The UT System officially implemented the UT Promise, a last-dollar scholarship campaign which guarantees free tuition and mandatory fees for undergraduate students from households whose income is less than $50,000 a year.
The announcement came at the inter-system football game Saturday, Sept. 14, at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
The UT Promise was first announced in March of 2019 by UT System Interim President Randy Boyd, and has already raised $17.5 million of the $100 million endowment. While the system is currently hosting an endowment campaign, until the full amount is fundraised, the university will cover the scholarships.
“UT wants to ensure that Tennessee residents can achieve their dreams with college degrees,” said Boyd. “We want to ease the financial burden for the state’s middle and working-class families, as we know education is the route to change lives, which then change communities and the state.”
To be eligible for the UT Promise, applicants must be a Tennessee resident, receive the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, be admitted to a UT campus, complete eight hours of community service a semester and participate in a mentorship program with a UT volunteer.
The UT Promise will be applied after all other financial aid is processed, such as Pell grants and the HOPE Scholarship.
The scholarship only covers tuition and mandatory fees, which, according to the UT Promise website, include maintenance fees, library fees, student services fees, technology fees, etc.
It does not include cost of books, late registration fees, housing fees, living and learning community fees, etc. For a full list of maintenance fees, visit utm.edu.
The scholarships will begin in the 2020 Fall semester. First-time freshmen, current UT students, transfer students and non-traditional at UTM, UTC, UTK and the UT Health Science Center are all qualified for the UT Promise if they meet the academic and financial guidelines.
“My hope is that (the UT Promise) will provide the much-needed resources to allow anyone who wants a college education to attend UT Martin,” UTM Chancellor Keith Carver said.
All eligible students must apply by Nov. 2, 2019, to be considered for the 2020 Fall semester.
To apply, donate, or for more information about the UT Promise endowment, visit tennessee.edu/ut-promise.
Representatives from each UT campus participated in the UT Promise endowment campaign launch at the inter-system football game between UTC and UTK Sept. 14, at Neyland Stadium. Photo credit/Sam Thomas, UT System photographer
