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Tennessee State University · Tennessee

Tennessee State scholarships and merit aid

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.

Verified Jun 20263 months ago

The short answer

Is Tennessee State worth a closer look?

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.

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

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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 you landAutomatic merit aid by ACT compositeEach bar marks the ACT score range that qualifies for the tier.
The 1912 Heritage$4,500
ACT 25-27SAT 1200-1290 · GPA Weighted 3.25-3.74
Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier One (2025-2026 grid)$3,000
ACT 23-27SAT 1130-1290 · GPA Minimum weighted GPA of 3.25-3.49
The TSU Torch Scholars$3,500
ACT 20-24SAT 1030-1190 · GPA Weighted 3.0-3.24
Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier Two (2025-2026 grid)$2,000
ACT 19-22SAT 1000-1120 · GPA Weighted GPA of 3.0-3.24

Not on this ladder: The Presidential Scholar, The Dr. Levi Watkins Merit Scholarship, The TSU Renaissance, The Tiger Transfer, The MNPS Trailblazer — application required, holistic, or scored on a different axis.

View as table
TierACT compositeAward
The 1912 Heritage25-27$4,500 (in-state) / $6,500 (out-of-state) per year
Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier One (2025-2026 grid)23-27$3,000 (in-state) / $6,000 (out-of-state)
The TSU Torch Scholars20-24$3,500 (in-state) / $4,500 (out-of-state) per year
Tiger Academic Achievement Merit Scholarship — Tier Two (2025-2026 grid)19-22$2,000 (in-state) / $4,000 (out-of-state)
Full tuition…Full tuition, mandatory fees, room and board, and the seven-day unlimited meal plan (including $300 dining bucks)

The Presidential Scholar

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Weighted 3.5 or higher
SAT
1300+
ACT
28+ (composite)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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.

Source

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

The Dr. Levi Watkins Merit Scholarship

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
Minimum weighted 3.5 or higher
SAT
1310 or higher
ACT
28 or higher
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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.

Source

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

The TSU Renaissance

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Weighted 3.75 or higher
SAT
1300+
ACT
28+ (composite)
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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.

Source

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

The 1912 Heritage

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Weighted 3.25-3.74
SAT
1200-1290
ACT
25-27
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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

Source

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

The TSU Torch Scholars

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Weighted 3.0-3.24
SAT
1030-1190
ACT
20-24
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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).

Source

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

The Tiger Transfer

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Minimum 3.0 cumulative college GPA
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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

Source

Full tuition and mandatory fees

The MNPS Trailblazer

Apply separatelyCan continue
GPA
HOPE GPA 3.0 or higher
SAT
1060+
ACT
21+
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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.

Source

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

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

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Minimum weighted GPA of 3.25-3.49
SAT
1130-1290
ACT
23-27
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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.

Source

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

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

Based on grades or scoresCan continue
GPA
Weighted GPA of 3.0-3.24
SAT
1000-1120
ACT
19-22
See who qualifies and how to keep it
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.

Notes

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

Source

See what could change an award

Rules that could change the answer

These are the rules we would flag for your family. Each comes from Tennessee State's published information.

  • 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 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