Tennessee Promise
- Must complete the TN Promise application and service hours and be determined eligible for the program. Please refer to Tennessee Promise Checklist. (Note: it is best to apply for Admission as early as possible, as some other scholarships are first-come, first-served.)
- Although the Tennessee Promise Scholarship is considered a last dollar scholarship,
it does not pay last dollar when utilized at a four-year institution. The scholarship
only covers the average state community college costs of tuition and mandatory fees
not met by gift aid from the Pell, TELS (including the HOPE scholarship, Access Grant,
Aspire Scholarship, etc.) or TSAA programs.
- If a student’s gift aid amounts exceed the average community college tuition and mandatory fees, the student will not be eligible for a Tennessee Promise Scholarship payment at APSU.
- To estimate your potential Tennessee Promise Scholarship amount, use our Estimated TN Promise Calculator.
- Must be admitted to APSU seeking an Associate’s degree. Students participating in athletics must declare a Bachelor’s degree, per NCAA regulations, and are not eligible for the Tennessee Promise Scholarship.
- Must be enrolled full time (12 credit hours or more).
- Courses must be in the student's declared program of study to count towards a payment
- Students who are in their final semester before graduating with the Associates may receive the award at less than full-time status. Complete the TN Promise Final Semester Review Request Form for us to review your account
- This scholarship may be used for five semesters of assistance, if you still have required courses remaining in your Associate's program, provided continuing eligibility is met.
To get an estimate for the Tennessee Promise award, use our Estimated TN Promise Calculator.
- A student receiving the Tennessee Promise Scholarship at APSU must be enrolled in an Associate’s degree program. Declaring a Bachelors program as the primary degree will result in the permanent cancellation of the scholarship. However, you can declare a Bachelors program as a secondary degree and maintain your eligibility for Tennessee Promise.
- Maintain continuous enrollment as a full-time student at an eligible postsecondary institution unless granted a medical or personal leave of absence.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 at the end of each academic year.
- Not be in default on a federal Title IV educational loan or Tennessee educational loan.
- Must not owe a refund on a federal Title IV student financial aid program or a Tennessee student financial aid program.
- Must not be incarcerated.
- A student participating in the Tennessee Promise Scholarship program shall perform a minimum of eight (8) hours of community service for each semester the scholarship is received. Service shall be performed prior to the beginning of each academic semester, including the initial fall semester, in which the Promise Scholarship is received.
Community service in excess of eight (8) hours performed in any semester shall not be carried over into subsequent semesters. Unless the student is on an approved leave of absence, failure to complete the eight (8) hours of community service prior to an academic semester will result in the immediate termination of eligibility for the Tennessee Promise Scholarship.
- Students who are eligible for the Tennessee Promise Scholarship but are not awarded funds due to receiving gift aid in excess of the average community college tuition and fees rate must continue to meet all scholarship requirements. This includes completing the mandatory community service hours before each term and full-time enrollment. Failure to do so will result in permanent cancellation of the scholarship.
If you are not planning to use the Tennessee Promise Scholarship, APSU offers a number of undergraduate programs in which you may be interested. To review these programs, go to https://www.apsu.edu/admissions.
Please note: Bachelor’s degree programs do not meet eligibility requirements for the Tennessee Promise Scholarship. Therefore, you are forfeiting your eligibility for the Tennessee Promise when enrolling in a bachelor’s program.
Gift aid used in the calculation of the Tennessee Promise Scholarship does not include campus based scholarships or outside scholarships.
APSU Scholarship Opportunities
Students interested in applying for more scholarships should review Austin Peay scholarships.