The Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association (TICUA) is pleased to present the results of the 2025 study on the impact of Tennessee’s student aid programs at TICUA member campuses. The study highlights the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) Program, Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and the Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA).
In 2024-25, over 19,000 students attending TICUA member institutions received awards through the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program. Of that total, 12,800 students received a Tennessee HOPE Scholarship with over 4,500 also earning a supplemental award based on academic performance or financial need. Over 6,300 students also participated in other TELS programs such as Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and the Dual Enrollment Grant. Students at TICUA institutions received over $78 million in lottery scholarships. Since the program’s inception, students attending TICUA member campuses have benefited from over $1.07 billion in TELS awards.
The Tennessee Student Assistance Award is non-repayable financial assistance that is available to financially needy undergraduate students who are Tennessee residents. In 2024-25, over 7,300 students with high financial need attending TICUA member campuses received over $28 million in TSAA grants. Nearly all of these students also received a Federal Pell Grant award. This important financial assistance increases access and makes higher education more affordable for low-income students and families.
TICUA welcomes your thoughts and comments on this publication through email at research@ticua.org
This report highlights participation of students attending TICUA member institutions in four Tennessee state aid programs including the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) program, Tennessee Promise, Tennessee Reconnect, and the Tennessee Student Assistance Award. This study spotlights data from the 2024-2025 academic year and includes data from the previous ten academic years. Unless otherwise noted, data within this report are from the TICUA Student Unit Record Level Data System and TN DATA, Tennessee Data Analytics for Transparency and Accountability, Tennessee's longitudinal integrated data system (see Appendix).
This report is comprised of four sections, one section for each of the state aid programs represented in the report. Each section provides data on the award recipients in terms of college participation, retention, and degree completion.
2024-25 Highlights
TennesseeEducationLotteryScholarshipProgram
• In 2024-25, 19,123 students attending Tennessee’s independent colleges and universities received over $78 million from Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) programs, with over 12,000 receiving a HOPE Scholarship.
• Of the students receiving a HOPE Scholarship in Fall 2024, 18% received the supplemental Aspire Award (based on a student’s financial need) and another 14% received the General Assembly Merit Scholarship (based on a student’s superior academic performance).
• Seventy-six percent of first-time freshmen from the state of Tennessee enrolling at a TICUA member institution in fall 2024 received a HOPE Scholarship award.
• Nearly two thirds (65%) of first-time freshman lottery scholarship recipients at TICUA member institutions met both the ACT (21) and high school GPA (3.0) eligibility requirements. TICUA first-time freshman lottery recipients had an average ACT score of 23 and an average high school GPA of 3.71.
• Of students who first received the lottery scholarship as first-time freshmen in fall 2023, 87% were still enrolled in fall 2024. Of these, 66% renewed the scholarship at the TICUA institution where they first enrolled.
• Of students who first received the lottery scholarship as first-time freshmen at a TICUA institution in fall 2020, 47% graduated from that same institution with the scholarship intact within 5 years.
• For the Fall 2018 cohort, 55% of TICUA lottery scholarship recipients graduated within 4 years compared to 48% statewide, and 68% graduated within 6 years compared to 62% statewide demonstrating stronger on-time and overall completion outcomes.
TennesseePromise
• In Fall 2024, 875 Tennessee Promise students enrolled in a TICUA member institution receiving an average award of $1,447.
• Of students who first received Tennessee Promise in fall 2021, 47% graduated with an Associate’s degree within 3 years, a majority of these remaining enrolled after earning their award.
TennesseeReconnect
• In 2024-2025, 190 adult students enrolled in a TICUA member institution receiving a Tennessee Reconnect award, with an average award of $2,761.
• Forty-four percent of Tennessee Reconnect students beginning in 2021-2022 had earned a degree within 3 years.
TennesseeStudentAssistanceAward
• In Fall 2024, 7,300 students attending TICUA member institutions received a Tennessee Student Assistance Award which provides non-repayable financial assistance to financially needy undergraduate students who are residents of Tennessee.
Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program
Overview of the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship
In 2004, the Tennessee General Assembly enacted the TELS (Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship) program to award scholarships to Tennessee college students. The program addresses several public policy objectives:
• Improve academic achievement in high school through scholarship incentive;
• Provide financial assistance as a means of promoting access to higher education;
• Retain the state’s “best and brightest” students in Tennessee colleges and universities; and
• Enhance and promote economic and community development through workforce training.*
The TELS program initially was comprised of five distinct award types (HOPE Scholarship, Aspire Award, General Assembly Merit Scholarship, Access Grant, and Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant). The table below outlines scholarship amounts and eligibility criteria for the award types for which students at TICUA member institutions were eligible in the 2024-25 academic year.
2024-25 TELS
Program Award
Amounts, Eligibility, and Renewal Criteria
Eligibility Criteria
Tennessee HOPE Scholarship (base award)
General Assembly Merit Scholarship (HOPE with merit supplement) Aspire Award (HOPE with need-based supplement)
Retention GPA Traditional Path - Cumulative 2.75 at 24 & 48 hours, Cumulative 3.0 at 72, 96, 120 hours Provisional Path - Cumulative 2.75-2.99 at 72, 96, 120 hours with 3.0 prior semester Award Amounts: per Academic Year (Fall and Spring Only) as of Fall 2022
*Award amount is divided equally over fall and spring semesters. Awards are also available for summer terms.
The HOPE Scholarship is a broad-based award for students whose high school GPA is at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale or whose composite ACT score is at least 21. The General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS) is a merit-based supplement to the base HOPE Scholarship earned by students with at least a 3.75 high school GPA and a composite score of at least 29 on the ACT. The Aspire Award is a need-based supplement to the base HOPE Scholarship granted to students whose families earn less than $36,000/year. The Tennessee HOPE Scholarship for nontraditional students is an award for independent students earning less than $36,000/year.
In addition, the TELS program is comprised of several other scholarship programs including the Dual Enrollment Grant, HOPE Foster Child Tuition Grant, the Helping Heroes Grant for veterans of the War on Terror and the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Tennessee Step Up Scholarship for students with intellectual disabilities. Since these programs do not have the scope of the original programs, they are not included in this analysis.
Distribution of Scholarship Recipients by Sector and Scholarship Type, Fall 2024
*Data from Tennessee Higher Education Commission and may differ slightly from TICUA data; Private Institutions include all private institutions which are lottery eligible and is broader than TICUA member institutions.
Scholarship Recipients Attending TICUA Member Institutions and Dollars Awarded, 2019
• The number of scholarship recipients attending a TICUA member institution in 2024-2025 (19,123) has more than tripled since the inception of the lottery program in 2004 (5,303).
HOPE Scholarship Recipients at TICUA Member Institutions, Fall 2024
By Race/Ethnicity
White, not Hispanic Black or AfricanAmerican Hispanic or Latino Asian Two or More Races Unknown / Unreported Other
*Other includes American Indian or Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander categories.
By County
Tennessee’s independent colleges and universities enroll lottery recipients from 94 of the 95 counties in the State.
One-Year Scholarship Renewal of TICUA First-Time
Lottery Recipients, Fall 2023 to Fall 2024
*Data limited to those renewing the lottery scholarship at their starting institution.
Highlights
• Sixty-six percent of lottery recipients first attending a TICUA member institution in fall 2023 renewed the scholarship in fall 2024. The 1-year renewal rate of the state lottery recipient population is 62%.
One-Year Retention of TICUA First-Time Lottery Recipients, Fall 2023 to Fall 2024
*Supplemented with TN DATA.
Highlights
• Eighty-seven percent of the fall 2023 cohort of first-time lottery recipients enrolled in college in fall 2024.
