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Tennessee State scholarships and merit aid

Two prices: the posted one, and yours.

Posted price$28,131per year · 2026-2027 · cost of attendance
Yours?depends on the rules below

The short answer

Tennessee State is worth checking if your student has strong grades or scores. We found 9 published awards, and 6 are based on those numbers.

Where does your student land?

Verified Jun 2026
4 school sources to explore

Published rules, with the school sources close at hand. Confirm the details before you count on an award.

The award collection

Published scholarships

These amounts and requirements come from the school’s own published pages. Open an award to see who qualifies and how to keep it.

Where does your student land?

  1. The Presidential ScholarFull tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and the seven-day unlimited meal plan (including $300 dining bucks)Not automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    The Presidential Scholar

    Full tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and the seven-day unlimited meal plan (including $300 dining bucks)

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Weighted 3.5 or higher
    SAT
    1300+
    ACT
    28+ (composite)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for The Presidential Scholar

    Who qualifies

    U.S. citizens, first-time freshmen; includes a 200-word essay requirement. Application was marked Closed for the current cycle.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four consecutive academic years (8 semesters); maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, enroll in 15 credit hours per semester, and submit the FAFSA.

    Worth knowing

    TSU's flagship full-ride award. Listed as 'Closed' on the Fall 2026 scholarships page, so treat as application-cycle-dependent rather than rolling. Confirm the next open window with admissions.

  2. The Dr. Levi Watkins Merit ScholarshipTuition, fees, room and board, and—where applicable—the unlimited meal plan + dining bucksNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    The Dr. Levi Watkins Merit Scholarship

    Tuition, fees, room and board, and—where applicable—the unlimited meal plan + dining bucks

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum weighted 3.5 or higher
    SAT
    1310 or higher
    ACT
    28 or higher
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for The Dr. Levi Watkins Merit Scholarship

    Who qualifies

    U.S. citizens, first-time freshmen majoring in biology, chemistry, or related fields; 500-750 word essay on healthcare aspirations. Application was marked Closed for the current cycle.

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to three consecutive academic years (described on the page as 9 semesters); maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA, 15 credit hours/semester (10 in summer), and submit the FAFSA.

    Worth knowing

    Restricted to pre-health/STEM majors; competitive with an essay. Listed as 'Closed' on the Fall 2026 page. The page describes renewal as up to three years yet '9 semesters' — confirm the exact renewal length with the aid office.

  3. The TSU Renaissance$5,500 (in-state) / $8,500 (out-of-state) per yearAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    The TSU Renaissance

    $5,500 (in-state) / $8,500 (out-of-state) per year

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Weighted 3.75 or higher
    SAT
    1300+
    ACT
    28+ (composite)
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for The TSU Renaissance

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshmen and international students. GPA OR test threshold qualifies (either/or).

    How to keep it

    Renewable for four consecutive academic years (8 semesters); maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, 15+ credit hours/semester, and submit the FAFSA.

    Worth knowing

    Awarded off the published GPA/test grid with no separate application — students who meet the criteria and complete their admission file by the deadline are automatically considered. Out-of-state recipients receive the larger $8,500/year.

  4. The 1912 Heritage$4,500 (in-state) / $6,500 (out-of-state) per yearAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    The 1912 Heritage

    $4,500 (in-state) / $6,500 (out-of-state) per year

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Weighted 3.25-3.74
    SAT
    1200-1290
    ACT
    25-27
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for The 1912 Heritage

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshmen and international students. GPA OR test band qualifies (either/or).

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to four years (8 semesters); maintain a 3.0 GPA, 15 credit hours/semester, and submit the FAFSA.

    Worth knowing

    Automatic on stats from the published grid; out-of-state students receive the larger $6,500/year.

  5. The TSU Torch Scholars$3,500 (in-state) / $4,500 (out-of-state) per yearAutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    The TSU Torch Scholars

    $3,500 (in-state) / $4,500 (out-of-state) per year

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Weighted 3.0-3.24
    SAT
    1030-1190
    ACT
    20-24
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for The TSU Torch Scholars

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshmen and international students.

    How to keep it

    Maintain a 3.0 GPA, 15 credit hours/semester, and submit the FAFSA. Page does not state the maximum number of renewal years for this tier.

