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College Planning Nights

Tennessee Promise

The Tennessee Promise is a financial aid program offering two years of tuition-free community or technical college to Tennessee high school graduates beginning with the Class of 2015.

Tennessee Promise provides eligible students with a last-dollar scholarship, meaning the scholarship will cover tuition and fees not covered by the Pell grant, the HOPE scholarship, or TSAA.

Each Tennessee Promise Scholar will receive a mentor who will provide guidance and assistance as the student enters higher education.

Mentors are provided by a partnering organization designated by the mayor of every Tennessee county.

Our county’s partnering organization is [(REDI, tnAchieves, Ayers Foundation)].

Tennessee Promise Student Eligibility

To be eligible to receive a Tennessee Promise Scholarship, a student must:

Be a Tennessee resident.

Graduate from an eligible Tennessee high school, complete a Tennessee home school program, or prior to reaching 19 years of age obtain a GED or HiSET diploma.

Enroll in a community or technical college the fall after graduation. (Students attending a TCAT may enroll the summer following their high school graduation.)

Complete the Tennessee Promise application at www.TNPromise.gov.

Meet all deadlines and requirements before enrolling.

Program Requirements

In order for students to participate in the program, they must meet several requirements and deadlines: By November 1: Apply to the Tennessee Promise program at

www.TNPromise.gov

By February 15: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov

By March 1: Attend first mandatory meeting coordinated by a partnering organization

By May 31: Attend second mandatory meeting coordinated by partnering organization

In the spring: Apply to and enroll in a community or technical college (TCAT)

August 1: Complete FAFSA verification

Before start of term: Complete first 8 hours of community service by the first day of class

State Grants Available to Tennessee High School Students

Tennessee Student Assistance Awards: applicants must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment, at least half time, at a public or an eligible non-public postsecondary institution in Tennessee.

Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant: available to Tennessee students who enroll in a certificate or diploma program at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology, maintain satisfactory academic progress and continuous enrollment.

Tennessee Hope Foster Child Tuition Grant: available to students who, in addition to meeting the minimum HOPE and HOPE Access Grant eligibility requirements, present the TSAC with official certification from the Department of Children’s Services that the student meets the eligibility requirement for the HOPE Foster Child Tuition Grant.

General Assembly Merit Scholarship

Students must meet the following requirements• Students graduating from a Tennessee public school or category 1, 2, 3 private school must have a minimum 3.75 weighted* GPA AND 29 ACT (1280 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests.

• ACT/SAT exams must be taken on a national test date or state test date and prior to the first day of college enrollment after high school graduation. The ACT Residual test is not accepted.

*Weighted grade point average means a grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors or other similar courses according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.

Tennessee Aspire Award

Students must meet the following requirements:

Meet Tennessee HOPE Scholarship requirements AND

Must have parents’ or independent student’s and spouse’s adjusted gross income of $36,000 or less on IRS tax form

For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter:

Four-Year Institutions: Up to $750 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer

Two-Year Institutions: Up to $250 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer

Tennessee Hope Access Grant

Students must meet the following requirements:

Tennessee students who have graduated from a Tennessee eligible high school.

Students must enroll in a Tennessee public college, university or private college.

Entering freshmen must have a minimum weighted 2.75 GPA and 18-20 ACT (860-970 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests.

Parents’ or independent student’s and spouse’s adjusted gross income must be $36,000 or less on IRS tax form.

Tennessee Hope Scholarship

Entering freshmen must: Apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA),

available at www.fafsa.gov. Applications must be received by September 1st for fall semester, February 1st for spring and summer semesters. Early application is recommended.

Have been a Tennessee resident for one year by September 1 of the application date. For students beginning spring and summer terms, residency determined by February 1 as of application date.

Graduate from a TN eligible high school.

Enroll in one of the eligible Tennessee public colleges, universities, or private colleges. 

Entering freshmen must achieve a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR overall weighted* minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA).

