UT Promise is a last-dollar scholarship that covers tuition and mandatory fees for eligible Tennessee residents planning to attend UT campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Pulaski, Martin and Memphis. This innovative scholarship is available to students who qualify for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship and whose adjusted gross income is under $75,000 or less and total assets under $75,000. UT Promise guarantees a minimum $500 award per semester for qualifying students. Learn more about how last-dollar scholarships work!

Eligible students include graduating high school seniors, transfer students and nontraditional students. Only current high school seniors entering UT as a first-time freshman are eligible to apply through tnAchieves; current college students must apply through UT. Please visit the University of Tennessee's website for additional details and to find out if you are eligible!

By November 3, 2025

• Complete the TN Promise application at www.TNPromise.gov.

  • First, you will need to create a TSAC account. Once you have an account, you will be able to apply for TN Promise!

By December 15, 2025

• Complete the UT Promise application.

  • This application is only for high school seniors planning to enroll at a UT System institution fall 2026.

    • If you are not a current high school senior, please click here for more information!

  • Completing the TN Promise application by November 3, 2025 is a requirement for UT Promise eligibility.

• Apply for undergraduate admission to your UT institution(s) of choice:

  • UT Knoxville

  • UT Chattanooga

  • UT Martin

  • UT Health Science Center

  • UT Southern

By March 16, 2025

• Satisfy the Mandatory TN Promise meeting requirement.

  • Meeting details are assigned based on your high school.

  • tnAchieves will send further details regarding this requirement. Please check your email and text messages often once you apply for TN Promise.

By April 1, 2026

• File the 2026-2027 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

  • The application will be available on October 1, 2025 at FAFSA.gov.

By July 1, 2026

• Ensure your UT institution of choice is listed in your TSAC Portal and 2026-2027 FAFSA.

• Complete financial aid verification, if selected.

  • Verification is completed through your financial aid office.

    • Your financial aid verification must be complete (not just submitted for review), and your UT Promise award accepted by this date for you to be eligible.

      • Submitting your initial documents may lead to the financial aid office requesting additional information.

      • Failure to do this will result in not receiving the UT Promise scholarship. If your financial aid file is not complete, you will not be eligible. Do not wait to do this!

By August 1, 2026

• Complete and submit at least 16 hours of community service.

  • You can find more information about this requirement by clicking here!

Fall 2026

• Enroll as a full-time student at your selected UT institution

Once you enroll at a UT campus fall 2026, you will be required to meet additional requirements throughout your enrollment to remain eligible for the UT Promise requirement. It is extremely important that you remain in close contact with your UT institution of choice, so you can stay on track with your UT Promise eligibility. For more information on UT Promise, please visit utpromise.tennessee.edu!