Tennessee Promise Scholarship Information
Tennessee high school seniors and recent graduates under 19 may be eligible for up to 2 years of free tuition for approved associate degree and certificate programs at South College.
Through the Tennessee Promise Scholarship program and the South College Opportunity Grant, Tennessee high school seniors and recent graduates under 19 may be eligible to get 2 years of free tuition for approved associate degree and certificate programs at South College.
Hundreds of Tennessee Promise students have graduated from South College in fields with many opportunities such as accounting, business, criminal justice, education, health professions, and legal studies. All of our Tennessee Promise eligible programs are designed to help you become a knowledgeable and marketable professional, with real-world examples and hands-on attention from instructors—even in online programs.
Why use your TN Promise Scholarship at South College?
- With the Tennessee Promise, you can receive up to 2 years of tuition-free enrollment at South College in an eligible program at our Knoxville or Nashville campus.
- At residential colleges, Tennessee Promise doesn’t cover housing, meal plans, and other costs. Since South College students live at home and take classes at a nearby campus or online, you won’t have those additional costs.
- South College offers not only TN Promise-eligible certificate and associate degree programs, but also bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree programs, so there’s no limit to how far you can take your education without having to change schools.
- South College provides a hands-on learning environment with class sizes that allow for personal interaction and a quarter-based curriculum that can fast-track your education.
- After your first 2 years of full-time study while using the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, you may be able to apply your credits to a bachelor’s degree program and work full- or part-time to complete it on campus or online.
- With flexible scheduling and opportunities for online learning, South College makes it easier than ever to pursue a career and continue your education at the same time.
TN Promise Scholarship Eligibility
The Tennessee Promise scholarship is a last-dollar scholarship, so it covers tuition that is not paid for by the Pell Grant, HOPE Scholarship, state student assistance funds, or other means of financial aid grants.
To learn more about the application deadlines, process, and eligibility requirements, visit the Tennessee Promise website.
Tennessee Promise Scholarship
Available to students graduating from eligible Tennessee high schools, homeschools, or those earning a GED before age 19, the Tennessee Promise Scholarship is a monetary gift awarded for college tuition. The scholarship amount is variable, based on remaining cost of tuition and fees, and paid after all other gift aid has been applied at an eligible postsecondary institution.
Requirements
Maintaining your Tennessee Promise Scholarship at South College requires adherence to the scholarship’s community service component, including eight hours of your time donated to qualifying nonprofits or public-service organizations, per each quarter of your enrollment. To maintain eligibility throughout your time spent as a student, you must officially volunteer for an organization, on the record, without accepting payment of any kind. You may not be supervised by a family member, and you must submit your hours before every deadline.
Why Do Community Service?
Perhaps a better question is why wouldn’t you want to do community service work? Donating your time to help your community is a great way to give back, get involved, learn more about, and help improve your community. You’ll meet new people and make friends, demonstrate your thanks for the scholarship that is helping you through school, and maybe even gain experience related to your field of study. You’ll work toward a great cause, make good connections, and create memories that will last you a lifetime.
Job Shadowing & Unpaid Internship Hours
Both job shadowing and unpaid internship hours may be eligible for your Tennessee Promise Scholarship community service requirement. They may also grant you valuable experience with professionals who work in your field of study. The tnAchieves Job Shadow Day is an excellent way to learn about related volunteering opportunities with employers. Whether you learn about them at this event or on your own, you may submit your hours here.
What Counts (only hours spent directly engaged in community service)
- Volunteering at public schools, animal shelters, nursing homes, or free-child-care services
- Volunteering, tutoring and mentoring at educational, nonprofit, and community centers
- Volunteering for voter registration drives, community gardens, or recycling initiatives
- Volunteering for public works organizations to build homes for those in need
- Providing philanthropic fundraising and pro-bono, professional, and/or medical services
- Completing online service-learning course certifications and related activities
- Volunteering at a food drive, charity race, or environmental cleanup event
What Doesn’t Count (related or unrelated hours not spent directly engaged in service)
- Travel to or from a service location, and related time spent eating, sleeping, or socializing
- Indirect philanthropy/fundraising (merely attending charity events or running in races)
- Volunteering for projects completed with for-profit organizations or businesses
- Internships, clinicals, practicums, field work in hospitals, clinics, or related organizations
- Building a treehouse with a neighbor, babysitting, or picking up trash on a hike with friends
- Activities benefiting school organizations, teams, departments, programs, or events
- Self-directed projects that lack affiliation with official nonprofits or charities
- Self-improvement workshops, clinics, conferences, conventions, etc.
- Participation in research projects and related focus groups or labs
- Donating cans to a food drive or proselytizing (sharing faith)
South College Opportunity Grant
The South College Opportunity Grant (SCOG) is a last resort grant for students who are eligible to participate in the Tennessee Promise Program. The SCOG will be awarded if any amount of tuition charged for a term of study is not covered by the Federal Pell Grant, Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship, Tennessee Student Assistance Award, or Tennessee Promise Scholarship. The SCOG will only be applied to the remaining outstanding institutional charges as long as the student maintains eligibility in the Tennessee Promise program.
Loss of eligibility in the Tennessee Promise program will result in the loss of the South College Opportunity Grant. Not all Tennessee Promise eligible programs are eligible for the South College Opportunity Grant. For more details and to talk with us about the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, please get in touch.
The South College Opportunity Grant does not cover the mandatory technology fee each quarter or the cost of textbooks.
More information about financial aid, including Tennessee Promise, can be found on our financial aid page.
Learn more about Tennessee Promise
For more information about Tennessee Promise deadlines, contact tnachieves@tnachieves.org.
To learn more about the wide range of opportunities for scholarships, grants, loans and awards at South College, including the Tennessee Promise Scholarship and how it works here, contact our Financial Aid department today.