Must enroll within 16 months following high school graduation at any eligible postsecondary institution. However, enrollment at an ineligible postsecondary institution during the 16 months will make the student permanently ineligible.

*Weighted grade point average means a grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors or other similar courses according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.

Tennessee Hope Scholarship Award Amounts

For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter:

Four-Year Institutions and Two-Year Institutions with On-campus Housing: Up to $1,750 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior.

Two-Year Institutions: Up to $1,500 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore.

Award amounts are available for summer enrollment.

Class status is determined by the postsecondary institution.

Jumpstart Your College Search This Summer

Go on college visits.

Remember to send thank you notes.

E-mail teachers to ask them to write letters of recommendation for you.

If you haven’t already, make a list of activities you’ve participated in, volunteer experiences, honors and awards since 9th grade.

Work on your college application essays.

Review the application procedures for schools you plan to apply to. Write down and keep track of deadlines!

Start thinking about if you’re going to apply early decision or early action to any schools. This process typically begins earlier.

12th Grade Fall

Get in the habit of checking your e-mail regularly. Colleges and Federal Financial Aid will use this to contact you during your senior year.

Talk to your counselor about early postsecondary opportunities such as dual enrollment or dual credit.

Start saving money for unexpected college costs like calculators, transportation, application fees, etc.

Decide on the list of schools you’re applying to. Many students like to have a “dream school” and a “safety school” as well as two or three others.

12th Grade Fall

Double check all college application deadlines and requirements.

If you’re applying early decision or early action, those deadlines are often between October 1st and November 1st.

Give any recommendation forms to appropriate teachers and counselors.

Find out if the colleges you are applying to require the CSS/PROFILE. This supplemental financial form is often due in the fall, before the FAFSA deadline.

Send your official ACT or SAT test scores to the colleges where you’re applying.

Submit your college applications! Look for your school’s College App Week!

12th Grade Fall

Talk to your school counselor about scholarship opportunities.

Check with the financial aid offices of the colleges you’re applying to for other scholarship opportunities.

Work on scholarship applications and pay attention to deadlines.

12th Grade Spring

Complete your FAFSA as close to January 1st as possible.

Look for your local College Goal Tennessee event.

Ask your parents to complete their income tax forms as early as possible. If you complete your FAFSA with estimated numbers, you will need your tax information to log back into the FAFSA and enter the correct numbers.

If you are chosen for verification, complete the verification form.

12th Grade Spring

Around March and April you will find out whether or not you were accepted to the schools you applied to. If you are accepted, you will receive your financial aid package.

Consider which school is the best social, academic and financial fit for you.

Choose the college you want to attend!

Send in your non-refundable deposit to the school of your choice.

Ask your school to send your final transcripts to the college of your choice.

12th Grade Spring

Contact the admissions and financial aid offices at the schools you applied to in order to ensure they have everything they need from you.

Celebrate your accomplishments and participate in your school’s College Signing Day!

Types of 2-Year Colleges

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT): Tennessee’s premier provider of state-of-the-art technical training for workers to obtain the technical skills and professional training to enter the workforce. Students can earn certificates and diplomas here.

Community College: Offers associate degree and certificate programs that focus on preparing you for a certain career. Also, offers two-year associate degrees that prepare you to transfer to a four-year college to earn a bachelor's degree.*

*Adapted from Bigfuture.Collegeboard.org

Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology

TCAT Athens TCAT Chattanooga TCAT Covington TCAT Crossville TCAT Crump TCAT Dickson TCAT Elizabethton TCAT Harriman TCAT Hartsville TCAT Hohenwald TCAT Jacksboro TCAT Jackson TCAT Knoxville TCAT Livingston

TCAT McKenzie TCAT McMinnville TCAT Memphis TCAT Morristown TCAT Murfreesboro TCAT Nashville TCAT Newbern TCAT Oneida TCAT Paris TCAT Pulaski TCAT Ripley TCAT Shelbyville TCAT Whiteville

