💰 The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Merit Scholarships

Total Scholarships

17

Automatic

5

In-State Awards

$200-$9,000/yr

Out-of-State Awards

$200-$18,000/yr

Multi-Year Awards

$500-$2,850 total

Typical Requirements for Automatic Merit

3.8 GPA / 28 ACT

What you'd actually pay at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Tuition & fees

$30,704

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Largest annual award

$18,000

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Students receiving it pay about

$12,704/yr

Tuition and fees only — housing (about $13,356), books and travel are extra. Awards must still be won and may carry renewal conditions. Need-based aid is separate and may reduce this further.

Official Scholarship Information

View complete details on The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's website

Visit School Website →

Automatic merit scholarships at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville — no separate application

5 awards granted on your admission application, based on GPA and test scores.

ACT 28–29 / SAT 1300–1350

Award

$3,000/yr in-state

Requirements

GPA 3.8+ • ACT 28+ • SAT 1300+

Eligibility: If you are an in-state admitted first-year student with a minimum 3.8 UT Weighted Core GPA and apply for admission by December 15 of your senior year in high school, you will be automatically considered for these institutional scholarships.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by December 15", "submit test scores to be received by UT by April 1", "matriculate the fall semester immediately following high school graduation", "be a US citizen, permanent resident, or domestic international student"]

Source ↗

ACT 30–33 / SAT 1360–1480

Award

$5,000/yr in-state

Requirements

GPA 3.8+ • ACT 30+ • SAT 1360+

Eligibility: If you are an in-state admitted first-year student with a minimum 3.8 UT Weighted Core GPA and apply for admission by December 15 of your senior year in high school, you will be automatically considered for these institutional scholarships.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by December 15", "submit test scores to be received by UT by April 1", "matriculate the fall semester immediately following high school graduation", "be a US citizen, permanent resident, or domestic international student"]

Source ↗

ACT 34–36 / SAT 1490–1600

Award

$9,000/yr in-state

Requirements

GPA 3.8+ • ACT 34+ • SAT 1490+

Eligibility: If you are an in-state admitted first-year student with a minimum 3.8 UT Weighted Core GPA and apply for admission by December 15 of your senior year in high school, you will be automatically considered for these institutional scholarships.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by December 15", "submit test scores to be received by UT by April 1", "matriculate the fall semester immediately following high school graduation", "be a US citizen, permanent resident, or domestic international student"]

Source ↗

Global Ambassador annual award range

Annual Award $10,000 – $15,000

Eligibility: International students with a minimum 3.0 GPA who apply for admission during their final year of high school are automatically considered for this scholarship and may become part of the UT Global Ambassador program.

How to apply: ["apply for admission during final year of high school by May 1", "minimum 3.0 GPA"]

Source ↗

Provost Scholarship annual amount

Award

$2,000/yr in-state

$2,000/yr out-of-state

This four-year scholarship is awarded to National Merit finalists and National Achievement finalists. In combination with the National Merit Scholarship, the Provost Scholarship is valued at $2,000 per academic year and may be added to other scholarships awarded by UT.

Eligibility: To be eligible, you must: Name UT as your first college choice with National Merit Corporation; Apply for admission by December 15; Be a National Merit finalist or National Achievement finalists

How to apply: ["name UT as first college choice with National Merit Corporation", "apply for admission by December 15", "be a National Merit finalist or National Achievement finalist"]

📋 maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.5 (retention) 🔗 May be added to other scholarships awarded by UT. Source ↗

Other scholarships at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville (12)

These require a separate application, or the school does not publish their eligibility criteria.

Competitive Scholarships

These scholarships range in amount from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.

Eligibility: UT colleges and academic departments offer competitive scholarships for incoming first-year, transfer, and current students.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by November 1 (first-year) and complete scholarship questions on the application", "complete STARS by November 15 (first-year)", "Continuing/Transfer students: complete Continuing Undergraduate & Transfer Student Scholarships application"]

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Distinguished Tennessean award

A student from each of the 95 Tennessee counties will be awarded a tuition and mandatory fees scholarship, which is renewable for four years.

Eligibility: This prestigious scholarship is awarded to one student in each of the 95 Tennessee counties.

Source ↗

International Volunteer award range

$3,000 – $18,000 per year

Eligibility: _First-Year_ | _International_

How to apply: ["apply for admission by deadline listed on main scholarships page"]

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Out-of-State Volunteer award range

$3,000-$18,000/yr

$3,000 – $18,000 per year

Eligibility: _First-Year, Current_ | _Out-of-State_

How to apply: ["apply for admission by December 15 (as listed on main scholarships page)"]

Source ↗

Aspire Award supplement

$750/semester

Up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,850 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior. HOPE Scholarship award amounts are based on student class status.

