Scholarships for Adult Learners

For information on tuition, including miscellaneous program fees and other rates, click here.

June Anderson Center for Women & Nontraditional Students Scholarships

The Osher Reentry Scholarship of $2000-4000 is awarded to up to 15 non-traditional students who are incoming freshmen or transfer students, and who have experienced a cumulative gap in their education of five or more years. This new award was established beginning with fall 2011 semester; scholarship availability for future years will be dependent on funding from the Bernard Osher Foundation. Online applications are available beginning in mid-December and must be submitted by March 1.

The NTO (Non-traditional Student Organization) student organization offers a limited number of scholarships to currently enrolled students who are members of the NTO organization, a student organization for adult learners (students who have adult responsibilities outside of the university, regardless of age). The awards may range from $1000 for one year to $3000 for four years. Learn more about the organization and the available scholarships on the NTO website. Applications must be submitted by March 1.

Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarships for Non-Traditional Students

Students who are at least 25 when they begin college (or when they reenter college after a break of at least 2 years) may qualify for a lottery scholarship of $3,500 per year. A student must meet residency, financial need, and academic requirements to qualify.

You may qualify for a Tennessee Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship if you are able to answer YES to the following questions:

You have been a Tennessee resident for at least 1 year.
You were age 25 or older when you started your current enrollment at MTSU.
You have been continuously enrolled during every Fall and Spring semester since starting your current enrollment at MTSU.
Your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) including spouse’s if married, is equal or less than $36,000.
You do NOT have a Bachelor’s degree.
You have attempted at least 12 credit hours and have minimally maintained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75.
You have completed the FAFSA (or Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the current academic year.

If you were able to answer YES to the above questions, you “may” be eligible for the Tennessee Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship. To request a review of your eligibility, please complete the Tennessee Lottery Non-Traditional Review form.

Non-traditional Continuing Eligibility requirements

A student who initially qualifies for a lottery scholarship under non-traditional rules will continue to be eligible for the award as long as he or she meets continuing eligibility requirements and has an Adjusted Gross Income of $36,000 or less on the FAFSA. If a student meets all renewal criteria other than the AGI requirement, the student will not be eligible to received an award at that time but may be able to qualify in the future.

Effective starting the Fall 2021 semester, an Eligible non-traditional student shall continue receiving the HOPE Scholarship until the FIRST of the following TERMINATING events:

The student has earned a baccalaureate degree;
Five (5) years have passed since the student enrolled in an eligible post-secondary institution as a non-traditional student

TN Reconnect Grant to Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship Pathway

Transfer students to MTSU who are not currently or were not age 25 or older at the point of enrolling at MTSU, but were eligible to receive the Tennessee Reconnect Grant while earning an Associate Degree at an eligible Tennessee community college, are offered a pathway to Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship eligibility. In order to take advantage of this pathway, student must have graduated from an eligible Tennessee community college with an Associate Degree AND start the semester immediately after graduating with an Associates Degree at MTSU.

If you meet these requirements, and all other Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements (see Non-traditional students section), please complete the Tennessee Lottery Non-Traditional Review form to request review of your eligibility.

Scholarships for Military Students (and families)

Military Dependents

The state allows certain exceptions for military personnel and their families in regard to the lottery scholarship enrollment and residency rules:

Dependent must be under 21 years of age
A student must have at least one parent or stepparent who must be engaged in military services, on full-time national guard duty, or actively employed by the US Department of Defense
A student must be claimed by a parent or stepparent as a dependent for federal income tax purposes
If a student is qualifying based on a parent’s military service, the parent /stepparent must have Tennessee listed as a home of record at the time of entry into the military service.
For students who graduated from a state high school other than Tennessee, the high school must be regionally accredited by the appropriate agency for the applicable state
For students who graduated from a high school in another country, the high school must be regionally accredited by an accrediting association recognized by the applicable country
Students may qualify by graduating from a homeschool or qualify through GED requirements
Students must be otherwise eligible for a lottery scholarship
Documentation will be required for each student