5
-Year Graduation Rates with Scholarship Intact of TICUA Lottery Scholarship Recipients, Fall 2020 Cohort
* Degrees awarded through spring 2025; Limited to students graduating from their starting institution. Excludes Vanderbilt University students
5-Year Graduation Rates of TICUA Lottery Recipients with Scholarship Intact
* Degrees awarded through spring 2025; Limited to students graduating from their starting institution. Excludes Vanderbilt University students
Highlights
• Forty-seven percent of TICUA Lottery recipients in the Fall 2020 first-time freshman cohort graduated within 5 years while maintaining scholarship eligibility. Statewide, 39% of lottery scholarship recipients graduate within five years with their scholarship intact (fall 2019 cohort).
6-Year Graduation Rates of TICUA Lottery Recipients, Fall 2019 Cohort
*Data through Spring 2025; Supplemented with TN DATA.
Highlights
• A total of 68% of lottery recipients starting at TICUA member institutions in Fall 2019 graduated within 6 years.
Four-, Five-, and Six-year Graduation Rates of TICUA Lottery Recipients
* Data through Spring 2025; Supplemented with TN DATA.
Highlights
• Lottery recipients at TICUA member institutions are more likely to graduate in 4, 5, and 6 years than the lottery recipient population statewide. Statewide, 62% of lottery recipients in the Fall 2018 cohort graduated within 6 years, 59% graduated within 5 years, and 48% graduated within 4 years.
Tennessee Promise
Overview of Tennessee Promise
In Fall 2015, Tennessee Promise was launched as a last dollar scholarship for recent Tennessee high school graduates to complete an associate degree or certificate program. The program provides free tuition and fees at a community college or the equivalent at a public or private 4-year university with eligible Associate degree programs.
Last dollar scholarships are intended to fill the financial gap remaining after other federal and state grant and scholarship aid has been applied. Award amounts for Tennessee Promise will vary according to the student’s aid eligibility. In some cases, students will not receive any funds from Tennessee Promise because federal grants and other state aid programs covered their tuition and fees. These students are still considered Tennessee Promise students.
Each Tennessee Promise student is assisted by a partnering organization and provided a mentor who will help the student to meet the eligibility criteria and deadlines.
Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for Tennessee Promise, students must apply and meet a set of requirements as outlined below.
• Be a Tennessee resident
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Complete Tennessee Promise application by November 3 and complete FAFSA by April 1 of high school senior year
• Graduate from a TN high school, bordering high school, or home school. A student is also eligible by earning a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education, e.g. – GED, HiSET, or New Pathways, prior to the 19th birthday
• Attend a mandatory Tennessee Promise meeting
• Complete and submit 16 hours of community service for each year in program
• The student must be continuously enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution in the fall and spring semesters, if enrolled at a community college or eligible four-year institution
• Students must also maintain a 2.0 GPA at the end of each academic year while enrolled at a community college or eligible four-year institution
The following TICUA institutions offer 2-year programs eligible for Tennessee Promise.
Baptist Health Sciences University
Bethel University
Bryan College
Carson-Newman University
Christian Brothers University
Cumberland University
Fisk University
Freed-Hardeman University
Johnson University
*List accurate as of January 25, 2025.
King University
Lane College
LeMoyne-Owen College
Lincoln Memorial University
Southern Adventist University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Tusculum University
Welch College
William R. Moore College of Technology
Fall 2024 Tennessee Promise at TICUA Institutions
875
Total Recipients
By Gender
$1,447 Average Yearly Award* 21 Average ACT Score 15 Average Credit Hours
By Race/Ethnicity**
*Excludes Tennessee Promise students who received $0 payments.
**Excludes students whose Race/Ethnicity is unknown.
Highlights
• In Tennessee Promise’s tenth year, fall 2024, 875 Tennessee Promise students attended a TICUA member institution receiving an average award of $1,447.
Two- and Three-Year Outcomes of TICUA Tennessee Promise Recipients, Fall 2021 Cohort
*Data through Spring 2024; Supplemented with TN DATA.
Graduation Rates of TICUA Tennessee Promise Recipients, by Cohort
*Data through Spring 2025; Supplemented with TN DATA.
