Scholarships for Grad School in Tennessee
If you are pursuing a graduate degree, we know how exciting it could be, however we do know that it is also a financially demanding endeavor. Fortunately, There are lots of scholarship opportunities being offered by Tennessee to help reduce the stress of paying for education which we know is very challenging.
It doesn’t matter of you are looking for a scholarship that is specific to a particular University or state funded scholarship, there are lots of scholarships out there in Tennessee that will make your dreams of going to school come true and through this article we’ll look at some of the scholarship options that are available for Students in Tennessee.
Why You should Pursue Graduate Studies in Tennessee
There are lots of top Universities in Tennessee, this alone is enough reason for one to pursue a university education here, there’s the prestigious University of Tennessee, Vanderbilt University, Middle Tennessee state University etc.
Also when you consider the fact the state has a low cost of living which in fact is lower than the national average, there’s more than enough reasons to consider schooling here.
Although a graduate school tuition could be pretty expensive here too, some institutions charge from $10,000 to $50,000 per year although it’s going to hinge on the school in particular and the program you are going for, that’s why we recommend scholarships programs that will help mitigate the effect of these fees.
Institutional Scholarships and Fellowships
Lots of Universities in Tennessee do give out fellowship and Scholarship as a means of support to graduate students, these scholarships are always based on who merits it, who’s in need and sometimes your academic field of study.
1. University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK)
There are lots of Financial aid opportunities that are made available for graduate students in this institution. There’s the Graduate Student Research Awards which gives grants that’s up to $5000 for research, Scholarship and other creative projects.
Another award is the Fellowships and Assistantships which also provide teaching and research assistantships, these scholarship comes with stipends as well as tuition waivers, if you need more information on these scholarship, you can simply visit
University of Tennessee Graduate School https://gradschool.utk.edu/costs-and-funding/graduate-fellowships/
2. Tennessee Tech University
If you are a graduate student at Tennessee Tech, Then you are eligible to apply for a scholarship that’s around $1,000 to $2,000 per academic year. With these scholarships, you can easily cover your tuition fees.
It is also capable of covering your living expenses, however we strongly advise you to also look for other Financial support to help add to this. You can Visit Tennessee Tech University Scholarships https://www.tntech.edu/scholarships/tntech-scholarships-grants/graduate.php)
for application details.
3. Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU)
There are lots of scholarships that are available a MTSU’s College of Graduate Studies
Foundation Graduate Student Scholarship:
This is a merit based scholarship that is available for graduate students who are outstanding in their academic
Graduate Assistantships: These positions do give tuition assistance as well as stipends in exchange for doing research or performing teaching duties.
To get more in-depth Informations on the deadlines as well as the eligibility criteria, you should visit MTSU Graduate Funding](https://www.mtsu.edu/graduate/funding/)
4. University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC)
There are a limited number of graduate Scholarship primarily single course awards that are available at these institutions. below are their eligibility requirements:
You are expected to have a minimum Cumulative GPA of 3.0
The submission of application is done on February 15th of each year
For you to apply, you should simply visit [UTC Graduate Scholarships](https://www.utc.edu/research/graduate-school/student-resources/scholarships-and-financial-aid.
State-Funded Scholarships and Grants
To add to the University specific scholarship that we’ve mentioned above, there are some state funded scholarship funded by Tennessee to help graduate students to be able to fund their education
1. Tennessee HOPE Scholarship
The Tennessee HOPE Scholarship is meant majorly for undergraduate studies, however it could also be used for a Master’s degree if the scholarship is applied within your first five years of earning a bachelor’s degree and if the student has been a Tennessee resident for at least one year before the application.
The scholarship is funded by the state lottery and they do provide tuition and fees. to get more details on this scholarship, you should visit
the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship website](https://www.trevecca.edu/admissions/tennessee-hope-scholarship)
2. Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC)
The Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation usually gives out lots of Financial aid which includes scholarships and grants for graduate students. some of these aids includes
Graduate Nursing Loan Forgiveness Program: This is for qualified Students who are pursuing nursing degrees in universities in Tennessee
Minority Teaching Fellows Program:
They give Financial assistance to students who have intentions of becoming teachers in Tennessee. To know more about various TSAC programs, do visit their official website on (https://www.tn.gov/collegepays/financial-aid.html)
Specialized Scholarship Programs
There are also scholarships that are meant for only students that are chasing a particular career path or those whose group’s are underrepresented.
1. Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-Phd. Bridge Program
This Scholarship program was established in 2004, it was created to help increase the number of students who are underrepresented in STEM doctoral programs.
As a beneficiary, you’ll receive a scholarship for a Master’s degree at Fisk University, you’ll also have access to mentorship opportunities that help students to easily transition to PH.D. programs in the prestigious Vanderbilt University. For this program, the success rate is way higher than the national average for Completion for Ph.D., you can learn more about this program here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fisk_University)
Conclusion.
Getting a financing option for as a graduate for institutions in Tennessee is very much possible, all you need to do is to make a through researches through the informations we’ve provided here, since many Scholarship have early deadlines, we strongly advise you start early, you should even begin your search at least a year before you plan to enroll in graduate school, don’t rely on just a single Scholarship, you  should apply for multiple Scholarships that way you increase your chances of getting at least one.