    Worth knowing

    Entry-tier automatic award off the grid; out-of-state students receive the larger $4,500/year. Renewal-year cap not stated on the page (confirm with the aid office).

  6. The Tiger Transfer$3,000 per year (in-state and out-of-state)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    The Tiger Transfer

    $3,000 per year (in-state and out-of-state)

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum 3.0 cumulative college GPA
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for The Tiger Transfer

    Who qualifies

    Transfer and international transfer students entering the fall semester. No test score required.

    How to keep it

    Renewable for two consecutive academic years (4 semesters); maintain a 2.5 GPA, 15 credit hours/semester, and submit the FAFSA.

    Worth knowing

    Transfer-student award; same $3,000 for in-state and out-of-state. Shorter renewal window (4 semesters) than the freshman tiers.

  7. The MNPS TrailblazerFull tuition and mandatory feesNot automaticRenewable
    Published awardOther selection criteria

    The MNPS Trailblazer

    Full tuition and mandatory fees

    Published coverage or packageNot recorded as automatic on grades and scores. Read the selection rules. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    HOPE GPA 3.0 or higher
    SAT
    1060+
    ACT
    21+
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for The MNPS Trailblazer

    Who qualifies

    In-state, first-time freshmen graduating from Metro Nashville Public Schools; must be Tennessee HOPE Scholarship-eligible. GPA OR test threshold qualifies.

    How to keep it

    Renewable up to four consecutive academic years (8 semesters); maintain Tennessee HOPE eligibility, 15 credit hours/semester, and submit the FAFSA.

    Worth knowing

    Geographically restricted to MNPS graduates and tied to Tennessee HOPE eligibility (a state award). A prior cycle of this program capped availability at 50 awards (per the 2025-2026 institutional page); the Fall 2026 page does not restate a cap — confirm current availability.

  8. Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier One (2025-2026 grid)$3,000 (in-state) / $6,000 (out-of-state)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier One (2025-2026 grid)

    $3,000 (in-state) / $6,000 (out-of-state)

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Minimum weighted GPA of 3.25-3.49
    SAT
    1130-1290
    ACT
    23-27
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier One (2025-2026 grid)

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshmen. Out-of-state award is double the in-state award.

    How to keep it

    Renewal terms not stated for this specific stipend on the 2025-2026 institutional page; general merit renewal rules (full-time, 15 credit hours, minimum cumulative GPA) apply.

    Worth knowing

    From the 2025-2026 institutional merit page (a separate, prior-year scholarship structure). Included for the explicit dollar amounts and the in-state vs out-of-state doubling pattern. The Fall 2026 scholarships page reorganizes these into the named tiers above — confirm which structure applies to the applicant's entry year.

  9. Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier Two (2025-2026 grid)$2,000 (in-state) / $4,000 (out-of-state)AutomaticRenewable
    Published awardAcademic thresholds

    Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier Two (2025-2026 grid)

    $2,000 (in-state) / $4,000 (out-of-state)

    Published award termsAll published eligibility conditions still apply. Confirm the policy year with the school.

    GPA
    Weighted GPA of 3.0-3.24
    SAT
    1000-1120
    ACT
    19-22
    RenewableCheck the conditions
    Open award details for Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier Two (2025-2026 grid)

    Who qualifies

    First-time freshmen. Out-of-state award is double the in-state award.

    How to keep it

    Renewal terms not stated for this specific stipend on the 2025-2026 institutional page; general merit renewal rules apply.

    Worth knowing

    From the 2025-2026 institutional merit page. Documents the lowest published stat-based stipend and again the in-state vs out-of-state doubling.

Lights up against Tennessee State's published cutoffs. Not an award offer; confirm with the financial aid office. Award terms and residency rules change; some awards differ for in-state and out-of-state students. Always confirm at the school’s source page.

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The fine print

Renewal ruleThe Dr. Levi Watkins Merit Scholarship: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out

Renewable up to three consecutive academic years (described on the page as 9 semesters); maintain a 3.5 cumulative GPA, 15 credit hours/semester (10 in summer), and submit the FAFSA. A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

Aid capHard $28,131 cost-of-attendance ceiling

Institutional aid at Tennessee State cannot push the package past $28,131. Big outside wins can mathematically reduce institutional grant once the ceiling is reached.

