Each year The University of Memphis awards hundreds of scholarships to incoming freshman.
However, there are scholarships available to returning students for the upcoming 2007-2008 academic year.
Any Tennessee resident, who was eligible at the time of their high school graduation, may qualify for a scholarship under the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program, according to Mark McClellan, coordinator for lottery scholarships at The University.
To be eligible, a student who graduated from an accredited Tennessee high school in 2003 or later must enroll in a Tennessee college within 16 months of graduation, be a Tennessee resident at the time of their high school graduation and have a 21 or higher on their ACT or a 3.0 un-weighted GPA.
"The scholarship is contingent on grades, number of hours attempted and continuous enrollment every spring and fall semester," McClellan said.
During the 2005-2006 academic year, there were 2,754 Hope recipients at The U of M. They received over $8.52 million in scholarship funding and The University has already awarded over $11.1 million for the 2006-2007 school year, McClellan said.
"That number will change once registration is complete for the spring semester," he said.
When the Tennessee state legislature convenes in 2007, one item on the agenda is whether to increase the dollar amount of the Hope Scholarship or lower the required GPA, enabling more students to qualify.
Current qualified students interested in applying for the Hope scholarship need to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The deadline to file a FAFSA is September 1, 2007. Applications are available at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
"We strongly encourage students to do it considerably earlier," McClellan said. "It takes time to process all the information."
Other scholarships that may be available to current or returning students include private scholarships, adult scholarships and departmental scholarships.
Private scholarships are awarded based on GPA and financial need.
"They're very competitive," said Carrie McAdon, administrative assistant in the scholarship office.
The scholarship office will process over 300 applications for about 40 private scholarships.
There is a single application for all private scholarships. After the student submits the application, the scholarship office works to match the student with the appropriate scholarship.
The private scholarship application can be found on the scholarship office Web site at www.enrollment.memphis.edu/scholarship, under the list of scholarships heading.
The adult scholarship is available to any adult student who will turn 25 by Aug. 1 of the application year, have a cumulative 3.0 GPA and the student must complete a 500 word essay with the scholarship application.
The student does not need prior college experience. The application deadline is March 1.
The adult scholarship committee awards the scholarships based on financial need, the essay and the student's GPA.
McAdon said adult scholarships are also very competitive. Only 12 to 13 are awarded each year.
There is a community college transfer scholarship for students who are transferring with an associate degree from a Tennessee community college and has a minimum cumulative 3.5 GPA.
The Honors program offers 30 non-resident honors student awards each year.
"The non-resident honors award only pays out-of-state tuition," said Tallulah Campbell, honors program administrative secretary. "Priority is given to first semester freshman."
The scholarship office does not handle departmental scholarships.
"(The departments) award to continuing students who are top scholars in their areas," said Patrick Perry, associate director of financial aid for scholarships. "I really push students to their departments."
Perry said The University offers many resources, but students should look into other options. He advises students to contact corporations and employers of family members who may have scholarship money available.
"There are resources out there, and you have to do the research to find it," Perry said. "Keep looking at all the resources."
