I'm a junior in Tennessee and have started thinking about local scholarships. I'm curious if there are any well-known or lesser-known opportunities specifically for Tennessee students. I’d love to get some insight into scholarships that other students in the state have found useful. Any suggestions or tips on how to apply or what criteria to meet would be awesome!
There are a number of local scholarships available to Tennessee students. One of the most significant ones is the Tennessee Hope Scholarship, which is a lottery-funded program that provides financial aid to Tennessee residents who are enrolled in a public or private Tennessee college. Students should meet certain criteria to be eligible for this aid, such as having a minimum ACT score of 21 or a minimum 3.0 GPA.
The Tennessee Student Assistance Award is another opportunity you might want to look into. It's a need-based program that gives financial assistance to undergraduate students who are enrolled at eligible private or public postsecondary institutions in Tennessee. Be mindful that the application for this scholarship is on a first-come, first-served basis, and to apply, you'll need to submit a FAFSA.
Also, for students interested in pursuing a career in teaching, there's the Tennessee Teaching Scholars Program. It's specifically for students committed to teaching in a Tennessee public school. A condition of the award is that recipients agree to teach in Tennessee for a certain period of time.
The Ned McWherter Scholars Program, aimed at promoting academic excellence, is another noteworthy scholarship. It's a competitive program that requires students to have at least a 3.75 GPA and a 32 composite score on the ACT or 1430 on the SAT.
When applying, it'll be essential to have your academic transcript ready and provide proof of your GPA or ACT scores since these factors play an integral role in most of these scholarships. Also, starting early in finding these scholarships, understanding their criteria, and gathering necessary documents can be of great advantage. Best of luck with your scholarship search!
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