MTSU Foundation and Departmental Scholarships

What is a Foundation Scholarship?

A Foundation Scholarship is an endowed award, with funding that initially came from an outside source but is given to MTSU to award. A scholarship donor, often an MTSU alumnus or a local charitable organization, gives funds to MTSU and designates that the funds be used to offer scholarships to students meeting certain criteria. MTSU uses the available funds (based on interest earned through the endowment) to award scholarships to students who match each donor's preferences and requirements. For example, a donor might ask that a scholarship be given to students in a particular major, or to students who have financial need. These scholarships are assigned to the departments which are best able to identify eligible students; therefore, a scholarship for chemistry majors will be awarded by the chemistry department, while a scholarship for art students is assigned to the art department.

To search for Foundation Scholarships, please return to the Foundation Scholarships Home Page, read the instructions, and click on the link at the bottom of the page. Be sure to search for anything that fits your profile; for example, try looking for scholarships in your major, for scholarships given to students in your club or organization, or for scholarships given to students in your Tennessee county. Please Note: If you are an incoming freshman, we recommend that you apply for scholarships awarded by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office; if you have selected a major, you may also want to contact the applicable academic department to ask whether they offer scholarships to freshmen in your major. If you are a current student, we recommend that you apply for any scholarships offered by your academic department to students in your major.

What is a Departmental Scholarship?

A departmental scholarship has funding within the department's budget, and that department selects the recipients; the funds for this type of award don't come from an outside donor as they do with a Foundation Scholarship. These scholarships are often performance-based, with specific performance requirements which must be completed for the student to continue to receive the scholarship. For example, a music departmental scholarship may require a student to register for certain classes and to participate in specific music ensembles; an athletic scholarship may require the recipient to play on a certain athletic team.

Some departments include their scholarships in the Foundation Scholarships listings, available through the Foundation Scholarships Home Page. Others have their own websites. See below for links to some departmental scholarship websites; please note that this is not a comprehensive list, so you should additionally contact departments of interest to ask about scholarship opportunities.

• Army ROTC Scholarships
• Music Scholarships
• OWLs Scholarships
• Athletic Scholarships (Student-Athlete scholarships at MTSU are awarded by the coaching staff of that particular sport.)