UT Promise Scholarship Deadline Friday, Includes New Income Threshold

The UT Promise Scholarship application deadline is Friday and more students may qualify now thanks to an income threshold increase.

UT Promise is similar to Tennessee Promise. However, it covers a four-year program at a UT campus. New this year, UT Promise increased its income threshold for those who qualify to $75,000. White County High School Advisor Suzanne Rushing said campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin, Memphis and Pulaski are included in UT Promise.

“I don’t know of those that would qualify for that, but if one of those students could get that where they have those mandatory fees and tuition paid then to be able to go to a UT school, I think that’s success but obviously the more the better,” Rushing said.

Students are also required to apply for Tennessee Promise before they can qualify for UT Promise.

“If you have not applied for Tennessee Promise by that November 1 deadline that we just passed a few weeks ago, then those students would not be eligible for UT Promise,” Rushing said. “So, for me as a college advisor, that’s why it’s so important. We have a 98 percent submission rate here at White County for the class of 24. We wanted everybody to complete that Tennessee Promise application, so that they could get the Tennessee Promise at a two-year community college or TCAT or if they were planning to go the four-year route.”

Tennessee Promise requires students to complete eight hours of community service. UT Promise also requires students to meet with a volunteer mentor each semester.

“So it’s all connected,” Rushing said. “The promises are connected.”

Students must also meet HOPE scholarship requirements of having at least a 21 on their ACT or a 1060 on the SAT or have a 3.0 or above GPA.

It does not cover costs such as books and other expenses. UT Promise covers costs not covered by other financial aid such as Pell grants, HOPE scholarship and other institutional scholarships students may qualify for. It also awards students a minimum $500 award per semester for qualifying students.

“I think that the UT Promise is just an additional incentive to help those students who are interested in attending a UT school that maybe could not afford that otherwise,” Rushing said.

Rushing said she has about 32 students who have applied to a UT school in White County.