarships require the FAFSA to be completed. The most popular scholarships can be found below, but all scholarships and grants can be found here: https://www.collegefortn.org/tennessee-financial-aid/
Tennessee Hope Scholarship - 4 Yr College
Awarded to entering freshmen who are enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution within sixteen (16) months after graduating from an eligible high school in Tennessee. This means if you transfer from out of state after the first year, you can still be eligible.
Must complete the current year FAFSA to be eligible. Once you have completed your FAFSA application, you have applied for the Tennessee Hope Scholarship. There is no separate application.
Award amounts are available for summer enrollment, beginning the summer after your freshman year. Click here for scholarship amounts and additional information.
Entering freshmen must have a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR an overall minimum 3.0 grade point average based on a 4.0 scale, calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors or other similar courses according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.
General Assembly Scholarship can be added to the Hope:
Award Amount – Up to $500 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship, including summer
Minimum 3.75 GPA* AND 29 ACT or a minimum 1330 SAT
No additional application needed - only the FAFSA
Tennessee Promise Scholarship - 2 Yr College
Follow this link to apply for the Tennessee Promise Scholarship - will provide two years of tuition-free attendance at a community or technical college in Tennessee.
File the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 15, 2025 at www.studentaid.gov
Attend a mandatory meeting led by the local partnering organization. Options will be emailed.
Complete and submit 8 hours of community service for each semester to maintain eligibility for the Tennessee Promise scholarship by July 1, 2025, but may not be completed prior to November 1, 2024. FCA community service hours can be used for this.
This is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning it will cover tuition and mandatory fees not covered by the federal Pell grant and the HOPE scholarship. This means that the Hope scholarship if applicable, will be applied first, as well as any federal grants, followed by the Tennessee Promise to cover tuition.
UT Promise Scholarship - UT Network Colleges
Undergraduate scholarship program provides last-dollar amount of tuition and mandatory fees after other financial aid is applied (such as Pell grants, HOPE Scholarship or other institutional scholarships) for qualifying Tennessee residents attending UT’s campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin, and Memphis.
Applies to students who qualify for HOPE and whose adjusted gross income is under $75,000 a year.
Separate Application due by December 15, 2024: UT Promise Application Information
Additional Aid Available in Tennessee
Tennessee students have access to a wealth of financial aid resources and programs that are exclusive to our state.
These include:
Ned McWherter Scholars Program: Supports academically superior Tennessee high school graduates attending colleges in TN with a 3.75 unweighted cumulative high school grade point average on a 4.0 scale, and a minimum composite score of 32 on the ACT or 1430 on the SAT (no superscoring).
Aspire Award: Supplement to Hope Scholarship for low-income families
Tennessee Transfer Pathways: With the Tennessee Transfer programs, you can begin your college studies at a community college or similar two-year program and earn an associate degree, plus rest assured your credits will transfer to a bachelor’s degree program at any public university and many private universities in Tennessee.
Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant: Awarded to students who are enrolled at a TN College of Applied Technology