UT Promise is a student-success oriented scholarship program that requires students to complete volunteer service hours and meet with a volunteer mentor each semester to ensure a successful student experience! This innovative scholarship is available to students who qualify for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship and whose family adjusted gross income is under $75,000/year starting fall 2024 and a total maximum asset amount less than $75,000. UT Promise covers the last-dollar amount of tuition and mandatory fees after all other financial aid is applied (i.e., Federal Pell Grant, HOPE scholarship or other institutional scholarships). In addition to adjustments in income level, UT Promise guarantees a minimum $500 award per semester for qualifying students. Learn more about how last-dollar scholarships work!

Eligible students include graduating high school seniors, transfer students and nontraditional students. Only current high school seniors entering UT as a first-time freshman are eligible to apply through tnAchieves; current college students must apply through UT. Please visit the University of Tennessee's website for additional details or find out if you are eligible here!

• Deadlines and Steps for Eligible High School Seniors

  • Nov. 1, 2024

    • Complete the TN Promise application.

      • Visit www.TNPromise.gov and apply through the TSAC Portal.

        • Create an account.

        • Log in.

        • Click “Apply”.

        • Select Tennessee Promise Scholarship Award 2025-2026.

        • When asked to select your anticipated institution, you can select any college or university on the list of options.

  • Dec. 16, 2024

    • Complete the UT Promise application.

      • This application is only for high school students planning to enroll at a UT System institution fall 2025.

      • High school seniors have until December 16, 2024, to complete the UT Promise application.

      • Completing the TN Promise application by November 1, 2024, is a requirement for UT Promise eligibility.

    • Apply for undergraduate admission to your UT institution(s) of choice.

      • UT Knoxville Application

      • UT Chattanooga Application

      • UT Martin Application

      • UTHSC Application

      • UT Southern Application

  • Dec. 2024 - Jan. 2025

    • Complete the mandatory TN Promise meeting requirement.

      • Attend a mandatory meeting on an assigned date/time.

      • Meetings are assigned based on the high school you attend.

      • tnAchieves will send details regarding your assigned mandatory TN Promise meeting via email in early November 2024.

      • Meetings will occur between December 2024 and February 2025!

  • March 15, 2025*

    • File the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

      • Visit Studentaid.gov.

      • *Tentative date - deadline subject to change if 2025-2026 FAFSA opens later than October 1.

  • July 1, 2025

    • Complete and submit 8 hours of community service.

      • Submit by 11:59 PM CT at www.tnachieves.org.

    • Ensure your UT institution of choice is listed on your TSAC Portal and 2025-2026 FAFSA.

    • Complete financial aid verification, if selected.

      • Verification is completed through your financial aid office.

  • Sept. 1, 2025

    • Your financial aid verification must be complete (not just submitted for review), and your UT Promise award accepted by this date for you to be eligible.

      • Failure to do this will result in not receiving the UT Promise scholarship.

      • Do not wait to do this!

      • Submitting your initial documents may lead to the financial aid office requesting additional information.

      • If your financial aid file is not complete, you will not be eligible.

  • Fall 2025

    • Enroll as a full-time student at your UT institution of choice.

After you enroll at a UT campus fall 2025, you will be paired with a UT Promise mentor. You must meet with your mentor three (3) times a semester to maintain your eligibility. You will receive communication about your mentor next fall. In addition, you must complete and submit eight (8) hours of community service during each semester to maintain your UT Promise scholarship eligibility. Once enrolled at UT, you will track your community service hours here. To stay informed, check your email for updates from tnAchieves and your UT institution.  Please visit the UT Promise website for more information on program requirements for maintaining aid.

 For students enrolling fall 2025 but graduating prior to the 2024-2025 academic year (i.e. took a gap year, etc.), you should follow the application process and deadlines outlined here.* It is important to note that UT Promise functions separately from TN Promise and can only be used at universities falling under the University of Tennessee system. UT Promise students are not eligible to receive TN Promise funding.

For more information on UT Promise, visit utpromise.tennessee.edu.