KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — University of Tennessee System President Randy Boyd will visit 16 high schools in 13 rural Tennessee counties this fall as part of his annual statewide tour to talk with students about college opportunities, affordability and the value of higher education.
The 2026 tour will take place Sept. 22 through Oct. 1, with Boyd visiting schools in West, Middle and East Tennessee. The tour is expected to reach approximately 4,500 high school students across the state.
The tour will include visits to:
Tuesday, Sept. 22
- Loretto High School — 9:15-9:45 a.m. CDT, 525 2nd Ave. S., Loretto
- Summertown High School — 10:30-11:15 a.m. CDT, 411 W. College St., Summertown
- Lewis County High School — 12:30-1 p.m. CDT, 842 W. Main St., Hohenwald
- Riverside High School — 1:50-2:20 p.m. CDT, 4250 Highway 641 South, Decaturville
Thursday, Sept. 24
- Meigs County High School — 9-9:30 a.m. EDT, 105 Abel Ave., Decatur
- McMinn County High School — 10-10:30 a.m. EDT, 2215 Congress Parkway, Athens
- Polk County High School — 12-12:45 p.m. EDT, 7200 Highway 411, Benton
- McMinn Central High School — 1:05-1:50 p.m. EDT, 145 County Road 461, Englewood
Tuesday, Sept. 29
- Henry County High School — 10:40-11:10 a.m. CDT, 315 S. Wilson St., Paris
- McKenzie High School — 11:35 a.m.-12:15 p.m. CDT, 23292 TN-22, McKenzie
- Huntingdon High School — 12:30-1:05 p.m. CDT, 475 Fairgrounds Road, Huntingdon
- Camden Central High School — 2-2:30 p.m. CDT, 115 Schools Drive, Camden
Thursday, Oct. 1
- Grundy County High School — 8:45-9:15 a.m. CDT, 24970 TN-108, Coalmont
- Sequatchie County High School — 10-10:45 a.m. CDT, 7067 SR 28, Dunlap
- Warren County High School — 12:45-1:20 p.m. CDT, 199 Pioneer Lane, McMinnville
- White County High School — 2-2:45 p.m. CDT, 267 Allen Drive, Sparta
Since 2019, Boyd has taken the message about the value and opportunity of higher education directly to high school students across Tennessee through his annual statewide tour. This fall’s tour will continue that effort by giving students an opportunity to hear directly from Boyd, UT System chancellors and recent UT graduates about what is possible after high school.
“There are talented students in every corner of Tennessee, and we want them to dream big about what comes next,” Boyd said. “We want to reach students across our state, including in our rural counties, and make sure they know a college degree is possible, affordable and can open doors they may not have imagined.”
Boyd will be joined by UT Southern Chancellor Melinda Arnold on Sept. 22, UT Chattanooga Chancellor Lori Bruce on Sept. 24 and UT Martin Chancellor Yancy Freeman on Sept. 29. Arnold and UTC Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Artanya Wesley will join Boyd for stops on Oct. 1. Recent UT graduates who are now working in communities across Tennessee will also join Boyd for most stops to share their experiences at UT and how their education prepared them to enter the workforce and build careers in their communities.
Students will learn more about opportunities across the UT System, including UT Promise, which can cover remaining tuition and mandatory fees for eligible Tennessee students from families earning $75,000 or less. More than 60% of Tennesseans meet the scholarship’s household income requirement.
The 2026 tour will bring the number of Tennessee counties Boyd has visited through the high school tour since 2019 to 50 of the state’s 95 counties.
Media are invited to attend any of the stops for coverage and photos or video. Please contact Jason Moody at jmoody9@tennessee.edu if you plan to attend. To learn more about the University of Tennessee System’s five unique universities across the state, visit our campus guide webpage.
