Free college, you say?

A new UT Promise scholarship program will take effect in fall 2020, providing qualifying students with free tuition to any of the UT System campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga + Martin. 📚 The announcement of the program was made by UT Interim President Randy Boyd at the annual State of UT Address last week.

Here’s what we know:

UT Promise is a “last-dollar scholarship program” aimed at covering remaining tuition costs for students with a family household income under $50,000. The program is an expansion of scholarship offerings + does not replace existing scholarships.
Students must qualify for the Hope Scholarship and meet the academic qualifications to attend the university. Students awarded the scholarship will be paired with a mentor + will complete four hours of service each semester.
In order to be considered for the 2020 class, students must apply for admission by Dec. 15 + submit FAFSA applications by Jan. 15. ✍️
Transfer students may qualify for the scholarship if they meet the criteria.
Funding for the UT Promise program will rely on the UT System’s savings, additional resources + the five-year UT Promise Endowment fundraising campaign.

Several readers had comments on our Facebook post about the program.

“I wish they would help those that have multiple kids in college at the same time.” — Leigh Ann D.

“Investing in our children (our future) is always a good idea. 👍🏻” — Jenn Y.

“I think they need to raise the family income limit.” — Ed Vina C.