Tennessee Reconnect Grant
Overview of Tennessee Reconnect
The Tennessee Reconnect Grant program aims to assist eligible adult students in completing an associate degree or certificate program. The Tennessee Reconnect Grant is a last dollar grant at community college and technical college, but at eligible four-year colleges and universities, unlike Tennessee Promise, the Reconnect program is not last dollar.
The Tennessee Reconnect Grant serves adults by providing the assistance of Reconnect Navigators who can help answer questions about college costs and financial aid as well as provide neutral advice on selecting a college and a major. Reconnect Navigators continue to serve as a source of support for Reconnect students until graduation.
In contrast to Tennessee Promise and TELS, Tennessee Reconnect students may enroll as part-time students.
Tennessee Reconnect Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible for the Tennessee Reconnect grant, an applicant must:
• Be a Tennessee resident
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Qualify as an independent student on the FAFSA OR be at least 23 years of age on or before January 1 of the academic year of initial enrollment
• Not be incarcerated*
• Not have previously earned an associate or baccalaureate degree
• Not be in default on student loan
• Must submit transcripts from all previously attended institutions
• Be admitted to and enroll in a Tennessee community college or university at least part-time (minimum 6 hours) in courses leading to a certificate or associate degree
*Currently incarcerated individuals (if eligible) may work with Re-Entry Navigators to prepare for attendance upon release.
To receive and maintain this grant, an adult learner must:
• Enroll in at least six (6) credit hours in the fall and spring semesters through degree completion [Summer term is the only optional term and is covered if eligibility is maintained]
• Maintain a minimum 2.0 Grade Point Average (GPA)
• Complete the renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year
• Continue to participate in the Reconnect Success Plan and update the plan each academic year
• Complete degree/certification within five (5) calendar years
Sources: https://tnreconnect.gov/.
Tennessee Reconnect Grant Participating TICUA
Institutions
The following TICUA institutions offer 2-year programs eligible for the Tennessee Reconnect Grant.
Baptist Health Sciences University
Bethel University
Bryan College
Carson-Newman University
Cumberland University
Freed-Hardeman University
Johnson University
King University
Lane College
*List accurate as of July 1, 2024.
Lee University
LeMoyne-Owen College
Lincoln Memorial University
Southern Adventist University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Tusculum University
Union University
Welch College
2024-2025 Tennessee Reconnect Grant at TICUA Institutions
190 Recipients
By Gender
$2,761
Average Yearly Award
By Race/Ethnicity
36 Average Age
10 Average Credit Hours
Highlights
• Tennessee Reconnect Grant recipients at TICUA institutions are most likely to be White, not Hispanic Females.
• Fifty-six percent of Tennessee Reconnect students are enrolled part-time. On average, Tennessee Reconnect students take 10 credit hours.
Two- and Three-Year Outcomes of TICUA Tennessee
Recipients, 2021-2022 Cohort
*Retention through the 2024-2025 academic year
Highlights
• A total of 44% of the 2021-2022 Tennessee Reconnect cohort at TICUA Member Institutions had earned an award within 3 years of enrollment. Seventeen percent of the cohort remained enrolled after earning an award. Another 8% had not earned an award but were still enrolled pursuing a degree.
Graduation Rates of TICUA Tennessee Reconnect Grant Recipients, by Cohort
* Degrees awarded through spring 2025. Supplemented with TN DATA.
Highlights
• By Spring 2025, 44% of the 2021-2022 Tennessee Reconnect Grant cohort had graduated and 48% of the 20222023 Cohort had graduated.
Tennessee Student Assistance Award
Overview of the Tennessee Student Assistance Award
The Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA) was established to provide non-repayable financial assistance to financially needy undergraduate students who are residents of Tennessee. The TSAA is stackable with other federal and state student assistance programs.
Award Amounts
The TSAA is awarded to the most financially needy Tennesseans based upon institution type they attend. Eligible students enrolling at a public community college receive $2,000 per academic year. Eligible students attending a public university receive $2,000 per year. The base award amount for eligible students attending a private nonprofit four-year or two-year institution is $2,000 per academic year. These students also receive a $2,000 supplement through the Ben Atchley Opportunity grant, thus bringing the private nonprofit total to $4,000 per year.
