Automatic merit · By state
Automatic Merit Scholarships in Tennessee
11 colleges in Tennessee automatically consider every admitted student for merit aid, with no separate scholarship application — 2 public and 9 private. Every award below is drawn verbatim from that school's own verified merit-aid page.
Verified Jul 20263 days ago· MP
What this page shows
11 Tennessee colleges award merit automatically, with no separate application.
Each school below publishes an automatic merit rule — an award the school hands out based on your admitted GPA and test score, or on your academic record at admission, with no separate scholarship form. Amounts are the school’s own verbatim figures, and each school links to its full published ladder, renewal rules, and stacking policy. Schools without a published automatic tier aren’t listed.
Every Tennessee school with automatic merit
| School | Type | Automatic tiers | Sample automatic awards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | Public | 8 | Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship — Top Tier: $18,000/year ($72,000 over four years)Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship — Middle Tier: $9,000/year ($36,000 over four years)Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship — Entry Tier: $3,000/year ($12,000 over four years)+5 more on the school page |
| Tennessee State | Public | 6 | The TSU Renaissance: $5,500 (in-state) / $8,500 (out-of-state) per yearThe 1912 Heritage: $4,500 (in-state) / $6,500 (out-of-state) per yearThe TSU Torch Scholars: $3,500 (in-state) / $4,500 (out-of-state) per year+3 more on the school page |
| Belmont | Private (religious) | 6 | Trustee Scholarship: $22,000 per yearProvost Scholarship: $19,000 per yearFounders Scholarship: $17,000 per year+3 more on the school page |
| Carson-Newman | Private (religious) | 2 | Freshman Merit Scholarships (Fall 2026-Spring 2027 grid): $10,000-$18,000Transfer Merit Scholarships (Fall 2026-Spring 2027 grid): $10,000-$14,000 |
| Freed-Hardeman | Private (religious) | 3 | Merit Scholarships: $4,000-$12,000 per yearTrustees' Scholarship: $18,000 per yearTransfer Scholarships: $1,000-$7,000 per year (college-GPA basis); merit basis $2,000-$12,000 |
| Lee University | Private (religious) | 3 | Ignite Scholarship (general merit): Starts at $2,000 per yearDean's Scholarship (general merit): Starts at $5,000 per yearPresidential Scholarship (general merit): Starts at $7,500 per year |
| Maryville | Private (religious) | 1 | Scots Legacy Award: $20,000 (minimum, in scholarships and aid) |
| Sewanee | Private (religious) | 4 | Vice-Chancellor's Scholarship: Full tuition, fees, room and board annually (1 awarded per class)Benedict Scholarship: Full tuition, fees, room and board annually (2 awarded per class)Wilkins Scholarship: $5,000 in addition to the recipient's EQB Award annually+1 more on the school page |
| Tennessee Wesleyan | Private (religious) | 3 | TWU Freshman Merit Awards: $9,000-$17,000TWU Transfer Merit Awards: $5,000-$16,000Nursing/Dental Awards: $2,000-$14,000 |
| Union University | Private (religious) | 5 | University Scholarship (2025 Freshman Academic Award): $11,000 per year on campus / $8,000 per year off campusDean's Scholarship (2025 Freshman Academic Award): $12,000 per year on campus / $9,000 per year off campusProvost's Scholarship (2025 Freshman Academic Award): $15,000 per year on campus / $11,000 per year off campus+2 more on the school page |
| Trevecca | Private | 3 | Speicher Scholarship: $10,000Strickland Scholarship: $12,000Dunning Scholarship: $14,000 |