UT Promise FAQs

UT Promise will only provide scholarship funds when a student is receiving HOPE scholarship funds as an undergraduate. 

A student may receive the Tennessee HOPE scholarship until the first of the following events:

• The student has earned an advanced degree; or
• Five years have passed from the date of initial enrollment at any post-secondary institution

UT Promise only covers tuition and mandatory fees. Mandatory fees include facilities fee, maintenance fee, library fee, student services fee, technology fee, transportation fee, etc. Visit your campus’ website for more information. 

Students will still be responsible for covering any costs beyond tuition and fees such as book expenses and food/housing; however, excess UT Promise funds can be applied to these additional educational expenses until they run out. Once excess funds have been applied, the student is responsible for the remaining educational costs (e.g. remaining cost of food/housing, transportation, course materials, etc.).

Qualifying Tennessee residents who meet the criteria for UT Promise can transfer from any institution.

UT Promise scholarship funds can be applied to summer courses if a student is receiving HOPE scholarship funds. In order to receive HOPE funds, a student must be enrolled in at least six hours over the summer.

Yes. If you are enrolled in a UT degree program in which all courses are online, the UT Promise scholarship will cover tuition and mandatory fees.

Last-dollar scholarships cover the remaining balance of tuition and mandatory fees after other state and federal financial aid have been applied.

See an example scenario of how UT Promise works for different students.

The $500 minimum award can be used to pay all other education expenses (including, but not limited to: books, program of study fees, housing fees, living and learning community fees, etc.). Excess UT Promise funds may be applied to educational expenses by the university or at the discretion of the student depending on how the institution disburses financial aid.

TN Promise is a last-dollar scholarship available to Tennessee high school students regardless of socioeconomic status who attend a Tennessee community college, college of applied technology, or four-year institution with an eligible two-year program. 

UT Promise is a last-dollar scholarship available to Tennessee high school students who attend a UT campus and meet the $75,000 income threshold. Students cannot receive both scholarships simultaneously.

If a student loses their HOPE scholarship eligibility due to GPA requirements but regains it during their time as a student, they can also become re-eligible for the UT Promise scholarship. HOPE may only be re-established one time, so a student will not be eligible for HOPE or UT Promise if they lose their HOPE scholarship more than once.

Students are eligible for the UT Promise scholarship until the household income (adjusted gross income) reaches $75,000. At this point, the student will become ineligible for UT Promise. 

“Adjusted gross income (AGI) is defined as ‘your or your family’s wages, salaries, interest, dividends, etc., minus certain deductions from income’ as reported on a federal income tax return. The accurate, verifiable total combined amount of parent and student adjusted gross income and untaxed income of less than $75,000, AND a total maximum asset amount of less than $75,000, as defined on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).” 

Professional judgment refers to the authority of a school’s financial aid administrator to adjust the data elements on the FAFSA and override a student’s dependency status. 

UT recognizes that many families have changes in income or family situations that cannot be reflected in the tax return data. It is possible for students to appeal their financial aid eligibility if they have unique financial circumstances. Students should complete the appeals process based on an income change through their respective UT campus’ financial aid office. If the appeal is approved, the student’s FAFSA and financial aid will be updated, and students may gain eligibility for the UT Promise scholarship. 

Students who do not meet the community service or mentor meeting requirements for the semester and feel they have a valid excuse to appeal their resulting ineligibility for UT Promise can complete an Appeals Form found here. Each case will be reviewed by the UT Promise team. 

Submit an Appeals Form

UT Promise recipients who do not complete community service and mentoring requirements become permanently ineligible for the scholarship in future semesters. Students may appeal their ineligibility within 30 days of the Fall (December 1) or Spring (June 1) deadline.

Each campus has different guidelines and instructions on completing and submitting community service hours. Have your mentee visit their campus-specific tracking site to learn about and submit their requirements for community service each semester.

Mentors are encouraged to connect with their mentees via Zoom, Teams, by phone or in person. Additionally, mentors are encouraged to connect with their mentee(s) first.

You are encouraged to meet with your mentee three times each semester. While not required, mentors can connect with students as frequently as they would like.

For Spring 2025, students will fulfill their mentorship requirements by completing a reflection survey. The UT Promise team, in collaboration with campus leadership, is reimagining the mentorship experience for students. More details to come.