What makes Tennessee State different

TSU's institutional merit scholarships are awarded automatically off a weighted-GPA/test grid: stat-based stipends run $3,000-$8,500/year (and are larger for out-of-state students), while the top tiers (Presidential Scholar, MNPS Trailblazer) cover full tuition or a full ride.

Merit tiers96 based on grades or scores
Research checkedJun 2026By our research team

More than one award path

Separate the two paths.

Some awards use published academic thresholds. Others have different selection criteria. A score chart does not describe every award at this school.

  1. Match the published criteria

    Use all requirements together, including residency and the entering class.

  2. Check the application dates

    Confirm the current admission and scholarship deadlines directly with the school.

  3. Know what happens next year

    Check renewal, credit requirements and how other aid affects the award.

The fine print / Three questions to carry forward

Before you count on it.

Does it apply to us? Confirm the entering year, residency and every eligibility condition.

Can we keep it? Check renewal GPA, credits and how long the award lasts.

Can we combine it? Ask how outside scholarships and other school awards change the offer.

Take Tennessee State's decision sheet

A printable research summary, source links and room for your questions.

See what could change an award

What families often miss

  1. You can receive only ONE institutional merit scholarship from the Office of Institutional Merit Scholarships. You get the single award you qualify for, not multiple tiers combined.

  2. TSU merit awards are LAST-DOLLAR. Outside aid generally reduces the institutional disbursement (and your total cost) rather than stacking as net-new money once your aid reaches your cost of attendance.

  3. TSU pays out-of-state students substantially more on the stat-based tiers — Renaissance $5,500 in-state vs $8,500 out-of-state; 1912 Heritage $4,500 vs $6,500; Torch $3,500 vs $4,500 — because out-of-state tuition is higher (out-of-state tuition & fees are roughly $24,264 vs $9,568 in-state for 2026-27).

  4. The stat-grid tiers (Torch, 1912 Heritage, Renaissance) are awarded automatically, but Presidential Scholar and Dr. Levi Watkins require essays and were marked 'Closed' on the Fall 2026 page; MNPS Trailblazer is restricted to Metro Nashville Public Schools graduates with HOPE eligibility.

  5. TSU published two different structures across two pages. The 2025-2026 institutional page lists flat stipends ($2,000-$6,000 Tiger Academic Achievement tiers); the Fall 2026 page reorganizes merit into named tiers (Torch / 1912 Heritage / Renaissance). Match the structure to your actual entry year.

  6. Stat-based stipends ($3,000-$8,500) contribute 'toward the total cost of attendance,' but on-campus COA for 2026-27 is about $28,131 in-state / $42,827 out-of-state including housing, meals, books, transportation and personal expenses — so a mid-tier stipend covers a fraction of the bill.

See costs and school data

Who this school may work for

Cost-conscious students (especially out-of-state) targeting a public HBCU who want an automatic, stat-based merit award with no separate application — and top-stat applicants (3.5+ GPA / ACT 28+) chasing a full-tuition or full-ride package.

Published yearly cost: Approximately $28,131 for 2026-2027. Source

Cost and graduation facts

Federal reporting on who actually enrolls at Tennessee State, what they paid after aid, and what happened next — independent of anything the school markets.

Average annual net price by family income at Tennessee State, academic year 2021-22 — in-state, Title-IV aid recipients only
Family incomeAverage net price paid
$0–$30,000$15,005
$30,001–$48,000$15,840
$48,001–$75,000$15,579
$75,001–$110,000$20,624
$110,001+$20,099
All income levels (average)$15,796

Sticker price vs. what students actually pay

Published tuition & fees (in-state), AY 2022-23
$8,616
Published tuition & fees (out-of-state), AY 2022-23
$22,416
Average net price paid (all Title-IV aid), AY 2021-22
$15,796

That works out to roughly a 38% discount below the federal AY 2021-22 average cost of attendance of $25,637 (College Scorecard — a separate, federally reported figure, not the published cost of attendance shown above).

Tennessee State is a public school; Scorecard's net price figure covers in-state, Title-IV-aid-recipient payers only — there is no comparable federal figure for out-of-state students.

