Transfer Scholarships
About These Scholarships
Available To: Transfer Students | In-State, Out-of-State
Award: These scholarships range in amount from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Deadline: July 1, UT Priority FAFSA Filing Date
Learn more about the scholarships available to UT transfer students, along with any dates or deadlines you should be aware of.
Transfer Student Scholarships
There are multiple scholarship opportunities for our new, incoming UT transfer students. Several of these scholarships require no additional application, and are awarded based on the admission application. Explore some additional transfer scholarship options below!
Tennessee Pledge (in-state students)
The Tennessee Pledge Scholarship is a two-year (four semesters) award for in-state residents graduating from a Tennessee community college with an AA, AS, AFA (Associate of Fine Arts), or AST (Associate of Science Teaching) degree who meet the Tennessee Pledge financial need requirements. Transfer students with an AAS degree do not qualify.
To qualify, you must have graduated from a Tennessee high school, enrolled in a Tennessee community college immediately afterward, and then transferred directly to UT Knoxville with qualifying credentials.
This scholarship will assist with your direct costs when combined with other federal, state, and institutional aid.
You must submit the FAFSA by the UT Priority Filing Date to be considered for the Tennessee Pledge scholarship.
Volunteer Transfer Scholarship
The Volunteer Transfer Scholarship is awarded for up to two years to in-state or out-of-state transfer students with a 3.25+ UT-calculated GPA who intend to finish their degree at UT.
The scholarship is available to in-state or out-of-state transfer students graduating with an associate’s degree from a Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) community college with an AA, AS, AFA (Associate of Fine Arts), or AST (Associate of Science Teaching) degree. Transfer students with an AAS degree do not qualify. You must enroll at UT for the fall or spring semester immediately following their completion of a community college degree.
If you have previously been enrolled in a four-year institution, you are not eligible for this scholarship. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be considered.
Award amounts for eligible students are based on the following criteria:
| UT GPA | Annual Amount |
|---|---|
| 3.25–3.49 | $1,500 |
| 3.50–3.74 | $3,000 |
| 3.75+ | $5,000 |
Flagship (in-state students)
The Flagship Scholarship is a two-year (four semesters) award that combines with the HOPE and other university scholarships to assist with tuition and fees for UT Knoxville campus transfer students.
To be eligible, you must have graduated from a UT designated Flagship High School, enrolled in an in-state community college immediately afterward and earned an AA, AS, AFA (Associate of Fine Arts), or AST (Associate of Science Teaching) degree, and then transferred directly to UT Knoxville with the qualifying credentials. Transfer students with an AAS degree do not qualify.
You must submit the FAFSA by the UT Priority Filing Date and submit your admission application by each term’s specific deadline to be considered for the Flagship Scholarship. Learn more here.
Tennessee KIPP Scholarship
This scholarship is awarded to transfer students who graduated from KIPP Memphis Collegiate High School or KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School. To be eligible, you must have graduated from a UT designated Flagship High School, enrolled in an in-state community college immediately afterward and earned an AA, AS, AFA (Associate of Fine Arts), or AST (Associate of Science Teaching) degree, and then transferred directly to UT Knoxville with the qualifying credentials. Transfer students with an AAS degree do not qualify.
F. Rodney and Dell R. Lawler
This scholarship is for a Pellissippi State Technical Community College transfer student. The award recognizes academic and leadership achievement for a greater Knoxville area graduate who demonstrates financial need. The one-year award assists with the annual maintenance fee.
Phi Theta Kappa Member
Twenty-five scholarships have been designated for Phi Theta Kappa members who will graduate with an AA or an AS degree or have completed 60 semester hours of earned transferable credit. The scholarships are open to qualified students from any institution. To be eligible, you must submit a GPA of 3.5 at the two-year institution, along with a letter of recommendation from the Phi Theta Kappa campus advisor.
The stipend is $1,000 for in-state students and $2,000 for out-of-state students. The award is for one year and is renewable.
Continuing Undergraduate Student Scholarships
There are a variety of scholarships available to current UT students. To be considered for these scholarships, you need to complete the Continuing Undergraduate Student Scholarship application every year by March 1 or July 1, depending on the semester you transfer to UTK.
The criteria for these scholarships varies, and the awards range from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Visit our Continuing Undergraduate Student webpage for more information, deadlines, application link, and some FAQ’s!
How to Apply
You will automatically be considered for many of the scholarships available for incoming transfer students when you apply to UT. Go here to find important transfer application dates and deadlines.
- Spring Semester – New transfer students for spring semesters are considered continuing students and should complete this application by March 1. (For example, Spring 2024 2025 transfer students should complete the application by March 1, 2024 2025.)
- Summer Term & Fall Semester – New transfer students for summer and fall semesters must complete the application by July 1 of the year they will transfer to UTK. (For example, Summer or Fall 2025 transfer students should complete the application by July 1, 2024 2025.)
- Visit here to learn more!
We also encourage you to apply for Continuing Undergraduate Student Scholarships by March 1 or July 1 each year, depending on your transfer semester to UTK. Visit here to learn more!
How to Keep Transfer Scholarships
Retaining Volunteer Transfer Scholarship
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or greater
- Maintain full-time enrollment status each fall and spring semester and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Retaining Tennessee Pledge Scholarship
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater
- Submit the FAFSA every year by the UT FAFSA Priority Filing Date
- Maintain a Family Income/Assets/Untaxed Income of $60,000 or less per year (Family income combines the parent adjusted gross income with untaxed income such as alimony, child support, Social Security income, and other forms of untaxed income reported on the FAFSA. Additional family resources, including assets, will also be considered when determining eligibility for the Pledge Scholarship.)
- Maintain full-time enrollment status each fall and spring semester and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Maintain required minimum eligibility for all awarded institutional, federal, and state funds
Retaining Flagship Scholarship
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater
- Submit the FAFSA every year by the UT FAFSA Priority Filing Date
- Maintain full-time enrollment status each fall and spring semester and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Retaining Tennessee KIPP Scholarship
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater
- Maintain full-time enrollment status each fall and spring semester and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Retaining F. Rodney and Dell R. Lawler Scholarship
- Maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or greater
- Maintain full-time enrollment status each fall and spring semester and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
One award is offered per year.
Transfer Student Scholarship FAQs
How does this combine with other scholarships?
Your individual scholarships may combine with other scholarships and aid, up to the cost of your attendance. Please contact One Stop if you have questions about how your aid offers will combine.
How competitive are UT scholarships?
UT offers a variety of scholarships for students. Scholarship eligibility can be based on academic merit, service and community engagement, financial need, and more!
Am I eligible for scholarships after my first year?
Yes! Make sure you learn which of your scholarships are eligible for renewal, and the criteria required. You will remain eligible for scholarships throughout your time at UT. Current students are encouraged to reapply each year by no later than March 1. Visit our Continuing Undergraduate Student Scholarships webpage for more information.
How do I find out about the unclaimed scholarships I hear about?
The majority of unclaimed scholarships are from external sources. Scholarships with very restrictive criteria are sometimes not awarded until future years.
If I am awarded a scholarship, how do I accept and receive the funds?
- Any scholarships or grants you receive will automatically apply toward your tuition and fees for the year you receive it. You can log into your MyUTK account to view your statement, which summarizes all of your financial transactions including tuition, fees, on-campus housing and other charges. There, you can:
- View your charges and fees
- Make online payments
- See fee waiver and discount information
- Access fines and past-due amounts
- Track pending financial aid and potential excess funds from scholarships or loans
- Federal regulations allow you to voluntarily authorize financial aid to be used to pay for non-tuition and fees during the current year.
