Current undergraduate students at any University of Tennessee system campus are now able to apply for the UT Promise Scholarship, a free tuition program for qualifying students who are Tennessee residents and come from households with a family income of less than $50,000.
The program was launched by UT Interim President Randy Boyd earlier this year. The "last dollar scholarship" program guarantees it will pay tuition and fees for participants after they've exhausted other financial aid offers.
Though it is geared toward new, first-time-in-college students students, current undergraduates are also eligible for the UT promise scholarship program.
As of Nov. 5, the program has received 2,560 applications to date from first-time-in-college freshmen.
"I am thrilled that we are able to offer this scholarship to our current undergraduate students who attend our UT campuses across the state," Boyd said in a press release. "We are committed to helping our students achieve their dream of obtaining an undergraduate degree, and the UT Promise scholarship helps alleviate some of the financial burden many college students face."
Current UT students wishing to apply for UT Promise must complete the following steps:
1. Complete the UT Promise Application for current UT students by Feb. 1, 2020
2. File the 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Feb. 1, 2020
3. Complete and submit eight hours of community service by July 1, 2020
To remain eligible, students must be enrolled full-time, be eligible for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship, complete the FAFSA annually, perform eight volunteer service hours each semester and complete mentoring requirements each semester.
Current undergraduates who apply and are awarded the UT Promise scholarship will be paired with a mentor in fall 2020.
To view all eligibility requirements for current UT students or get more information, click here.
Contact staff writer Meghan Mangrum at mmangrum@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6592. Follow her on Twitter @memangrum.