Skip to Main Content

The University of Tennessee

Student Success Center

Frequently Used Tools:




UT LEAD

Tennessee Pledge

Accessibility to an education at Tennessee’s flagship land-grant university should be available to all citizens of the state. To achieve this accessibility for qualified students from low-income families, the University of Tennessee offers need-based scholarships to members of the fall entering freshman class who are Tennessee residents.

These need-based scholarships are offered to students with a family adjusted gross income of up to 150% of the poverty level, or $27,000.

The scholarship, when combined with other federal, state, and institutional aid, will cover a student’s mandatory costs—tuition, fees, and room and board, as determined by UT—without the use of student loans.

Criteria

  • Admitted as first-time, first-year entering freshman by February 1 prior to enrollment
  • Family adjusted gross income (AGI) of $27,000 or less
  • Tennessee resident
  • Matriculate for fall semester immediately following graduation from a Tennessee high school
  • Submit Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 prior to enrollment (no scholarship application required)
  • Award is based on all offered gift aid, including the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship

Award Length

Four-year award (fifth year available for students who initially enroll and maintain enrollment in the Architecture program)

Retention Requirements

  • Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually by March 1
  • Annual family adjusted gross income (AGI) of $27,000 or less
  • Maintain 2.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) and federal Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Maintain required minimum eligibility for all awarded institutional and state funds

Additional Information

  • In the event a recipient does not maintain eligibility for other federal, state, or institutional aid, UT will not award additional TN Pledge funds to cover lost awards.
  • Mandatory fees are defined as full-time, in-state maintenance and student fee rates assessed to all students; room and board averages based upon current year, on-campus housing rates.

For more information