State Programs
Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA)
The Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) is a non-profit organization established by the Tennessee General Assembly to further post-secondary education opportunity for Tennessee residents. In administering the Tennessee Student Assistance Award, TSAC reviews all Tennessee resident applicants who are enrolled in an eligible post-secondary institution. The TSAA grant is $4000 per academic year. Students apply for the TSAA award by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Following the submittal of the FAFSA, TSAC will review the student’s application based on family need in the same manner as the Pell Grant.
Tennessee Hope Scholarship
Tennessee residents who graduate from a Tennessee high school in are eligible to apply for a Hope Scholarship. The award amount is up to $5,500 per year for a four-year institution (not to exceed the cost of attendance). To receive the award, students must have been a Tennessee resident for at least one year prior to Sept. 1.
Applicants should have one of the following:
• Minimum ACT score of 21
• Minimum SAT score of 980
• Final weighted GPA of 3.0 or higher
GED graduates must have a minimum GED score of 525.
Home-school graduates without a GED must have a minimum ACT score of 21 or a minimum SAT score of 980.
Tennessee Teaching Scholars Program
The Tennessee Teaching Scholars Program was established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1995 to encourage exemplary students to enter the teaching force. Participation in this forgivable loan program is limited to college juniors, seniors and post baccalaureate candidates admitted to a teacher education program in Tennessee. Recipients of the awards incur an obligation to teach one year in a Tennessee public school for each year the award is received or repay the loan with substantial interest. Applications can be obtained from TSAC at http://tennessee.gov/cdd/grantprogram
.html.
Tennessee Minority Teaching Fellows Program
This award is for entering freshmen with a 2.5 high school GPA on a 4.0 scale. Recipients must score at least 18 on the ACT or 850 on the SAT or be in the top 25% of their high school class. Recipients must also agree to teach at a K - 12 level in a Tennessee public school one year for each year the award is received. The annual maximum award amount is $5,000 with a lifetime maximum of $20,000. The application deadline is May 15. For more information contact your high school guidance counselor or TSAC at 1-800-342-1663 or at http://tennessee.gov/cdd/grantprogram.html.
State Scholarship and Tuition Grant Programs
Many states now have scholarship or tuition grant programs. In most states, these scholarships or tuition grants may be used only for attendance at post-secondary educational institutions within the particular state. A few may be used for attendance at any school of your choice. To obtain the particulars of these programs, contact your high school counselor or state student assistance agency. Listed below are some states which participate in sponsoring residents to attend college out of state.
Maryland residents should contact:
Maryland Higher Education Commission
839 Bestgate Road, Suite 400
Annapolis, MD 21401
1-800-974-0203 or 1-410-260-4500
www.mhec.state.md.us
New Jersey residents should contact:
New Jersey Higher Education Assistance Authority 4 Quaker Bridge Plaza Post Office Box 540 Trenton, NJ 08625-0540 1-800-792-8670 www.hesaa.org
Pennsylvania residents should contact:
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency 1200 N. 7th Street Harrisburg, PH 17102 1-800-692-7392 www.pheaa.org
Tennessee residents should contact:
Vermont residents should contact:
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation
VSAC-Grants
Post Office Box 2000
Winooski, VT 05404
1-800-882-4166 or 1-802-654-3750 |
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
Students should contact their local office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Department of Human Services, to see if they qualify for any educational assistance.
Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program
Recipients of this award must utilize the award in the same year of their graduation or receipt of their GED. Students must have achieved a 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale in high school or have an average GED score of 57 or higher. Students must also have at least a high school 3.0 average and be in the top quartile nationally (24 ACT; 1090 SAT) on the ACT or SAT. The $1,500 is renewable annually for a total of four years. The application deadline is April 1. Contact your high school guidance counselor or state agency for additional information.
State Links: