Ned McWherter Scholars Program

Application found within the TSAC Student Portal

 The Ned McWherter Scholars Program is intended to encourage academically superior Tennessee high school graduates to attend college in Tennessee. Tennessee high school seniors starting their last semester in high school may apply.

The award is $6,000 per academic year, $3,000 from the State of Tennessee and $3,000 from the college or university attended. The institutional match may be a campus-based award already included in the student’s financial aid package as long as it does not contain a work obligation. Awards are made in equal installments each term throughout the academic year. Awards are very competitive and are based on limited funding. 

The award may be renewed three times for a total of four years. The recipient must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average and attend full-time to remain eligible.

To be eligible, the applicant must:

  • be a resident of Tennessee, a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and attend an eligible Tennessee college or university full time, and
  • have at least a 3.5 unweighted cumulative grade point average, and
  • have a minimum composite score of 29 on the ACT (or concordant equivalent score on the SAT).

An applicant may receive extra credit for honors or advanced placement courses and leadership in extracurricular activities while in high school.

Study abroad and consortium agreement note

Recipients who participate in a study abroad program may receive a Ned McWherter Scholars. However, the scholarship must be certified by an eligible Ned McWherter Scholars institution, and the student must be receiving academic credit for the study abroad program from that institution. Also, if a recipient is participating in a consortium agreement the same requirements apply.

An application, in order to be considered complete, must be accompanied by:

  • an official high school transcript that contains the applicant’s high school grades through the first semester of the senior year, and
  • an official ACT/SAT score.

Applications are available by clicking on the link above (TSAC Student Portal). Awards are very competitive and are based on limited funding. Renewal applicants are given first priority. TSAC must receive the completed application and required attachments by February 15.