Tennessee Ned McWherter Scholars Program
Scholarship Sponsored by Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation
Introduction
The Ned McWherter Scholars Program supports academically outstanding Tennessee high school graduates who plan to pursue their college education at an eligible institution in Tennessee.
Award details
- Amount: $6,000 per academic year — split evenly as $3,000 from the State of Tennessee and $3,000 from the college or university the student attends.
- The college’s $3,000 match may be an existing campus-based aid award that is already part of the student’s financial aid package, provided it imposes no work or service obligation.
- Payments are issued in equal installments each term during the academic year.
- Funds are limited and awards are highly competitive.
- Renewal: Awards may be renewed up to three times (allowing a total of four years). To maintain eligibility for renewal, recipients must remain full-time students and keep at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
Eligibility
To qualify, an applicant must:
- Be a Tennessee resident and a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen;
- Enroll full-time at an eligible Tennessee college or university within 16 months after high school graduation;
- Have an unweighted cumulative high school GPA of at least 3.75 on a 4.0 scale; and
- Have a minimum composite ACT score of 32 or an SAT score of 1430.
Note: ACT superscores are not acceptable for determining eligibility.
Additional consideration
Applicants may receive extra consideration for completion of honors or Advanced Placement coursework and for demonstrated leadership in high school extracurricular activities.
Study abroad and consortium participation
Recipients who study abroad may remain eligible for the Ned McWherter Scholars award if the study abroad program is certified by the student’s eligible Ned McWherter Scholars institution and the student receives academic credit from that institution. The same certification and credit requirements apply for students participating through a consortium agreement.
Application requirements and deadline
Applications must be submitted via the TSAC Student Portal (using the Apply Now button) and include:
- An official high school transcript showing grades through the first semester of the senior year; and
- An official ACT or SAT score report.
TSAC must receive the completed application and all required attachments by March 1. Only students in their final year of high school may apply. Award decisions are competitive; renewal applicants receive priority consideration.