Military Students

A student may be eligible if he or she graduated from a Tennessee High School and was initially eligible for the lottery upon graduation, but joined the military immediately upon graduation.
A student who withdraws mid-semester or does not enroll for a required semester due to active military service may appeal cancellation of their scholarship.
A student who attends an out-of-state college due to military mobilization must reenroll at an eligible institution within one year following mobilization.
A student who entered active duty within two years after high school graduation may be eligible for TELS. The student must be otherwise eligible, apart from the specified exception, and must provide documentation of the military service
A student may be eligible if he or she graduated from a Tennessee High School and was initially eligible for the lottery upon graduation, but joined the military immediately upon graduation.
A student who withdraws mid-semester or does not enroll for a required semester due to active military service may appeal cancellation of their scholarship.
A student who attends an out-of-state college due to military mobilization must reenroll at an eligible institution within one year following mobilization.
A student who entered active duty within two years after high school graduation may be eligible for TELS. The student must be otherwise eligible, apart from the specified exception, and must provide documentation of the military service

Helping Heroes Grant

A small grant is awarded by the state of Tennessee to veterans who have been awarded an Iraq Campaign Medal, an Afghanistan Campaign Medal, or a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal (on or after 9/11/01) and who meet certain other requirements.

The award amount is $1,000 per semester for students enrolled in 12 or more hours. The award amount is $500 per semester for students enrolled in 6 - 11 hours. Students enrolled in less than 6 hours are not eligible to receive an award for the semester.

Visit TSAC's Helping Heroes webpage for more information and an application.

MTSU Charlie & Hazel Daniels Veterans & Military Family Center

The Daniels Center is the largest and most comprehensive veterans center on any Tennessee higher education campus. It enables the over 1000 military-connected student population on campus to have a one-stop shop to meet a variety of academic needs. It is a place for our military-connected students to study, to gather, and to get help from fellow veterans, who will serve as peer advisors and sponsors.

The Daniels Center can assist veterans (and their families) with a number of student needs, including financial aid and academic advising. To see what Financial Aid Resources that they can assist with, please visit the MTSU Charlie & Hazel Daniels Veterans & Military Family Center webpage for information.

State Scholarships, Grants, and Loan Forgiveness Programs

In addition to the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS), Tennessee residents may qualify for state-based aid programs which include a need-based grant, several scholarships based on merit or other factors, and loan forgiveness programs for students in certain majors. These programs are administered through the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation

MTSU Transfer Promise Scholarship

Transfer Promise Scholarship - $3,000 per year for two years (maximum of 4 semesters).

To be considered for a MTSU Transfer Promise Scholarship, students must be a first-time incoming transfer who plans to enroll at MTSU in the Summer or Fall semester. Students with a previous bachelor's degree are not eligible. Students must have ALL of the following on file with the Admissions Office by February 15th to be considered for a scholarship:

Application for admissions as a new Incoming Transfer
Admissions Application fee paid
Official college transcript(s) through the Fall semester
Official high school transcript if applicable
Must be US Citizen or permanent resident

Requirements:

3.0 cumulative college GPA
60 earned credit hours prior to starting enrollment at MTSU
Application for admission MUST be completed by the Feb. 15^th deadline

No separate scholarship application is required for the Transfer Promise scholarship. Student will receive notification of the scholarship offer once they have met all of the requirements, including GPA & earned hours, IF they submitted all of the necessary paperwork by the February 15^th deadline. Students can start in the Summer term and receive the award, but the award does not start until the Fall term. To take advantage of the scholarship offer, students must accept the scholarship by June 1 or by the deadling stated in the scholarship award notice! Instructions of how to accept the scholarship will be included in the scholarship award notice.

Continuing eligibility criteria

Students can receive this scholarship for up to two years (or 4 semesters) as long as the scholarship renewal eligibility requirements are met after each semester. Continuing Scholarship eligibility is checked after every Fall and Spring semester. In order to have the scholarship renewed,

Students must earn a 3.0 cumulative MTSU GPA,
Students must enroll at least full-time every fall and spring semester.
Students must maintain full-time enrollment throughout the semester.

This information is conveyed to students when they officially accept the scholarship offer via their Pipeline account.

