Could you attend MTSU tuition-free?

To be eligible to attend MTSU without paying out-of-pocket for tuition and fees,  students must complete the FAFSA, must receive the full Federal Pell Grant, and must qualify for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship (or Tennessee HOPE scholarship-nontraditional).

A Federal Pell Grant is funded by the government and does not have to be repaid. The Federal Pell Grant may only be awarded to undergraduate, degree-seeking students who have not already obtained a bachelor's degree. A student may not receive Federal Pell Grant funds from more than one school at a time. Award amounts vary based on a student’s Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) resulting from the FAFSA and the student’s enrollment status. Awards will be adjusted if the student is not enrolled full-time (12 or more credit hours). The Federal Pell Grant may be available in the summer semester. Eligible students may receive the Federal Pell Grant until the completion of the bachelor’s degree OR until the equivalent of 12 full-time semesters of the grant.

Funded by the proceeds of the Tennessee Lottery, the HOPE Scholarship is available to incoming freshmen who graduate from an eligible state high school. They must also meet the following criteria:

• Enroll within 16 months of high school graduation
• And meet one of the following:
• Minimum 21 ACT; or minimum 1060 SAT; or Overall minimum 3.0 GPA
• Homeschool graduates- minimum 21 ACT
• GED recipients- minimum 21 ACT; minimum average Revised GED score is 170
• HiSet recipients- minimum 21 ACT; minimum average HiSet score is 15 

In-state students who qualify for the nontraditional HOPE scholarship must have a student and spouse’s adjusted gross income under $36,000 but a total family household income under $50,000. Nontraditional students must meet the following criteria to be eligible for nontraditional HOPE:

• Be at least 25 years of age and enroll at a baccalaureate program as entering freshmen or with at least two years after last attending any postsecondary institution; OR Must enroll in a baccalaureate degree program at an eligible 4-year institution while maintaining continuous enrollment following the completion of an Associate Degree as a TN Reconnect recipient.
• Must have a student and spouse’s adjusted gross income of less than $36,000 on IRS tax form
• Have a minimum 2.75 GPA after 12 attempted semester hours

In-state transfer students can use their existing HOPE Scholarships at MTSU. To be considered, they must:

• Send all prior college final transcripts to MTSU to be reviewed prior to HOPE Scholarship payment to student.
• Confirm that MTSU is listed as their institution of preference on the TSAC student portal for the academic year they are transferring to MTSU.

Yes. Qualifying students are also eligible to receive other scholarship awards, including MTSU’s guaranteed academic scholarships. These awards require a minimum GPA of 3.5 for freshmen and a 3.0 with 60 credit hours earned for a new transfer student.  Scholarship amounts for freshmen vary by ACT performance.  The application deadline for our freshmen guaranteed scholarships is December 1, prior to the fall in which you will be attending. Transfer students must apply by February 15 prior to the fall in which you will be attending. This year, there is an additional group of these scholarships still available for incoming freshmen for the Fall 2022 class! Click here for more information.