Eligibility Requirements
• Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and have a valid Student Aid Index (SAI) of 5,000 or less
• Be enrolled at least half time
• Be a Tennessee resident; if a dependent student, parents must also be a Tennessee resident
• Maintain institutional satisfactory academic progress according to the institution attended
• Not be in default on a loan or owe a refund on any grant previously received at any institution
• Have not already received a baccalaureate degree
Retention Rates of TICUA TSAA Recipients, Fall 2021 Cohort
* Data through Fall 2024; supplemented with TN DATA.
Six-Year Graduation Rates of TICUA TSAA Recipients, Fall 2019 Cohort
* Data through Spring 2025; supplemented with TN DATA.
Highlights
• The 6-year graduation rate of TICUA TSAA recipients is 43% which is below the 6-year graduation rate of TICUA Pell recipients, 46% of whom graduated in 6 years (IPEDS Outcomes Measures Survey, Fall 2016 Cohort).
Appendix
The TN DATA System (formerly P20 Connect) was used throughout this report to supplement data in TICUA’s Student Unit Record Level Data System. TN DATA includes enrollment and completions data for all Tennessee public colleges in addition to the following TICUA institutions.
TICUA Institutions Included in TN DATA
Aquinas College King University
Baptist Health Sciences University Lane College
Bethel University
Le Moyne-Owen College
Carson-Newman University Lee University
Christian Brothers University
Cumberland University
Fisk University
Freed-Hardeman University
Johnson University
Lipscomb University
Martin Methodist College1
Maryville College
Memphis College of Art2
Milligan University
1 – Martin Methodist College merged with the University of Tennessee in Summer 2021.
2 – Memphis College of Art closed in Spring 2020.
3 – Watkins College of Art, Design & Film merged with Belmont University in Fall 2020.
Rhodes College
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Trevecca Nazarene University
Tusculum University
Union University
Watkins College of Art, Design & Film3
Welch College
About TICUA
Member Institutions
American Baptist College*
Nashville abcnash.edu
Aquinas College
Nashville aquinascollege.edu
Baptist Health Sciences University
Memphis baptistu.edu
Belmont University
Nashville belmont.edu
Bethel University
McKenzie bethelu.edu
Bryan College
Dayton bryan.edu
Carson-Newman University
Jefferson City cn.edu
Christian Brothers University
Memphis cbu.edu
Cumberland University
Lebanon cumberland.edu
Fisk University
Nashville fisk.edu
Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson fhu.edu
Johnson University
Knoxville johnsonu.edu
King University
Bristol king.edu
Lane College
Jackson lanecollege.edu
Lee University
Cleveland leeuniversity.edu
LeMoyne-Owen College
Memphis loc.edu
Lincoln Memorial University
Harrogate lmunet.edu
Lipscomb University
Nashville lipscomb.edu
Maryville College
Maryville maryvillecollege.edu
Meharry Medical College
Nashville mmc.edu
Middle Tennessee School of Anesthesia Madison mtsa.edu
Milligan University Milligan milligan.edu
Rhodes College
Memphis rhodes.edu
Southern Adventist University Collegedale southern.edu
Southern College of Optometry Memphis sco.edu
Tennessee Wesleyan University
Athens tnwesleyan.edu
The University of the South Sewanee sewanee.edu
Trevecca Nazarene University
Nashville trevecca.edu
Tusculum University
Greeneville tusculum.edu
Union University Jackson uu.edu
Vanderbilt University
Nashville vanderbilt.edu
Welch College Gallatin welch.edu
William R. Moore College of Technology* Memphis mooretech.edu
Williamson College*
Franklin williamsoncc.edu
*Denotes Associate Membership
Staff
Dr. Cameron Conn President
Ms. Amy Heckman Director of Data and Technology
Ms. Tailor Shaffer Director of Administration and Logistics
Ms. Emily Waitt Hise Director of Government Relations