The fine print

Deadline for priority consideration is February 15^th.
The awarding of scholarships is based on the availability of funds and the criteria set forth by the appropriate governing bodies, and is subject to change.
In the event that MTSU offers multiple scholarships to a student (including scholarships awarded through other departments but funded by the Financial Aid & Scholarship Office, including the Transfer Promise Scholarship, the Honors Transfer Fellowship and the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship), only one scholarship can be accepted. Students who are offered two scholarships will be awarded the higher of the two. A student may receive a university scholarship in addition to a Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship.
A student's total aid including scholarships cannot exceed his or her budgeted Cost of Attendance.

Specific Scholarships for Adult and Non-traditional Students

AAIA Displaced Homemaker Scholarship

In the 1980’s, recognizing the unique needs of older students who have put off their education to raise a family, AAIA began the Displaced Homemaker Scholarship to assist men and women who are attending school for the first time or returning to school to complete their education after taking a break to raise their family. Single parent students, parent students who have worked in a particular field and have lost a job due to downsizing, or parent students who and are seeking additional education so that they may better provide for their family are also considered.
Students self-identify by including information about their previous and/or current family responsibilities in their essay. This scholarship is generally awarded to students who are over 30 years of age with either school aged children or children who are attending college themselves.
https://www.indian-affairs.org/scholarships.html

Kazimour Scholarship

Dr. Kim Kazimour and ANTSHE (Association of Nontraditional Students in Higher Education) sponsor the annual Kazimour Scholarships. The purpose of ANTSHE Scholarships is to assist nontraditional students in their college education. ANTSHE awards scholarships in varying amounts each academic year. Applicants are required to be enrolled full-time or plan to enroll for the academic year at an accredited college or university in a four-year undergraduate program of study. For 20 years, the Association for Non-Traditional Students in Higher Education has been awarding scholarships to motivate and committed non-traditional student members of the organization. Applicant must be an ANTSHE member. http://www.myantshe.org/Kazimour-Scholarship

The Non-Traditional Student Scholarship

Getting a job or staying competitive in today’s workplace involves showing employers you have the skills and experience to get the job done. In many cases, returning to college is a must. The American Legion Auxiliary's goal is to do all we can to make that happen, and that’s what the Non-Traditional Student Scholarship is all about. This scholarship helps people who are part of The Legion Family pursue a college degree later in life or allow them to pick up where they left off when their studies were interrupted. If you’re at this place in life, this may be the right scholarship for you. One $2,000 scholarship is awarded annually per Auxiliary geographic division. Applicant may be pursuing training in a certified, trade, professional, or technical program, or a two-year or four-year degree program.
Scholarship Deadline: March 1 of each calendar year https://www.alaforveterans.org/Scholarships/Non-Traditional-Student-Scholarship/

Royal Neighbors of America

RNA's "nontraditional" scholarship program provides educational support to members who don't fall into the usual college age range. New Horizons Scholarships -Ten – one-time grants up to $5,000 each year are awarded annually to help members age 18 and older who have previously graduated from high school pursue a degree at an accredited college or university. This can also be used toward an advanced degree such as a Masters or Ph.D. New Horizons Leader Scholarship - One – 4-year renewable scholarship worth up to $20,000 ($5,000 each year) is awarded annually to the most outstanding female from the pool of qualified New Horizons applicants. Life Enrichment Scholarship - Five non-renewable grants of up to $500 are awarded annually to members age 18 and older who have previously graduated from high school and who have a desire to continue their education through short-term courses to provide training for semi-professional occupations in business and industry or programs to provide skilled training.
http://www.royalneighbors.org/more-than-insurance/scholarships

The Wal-Mart Higher REACH Scholarships

These are awarded to non-traditional students who have been employed by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. for at least six months prior to application due date. Winners may receive up to $2,000 payable over one year (award amount varies depending on part-time or full-time enrollment).To be eligible for the program, candidates must be able to identify their career goals and objectives along with meeting the necessary educational and financial requirements.*
http://www.walmartfoundation.org/wmstore/goodworks/scripts/index.jsp

Scholarships List for Adult and Non-traditional Students: Awards for Women

Career Advancement Scholarship

The BPW Foundation created the Career Advancement Scholarship Program to award financial assistance to disadvantaged women who want to further their education. Recipients must be U.S. citizens; 25 years of age or older who are within two years of completing their bachelors degree; and pursing a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM)—or a related field.
http://bpwfoundation.org/bpw-in-your-community/career-advancement-scholarship