Scholar Rate Discount Program

Are You Eligible?

Program

Overview: Out-of-state students pay an additional fee referred to as tuition that is not assessed to Tennessee in-state students. High-achieving out-of-state students may qualify for a discounted SCHOLAR RATE or SCHOLAR RATE PLUS.

Eligibility

General Eligibility

Classified as Out-of-State for fee payment purposes
Classified as undergraduate
Classified as a degree-seeking student
Enrolled in 15 or more undergraduate credit hours or 9 or more graduate credit hours.
Completed all of the eligibility requirements for the previous term, if a discounted rate was received in the previous term.

Scholar Rate Eligibility

The Scholar Rate is available to all categories of out-of-state students (i.e., first-time freshmen, returning students, transfer students, etc.). There is no maximum number of semesters for which a student may receive the rate if they meet the general eligibility requirements above as well as the following additional requirements:

First-time freshmen must have a minimum 21 ACT (or 980 SAT verbal and math) and a minimum high school un-weighted cumulative 3.0 GPA. [Note: returning and transfer students with fewer than 15 credits hours earned are classified as first-time freshmen for the purposes of assessing this rate only.]
Returning students and transfer students must have a minimum of 15 credit hours earned for that semester and a cumulative 3.0 GPA. Specifically, if all other applicable eligibility requirements are met:
- A returning student who qualified for the rate upon entering the University, but does not qualify for one or more subsequent semesters, is again eligible for the rate in the semester following the one in which they have earned 15 credit hours and they have a cumulative 3.0 GPA.
- A transfer student entering the University with a minimum of 15 credit hours earned and a 3.0 GPA is eligible for the rate upon entering the University.

Scholar Rate Plus Eligibility

The Scholar Rate Plus is available to out-of-state first-time freshmen only. Students may receive this rate for a maximum of eight (8) semesters if they meet the general eligibility requirements above as well as the following additional requirements:

First-time freshmen must have a minimum of 25 ACT (or 1130 SAT verbal and math) and a minimum high school un-weighted cumulative 3.3 GPA.
Returning students who received the Scholar Rate Plus in the previous term must have a minimum of 15 credit hours earned for that semester and a cumulative 3.0 GPA.

Appeals

An eligibility appeal may be submitted that documents one of the following:

No Offer- The student has met all requirements and the rate has not been assessed for reasons of error, grade change, coding change to degree-seeking, etc.
Graduation- The student is a senior who will graduate in the current semester and a minimum of 15 hours is not required to do so. Written confirmation from the student’s academic department head and/or advisor is required.
Hours Earned- The student received a grade of “F” or a grade type of “W” or “I” in the previous semester in only one course. During the student’s entire matriculation, this Hours Earned Appeal may be granted only once. A Scholar Rate Plus student who successfully appeals will automatically become a Scholar Rate student.

A student must submit and appeal form and appropriate documentation, if applicable, to the Enrollment Services Office within ten (10) calendar days of the first day of classes for an appeal to be considered. The first day of classes is specified on the University Calendar.

No change in fees will be made after the appeal deadlines. For example, if s student drops from 15 credit hours to 3 credit hours during the Fall term, the discounted rate will not be adjusted to the regular out-of-state rate, which would be lower in this instance.

Application and Notification

No application is required to receive these discounted rates. A rate will be automatically assessed to those who qualify. Students will be notified by email if they are eligible for and/or have received a discounted rate for that semester. Students with questions about the rates may contact the Office of Enrollment Services.

Details on How to Qualify>>