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Scholarships
Top Tennessee scholarships for you
Find Tennessee scholarships that can help you pay for college.
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What are Tennessee scholarships?
Tennessee scholarships are financial aid for college created specifically for students living in Tennessee or looking to go to school in Tennessee. Tennessee scholarships can help students attain higher education opportunities that otherwise may be out of reach due to financial reasons. All scholarships are free money for college that you don’t have to pay back.
Eligibility requirements for Tennessee scholarships
Before you apply for Tennessee scholarships, make sure you check the eligibility requirements. To qualify for Tennessee scholarships, you’ll most likely need to prove you’re a resident or you’re attending school in that state. Some other common eligibility requirements may include your GPA, community service, citizenship, plan to attend an accredited program, leadership potential, and submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Scholarship eligibility requirements vary, so don’t assume you won’t qualify. Check them out!
Are Tennessee scholarships worth my time?
Some scholarships are quick and easy to apply for. Others require time and effort. Typically, fewer students apply to scholarships that require work which means you could have better odds of winning.
Pro tip: Don’t skip over Tennessee scholarships with smaller award amounts ($). There’s typically less competition for them—and they add up!
How do I find Tennessee scholarships?
There are many resources to help you find Tennessee scholarships.
Scholarship resources
- The financial aid office at a college or career school
- Organizations (such as professional associations) related to your field of interest
- Federal agencies
- Free scholarship search tools like Scholly Scholarships
- Local libraries, businesses, or associations
Your high school guidance office is a great place to start when looking for local scholarships. You could also try doing a search for your city’s name and “community foundation,” or the county you live in and “foundation.”
Scholly Scholarships
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Hot tip! Smaller scholarships may have less competition, increasing your odds of winning.
Scholarships for Tennessee
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The Scholarships360 $10,000 "No Essay" Scholarship
Due: 6/30/2025
No Essays
$10,000
Tennessee Student Assistance Award
Due: 4/15/2025
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
$4,000
The Tennessee Student Assistance Award Program (TSAA) was established to provide non-repayable financial assistance to financially-needy underGraduate Studentss who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment, at least half-time, at a public or an eligible non-public postsecondary institution. Students at four-year or two-year private institutions, four-year and two-year public institutions, career schools, and at the TN College of Applied Technology are eligible. Students must also have a valid Student Aid Index (SAI) of 5000 or less; maintain institutional satisfactory academic progress according to the standards and practices of the institution; not be in default on a loan or owe a refund on any grant previously received at any institution; and have not received a baccalaureate degree. To receive priority consideration, students are strongly encouraged to submit a FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1 each year. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Graduate Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
$3,000
The Sergeant John Basilone Memorial Graduate Scholarship is open for application to a senior undergraduate at any public or private college or university or a graduate thereof who is initiating graduate studies in the United States. Students already attending grad school do not qualify. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Major Don S. Gentile Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Transcripts Required
$6,000
The UNICO Foundation will award the Major Don S. Gentile Scholarship to high school seniors at any public or private secondary school who will be attending an accredited campus-based college or university program in the United States. The scholarship will be paid out for up to a maximum of 4 years. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Tennessee Society of CPA Scholarships
Due: 6/15/2025
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Transcripts Required
Amount Varies
The Educational & Memorial Foundation Scholarship of TSCPA makes scholarships available to TSCPA student members who have completed introductory accounting courses and are planning to sit for the CPA exam. Students transitioning from a 2-year community college to a 4-year university are encouraged to apply. Applicants must be residents of Tennessee or attending a Tennessee college or university. They must have completed at least 3 semester hours (or equivalent) in accounting by the end of spring 2024. They must be majoring in accounting, finance or related fields and planning to obtain their CPA designation. Applicants must also submit two completed letters of recommendations, one from an accounting, economics or finance professor from the university they are attending. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
William C. Davini Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Transcripts Required
$6,000
The UNICO Foundation will award the William C. Davini Scholarship to high school seniors at any public or private secondary school who will be attending an accredited campus-based college or university program in the United States. The scholarship will be paid out for up to a maximum of 4 years. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Tennessee Dual Enrollment Grant
Due: Varies
No Essays
No min. GPA Required
No Recommendations Required
No Transcripts Required
Amount Varies
The Dual Enrollment Grant program is defined as a grant for study at an eligible postsecondary institution that is funded from net proceeds of the state lottery and awarded to students who are attending an eligible high school and who are also enrolled in college courses at eligible postsecondary institutions for which they will receive college credit. To be eligible, a student enrolled in an eligible high school must be admitted to and enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution. The student must have completed all the academic requirements of the 10th grade (high school sophomore) and be classified as an 11th grader (high school junior) or 12th grader (high school senior) by the student's high school; or have completed the 8th grade requirements and is enrolled in a TN College of Applied Technology. There are several application deadlines, depending on the institution you are going for. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.
Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Recommendations Required
$1,000
The Ella T. Grasso Literary Scholarship will be awarded to college students submitting an original short story or essay celebrating their Italian heritage. The candidate must submit an original, titled, unpublished essay or short story. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, originality, literary merit and suitability for publication. Applicants must be of Italian descent. They must have at least one parent of Italian heritage. Documented and notarized proof may be requested by the selection committee, if necessary. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Louise Torraco Memorial Scholarship for Science
Due: 4/15/2025
No Recommendations Required
$2,500
The Louise Torraco Memorial Scholarship for Science will be awarded to students currently pursuing a degree in the Physical Sciences including but not limited to Agro-Sciences, Astronomy, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, and Physics; or in the Life Sciences including but not limited to Anatomy, Biochemistry, Biology, Botany, Microbiology and Zoology. This program is open to applicants of all ethnicities. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
Ralph J. Torraco Fine Arts Scholarship
Due: 4/15/2025
No Recommendations Required
$2,500
The Ralph J. Torraco Fine Arts Scholarship will be awarded to students currently pursuing a degree in the Fine Arts including the Performing Arts, Visual Arts or Technical Arts. This program is open to applicants of all ethnicities. Applicants will be asked to submit a link for either a video showcasing their performance or a link to their portfolio. Online degree programs are not eligible for UNICO scholarships. Applicants must also reside in or have a UNICO Chapter or District sponsor from one of the eligible states. Submission of letters of recommendation is optional. If the applicant is being sponsored by a local chapter, a chapter of a family member or a local district, the applicant will be asked to provide the name and email address for the chapter or district contact for the option of attaching a letter of endorsement. Please visit the scholarship's website or contact the UNICO Foundation Inc. for more information.
What types of scholarships are available for students?
Need-based scholarships
These are scholarships for students who have demonstrated a financial need. There’s no universal number or set income level that tells you if you qualify. How each scholarship defines what financial need means varies. The federal government as well as specific organizations, corporations, and colleges/universities/schools offer need-based scholarships.
Merit scholarships
Merit scholarships are for students who have shown high academic, athletic, or extracurricular achievement over their high school careers. Not all schools/colleges offer merit-aid—highly selective schools typically don’t. The process for applying for merit scholarships varies. For merit scholarships offered through colleges and universities, you generally don’t have to do anything other than complete the application to the school itself. For some schools, you need to submit the FAFSA® to be eligible.
Career-specific grants or scholarships
These are awarded to students who know they want a career in a specific industry. Maybe they know they want to be a teacher, a nurse, or an engineer. To be eligible for grants, students must submit the FAFSA®. To find career-specific scholarships, try searching for your major and “association.”
Community or nonprofit scholarships
Nonprofit and community organizations often receive funding from donors to create scholarship programs for students who need them.
Tips for successful scholarship applications
- Pull together everything you need for the application including transcripts, so you can submit a complete scholarship application.
- You may need a recommendation letter or letters for a scholarship. Ask a teacher, employer, or someone else who knows you to write one for you—and be sure to give them enough time to do it.
- If you’re writing a scholarship essay, follow the prompt, answer the essay question completely, and write from your experience. A few well-written essays that you can reuse for different scholarship applications can really pay off.
- Highlight your strengths and achievements in your application.
- Talk about your financial need and what you would use the scholarship money for if you won. How would it help?
- Have to interview for a scholarship? Dress to impress in a professional outfit. And do your research! Look into how/why the scholarship was created. Try to bring up why it’s meaningful to you. Also, don’t forget to send a thank-you note afterwards.
- Keep track of all the deadlines for the scholarships you’re applying to. If you miss one, they may not extend the due date.
- Apply for scholarships year after year, all through college. As you continue your studies, gain more experience, and try new extracurricular activities in college, you might be eligible for more scholarships you weren’t originally qualified for.
Here are more tips that can help you understand all there is to know about scholarships and up your chances of winning.
Frequently asked questions
These tips can help as you get ready to apply for Tennessee scholarships.
When are scholarship application deadlines?
There’s no standard deadline for scholarship applications. Each scholarship has its own deadline, so be sure to keep track of dates and make sure you don’t miss any deadlines of scholarships that you want to apply to.
Do you need to know which college you’re attending?
You don’t need to know which college you’re going to attend before applying for most scholarships. However, once you’re awarded scholarships, some of them may ask for eligibility verification—which can include proof of college enrollment.
Is there a limit on how many scholarships you can apply for?
Absolutely not, so apply for as many as you can to increase your chances of winning free money. Want to find more types of scholarships? There are so many, check them out!
Pro tip: Apply for scholarships each year you’re in college.
Does every scholarship application require an essay?
Not every scholarship will ask you to submit an essay—different scholarships have different requirements. If you’re applying for a scholarship with an essay and need help writing yours, get tips for writing scholarship essays.
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More resources to explore
Tips for writing scholarship essays
Get tips for writing scholarship essays. Learn what makes a good scholarship essay.
Find scholarship resources
Explore our scholarship resources, articles, and guide to get all the tips and tricks to help pay for college.
Fill out the FAFSA®
Learn when and how to apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to maximize your chances of getting federal student financial aid. Get tips now.
*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Ends 12/31/2025.
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