The University of Tennessee (UT) announced Tuesday that it will expand eligibility for a major scholarship program called the UT Promise.
“The University of Tennessee System announced plans to extend the qualifying income level for UT Promise scholarship recipients once again, this time from $60,000 to $75,000 (adjusted gross income),” the school said on its website. “The university increased the income level from $50,000 to $60,000 in 2021. The announcement was made as UT System President Randy Boyd prepares to tour high schools across the state for the fourth UT Promise tour.”
According to the school’s website, the Promise scholarship is “a last-dollar scholarship program that guarantees free tuition and fees after other financial aid is received (such as Pell Grants, HOPE Scholarship, or other institutional scholarships) for qualifying undergraduate, Tennessee residents at University of Tennessee campuses located in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin, Memphis and Pulaski.”
In addition to changing the income levels for eligibility for the scholarship, UT Promise guarantees at least $500 per semester per student awarded the scholarship. The changes will take effect before the fall semester next year.
“UT Promise is more than a scholarship program; it’s a promise that we make to the young people of Tennessee. It’s a promise that their dreams, ambitions and hard work will not be limited by financial barriers,” Boyd said. “Through UT Promise, we are investing in the next generation of leaders, innovators and change-makers who will shape the future of our state and beyond.”
Boyd will also tour Tennessee high schools touting UT from September 1 to September 5.
During his trip, he will stop at 15 high schools, from Knoxville to Chattanooga to Nashville and smaller towns in between.
According to UT, since the inception of the Promise scholarship in 2019, 2,200 students with household incomes of less than $50,000 have enrolled in the school tuition-free, matching those students with a volunteer mentor at the school to help them succeed on campus.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “University of Tennessee, Knoxville Students” by University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Pell Grants, HOPE Scholarship, UT Promise – Where does all this “free” money come from? Oh, taxpayers and gamblers (some of whom may pay taxes as well).
Any who questions why college costs have gone up to a ridiculous level might start by considering all of this “free” money. And the fact that so many tenured profs spend the majority of their time on “research” and only a few hours a week in the classroom.