NASHVILLE – The University of Tennessee System’s UT Promise program has received a $1.2 million gift made in the name of Chattanooga-based law firm Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers to assist the program that guarantees free, last-dollar tuition and mandatory-fee aid for qualifying students attending five undergraduate institutions.
The gift is targeted specifically to help graduates from a dozen public high schools in Hamilton County.
Established by UT President Randy Boyd in 2019 while Boyd was interim president of the system, the UT Promise is designed to help students whose family income is under $60,000. It is used to fill in any gaps left by other forms of financial aid.
Speaking on behalf of Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers, firm member Jimmy Rodgers, who earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and his law degree from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, said the gift is in line with the law firm’s values.
“Working families have relied on our firm to protect their interests and their lives since 1969, and we hope that this gift continues that work by creating pathways for students to find their future through UT,” Rodgers said in a UT news release. “This is our way of giving back to the community.”