Eligibility: Entering first-year students: Must have a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR overall weighted minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA).

How to apply: ["file the FAFSA", "list UT as your first choice for the HOPE Scholarship on the Tennessee Student Assistance Corp. (TSAC) Portal"]

Source ↗

Bonham Scholars / other variable awards

$200-$6,000/yr

These scholarships range in amount from $5,000 to $10,000 per year; 1-5 year awards

Eligibility: The Chancellor’s Scholarships are merit-based, competitive scholarships awarded to incoming first-year students. Students must have a minimum 31 ACT (1390 SAT) and 4.0 UT Core GPA to be awarded these scholarships.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by November 1 (first-year)", "indicate interest in scholarships on admission application and complete additional questions"]

Source ↗

Freshman & Sophomore (full-time)

$2,250/semester

Up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,850 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior. HOPE Scholarship award amounts are based on student class status.

Eligibility: Entering first-year students: Must have a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR overall weighted minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA).

How to apply: ["file the FAFSA", "list UT as your first choice for the HOPE Scholarship on the Tennessee Student Assistance Corp. (TSAC) Portal"]

Source ↗

General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS) supplement

$500/semester

Up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,850 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior. HOPE Scholarship award amounts are based on student class status.

Eligibility: Entering first-year students: Must have a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR overall weighted minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA).

How to apply: ["file the FAFSA", "list UT as your first choice for the HOPE Scholarship on the Tennessee Student Assistance Corp. (TSAC) Portal"]

Source ↗

Junior & Senior (full-time)

$2,850/semester

Up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,850 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior. HOPE Scholarship award amounts are based on student class status.

Eligibility: Entering first-year students: Must have a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR overall weighted minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA).

How to apply: ["file the FAFSA", "list UT as your first choice for the HOPE Scholarship on the Tennessee Student Assistance Corp. (TSAC) Portal"]

Source ↗

Neyland Scholars

$7,000/yr

These scholarships range in amount from $5,000 to $10,000 per year; 1-5 year awards

Eligibility: The Chancellor’s Scholarships are merit-based, competitive scholarships awarded to incoming first-year students. Students must have a minimum 31 ACT (1390 SAT) and 4.0 UT Core GPA to be awarded these scholarships.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by November 1 (first-year)", "indicate interest in scholarships on admission application and complete additional questions"]

Source ↗

Roddy Scholars

$5,000/yr

These scholarships range in amount from $5,000 to $10,000 per year; 1-5 year awards

Eligibility: The Chancellor’s Scholarships are merit-based, competitive scholarships awarded to incoming first-year students. Students must have a minimum 31 ACT (1390 SAT) and 4.0 UT Core GPA to be awarded these scholarships.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by November 1 (first-year)", "indicate interest in scholarships on admission application and complete additional questions"]

Source ↗

Tennessee Scholars

$5,000/yr

These scholarships range in amount from $5,000 to $10,000 per year; 1-5 year awards

Eligibility: The Chancellor’s Scholarships are merit-based, competitive scholarships awarded to incoming first-year students. Students must have a minimum 31 ACT (1390 SAT) and 4.0 UT Core GPA to be awarded these scholarships.

How to apply: ["apply for admission by November 1 (first-year)", "indicate interest in scholarships on admission application and complete additional questions"]

Source ↗

Deadlines that affect merit consideration at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

Early Action

11/01/2025

Regular Decision

12/15/2025

Common questions about The University of Tennessee-Knoxville scholarships

How much merit aid does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville give?

Published awards range $200-$18,000/yr. The University of Tennessee-Knoxville lists 17 merit scholarships in total.

What GPA or test scores do you need for a scholarship at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

The lowest published threshold across automatic awards is 3.8 GPA / 28 ACT. Individual scholarships set their own cutoffs.

Does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville give merit scholarships to out-of-state students?

Yes. Awards for out-of-state students run $200-$18,000/yr.

Is there a full-ride scholarship at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

Not a full ride. The largest published award covers about 59% of tuition.

Do you have to apply separately for merit scholarships at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

3 of the published awards are granted automatically on your admission application, with no separate scholarship application.

When is the scholarship deadline at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?

Merit consideration usually follows the admission deadline, which is 11/01/2025. Confirm scholarship-specific dates with the financial aid office.

More on The University of Tennessee-Knoxville

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Austin Peay State University Clarksville, TN → Christian Brothers University Memphis, TN → East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN → Fisk University Nashville, TN → King University Bristol, TN → Lincoln Memorial University Harrogate, TN → Maryville College Maryville, TN → Middle Tennessee State University Murfreesboro, TN →