Tennessee Community Colleges

Chattanooga State Community College Chattanooga, TN Cleveland State Community College Cleveland, TN Columbia State Community College Columbia, TN Dyersburg State Community College Dyersburg, TN Jackson State Community College Jackson, TN Motlow State Community College Tullahoma, TN Nashville State Community College Nashville, TN Northeast State Community College Blountville, TN Pellissippi State Community College Knoxville, TN Roane State Community College Harriman, TN Southwest Tennessee Community College Memphis, TN Volunteer State Community College Gallatin, TN Walters State Community College Morristown, TN

Private and Public 4-Year Colleges

4-year colleges and universities offer bachelor degree programs.

Public colleges are funded by local and state governments and usually offer lower tuition rates than private colleges, especially for students who are residents of the state where a college is located. Public Colleges in Tennessee include the University of Tennessee System and the Tennessee Board of Regents System (TBR).*

Private colleges rely mainly on tuition, fees and private sources of funding. Private donations can sometimes provide generous financial aid packages for students. Private colleges in Tennessee are often members of the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA)*

*Adapted from Bigfuture/Collegboard.org

University of Tennessee Campuses

University of Tennessee- KnoxvilleUniversity of Tennessee- ChattanoogaUniversity of Tennessee- MartinUniversity of Tennessee- Health Science

Center (Memphis, TN)

Tennessee Board of Regents Universities

Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TNEast Tennessee State University Johnson City,

TNMiddle Tennessee State University

Murfreesboro, TNTennessee State University Nashville, TNTennessee Tech University Cookeville, TNUniversity of Memphis Memphis, TN

Aquinas College Nashville, TN  Baptist College of Health Sciences Memphis,

TN Belmont University Nashville, TN Bethel University McKenzie, TN Bryan College Dayton, TN   Carson-Newman College Jefferson City, TN  Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN   Cumberland University Lebanon, TN Fisk University Nashville, TN  Freed-Hardeman University Henderson, TN  Johnson University Knoxville, TN King University Bristol, TN Lane College Jackson, TN Lee University Cleveland, TN  Lemoyne-Owen College Memphis, TN Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN Lipscomb University Nashville, TN  Martin Methodist College Pulaski, TN

Maryville College Maryville, TN Meharry Medical College Nashville, TN  Memphis College of Art Memphis, TN  Middle TN School of Anesthesia Madison, TN Milligan College Milligan College, TN  Rhodes College Memphis, TN  Sewanee: The University of the South Sewanee,

TN   Southern Adventist University Collegedale, TN Southern College of Optometry Memphis, TN Tennessee Wesleyan College Athens, TN Trevecca Nazarene University Nashville, TN Tusculum College Greeneville, TN   Union University Jackson, TN Vanderbilt University Nashville, TN Watkins College of Art, Design & Film Nashville,

TN Welch College Nashville, TN

Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities

Types of Degrees

Diploma and Certificate: less than a year to two year programs which focus on a specific skill or career. These programs are offered at Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (example: TCAT Crossville, TCAT Covington)

Associate’s Degree: two-year degrees offered at community colleges (example: Cleveland State Community College, Jackson State Community College)

Bachelor’s Degree: four-year degrees offered at public and private four-year colleges and universities (example: University of Tennessee, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Memphis, Vanderbilt University)

Did you know? 81% of Tennessee adults would feel a sense of personal accomplishment by earning a college degree or

certificate.

Between providing for your family, working a job, and paying bills, returning to college can often seem like an unrealistic option. To make college a reality, Tennessee Reconnect programs are designed to help busy adults like you achieve dreams of attaining a college degree or certificate.

As part of Tennessee Reconnect, all Tennessee adults can now attend and earn a diploma or certificate at any of our 27 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCATs) completely free of tuition and fees.

Adults, sign up for the TN Reconnect Grant before May 15, 2015 to attend a technical college near you tuition-free!

Visit tnreconnect.gov to sign up now.

Check out the resources on CollegeforTN.org!