Outcomes for students who enrolled here

Graduation rate (150% of normal time), 2016 cohort
34%
First-year retention rate, 2021 cohort
34%
Median debt at completion, 2020–2021 completers
$27,000 (~$286/mo on a 10-yr plan)
Median earnings, 10 years after entry (measured 2020-21)
$42,730
Share of students receiving a Pell grant, AY 2021-22
55%
Share of students receiving a federal loan, AY 2021-22
48%
See other scholarships and cost examples

If your student brings another scholarship

A student can receive only ONE institutional merit scholarship from TSU's Office of Institutional Merit Scholarships — these awards do not stack on each other. The merit award CAN be combined with scholarships from the TSU Foundation, outside organizations, and TSU colleges/departments. Critically, TSU merit scholarships are described as LAST-DOLLAR awards, so other aid can reduce or adjust a student's total cost (i.e., outside aid can effectively displace institutional value when total aid would otherwise exceed cost).

The FAQ states merit scholarships are 'last-dollar scholarships' and that 'A student's total semester cost may be reduced or adjusted due to financial aid or additional forms of aid they receive.' A last-dollar award fills the gap after other aid, so winning outside scholarships generally lowers the institutional disbursement rather than putting cash in the student's pocket. Two institutional merit awards cannot be combined.

Source

Other Tennessee State scholarships worth checking

These awards can be harder to find. Each one has its own rules.

AmountVariesEligibilityVaries by award and academic college/department.

Per the OIMS FAQ, these CAN be combined with an institutional merit award (the one-merit-award rule applies only within the Office of Institutional Merit Scholarships). Apply through individual colleges/departments and the TSU Foundation.

Source

AmountVaries (state award)EligibilityTennessee residents meeting HOPE GPA/test criteria.

State of Tennessee award referenced as a renewal/eligibility basis for the MNPS Trailblazer; not a TSU institutional award. Verify amounts on the State of Tennessee / TSAC site.

Source

Tennessee State merit aid FAQ

  • Do I have to submit a separate application for TSU merit scholarships?

    Not for the stat-based tiers. Students who meet the criteria and complete their admission file (application for admission, official high school transcripts, and official ACT or SAT scores) by the deadline are automatically considered. Beginning December 1, eligible students receive scholarship notifications via email in the Future Tiger Portal. The Presidential Scholar and Dr. Levi Watkins awards add an essay, and those were marked 'Closed' on the Fall 2026 page.

  • Can I combine more than one TSU merit scholarship?

    No. You can receive only one merit scholarship from the Office of Institutional Merit Scholarships. However, it can be combined with scholarships from the TSU Foundation, outside organizations, and TSU colleges and departments.

  • If I win an outside scholarship, does it add to my TSU merit award?

    TSU merit scholarships are last-dollar awards, so outside aid generally reduces or adjusts your total cost rather than stacking as extra cash once your aid reaches your cost of attendance. Confirm the exact treatment with the financial aid office.

  • How do I keep (renew) my merit scholarship?

    You must enroll full-time each fall and spring, earn a minimum of 15 credit hours each semester, submit the FAFSA, and maintain the minimum cumulative GPA in your agreement. Most freshman tiers renew for up to four years (8 semesters) with a 3.0 cumulative GPA; transfer awards renew for two years (4 semesters) with a 2.5 GPA.

  • Are out-of-state awards bigger than in-state awards?

    Yes for the stat-based tiers. For 2026-27, the TSU Renaissance pays $5,500 in-state vs $8,500 out-of-state, the 1912 Heritage pays $4,500 vs $6,500, and the TSU Torch Scholars pays $3,500 vs $4,500. The Tiger Transfer award is a flat $3,000 for both.

See sources and other schools

How Tennessee State compares

  • 235 of 749 verified schools in our dataset use cost-of-attendance cap displacement.

    Tennessee State is in a recognizable cluster (235 schools share this category). That framing matters when comparing peer schools that may publish the policy differently or not at all.

  • 665 of 749 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.

    Tennessee State is one of them. The cohort minority (84 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every claim is checked against Tennessee State’s own published materials. Below is the full reference set.

Compare with similar schools

Keep exploring Tennessee State merit aid

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