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Money for College

Ned McWherter Scholars Program

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Overview

The Ned McWherter Scholars Program encourages academically superior Tennessee high school graduates to attend college in Tennessee. 

Award Information

The award is $6,000 per academic year, $3,000 from the State of Tennessee and $3,000 from the college or university attended. The institutional match may be a campus-based award already included in the student’s financial aid package as long as it does not contain a work or service obligation. Awards are made in equal installments each term throughout the academic year. Awards are very competitive and are based on limited funding. 

The award may be renewed three times for a total of four years. The recipient must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and attend full-time to remain eligible.

Eligibility

To be eligible, the applicant must:

  • be a resident of Tennessee and a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen,
  • attend an eligible Tennessee college or university full-time within 16 months following graduation from high school, 
  • have at least a 3.75 unweighted cumulative high school grade point average on a 4.0 scale, and
  • have a minimum composite score of 32 on the ACT or 1430 on the SAT.

ACT Superscores cannot be used to determine eligibility.

 

An applicant may receive extra credit for honors or advanced placement courses and leadership in extracurricular activities while in high school.

 

Study abroad and consortium agreement note

 

Recipients who participate in a study abroad program may receive a Ned McWherter Scholars award. However, the scholarship must be certified by an eligible institution, and the student must be receiving academic credit for the study abroad program from that institution. If a recipient is participating in a consortium agreement the same eligibility requirements apply.

Application

An application must be accompanied by:

  • an official high school transcript that contains the applicant’s high school grades through the first semester of the senior year, and
  • an official ACT/SAT score.

To apply, visit and submit an application in the TSAC Student Portal. Awards are very competitive and are based on limited funding. Renewal applicants are given first priority. THE must receive the completed application and required attachments by March 1. Students may only apply during their final year of high school.

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Related Links

Eligible Institutions