The University of Tennessee, Knoxville: merit scholarships by ACT score
The University of Tennessee, Knoxville awards automatic merit aid from a published grid crossing ACT score with GPA. Awards start at an ACT of 28 and reach $18,000 a year. Because the bands are steps rather than a slope, one point is worth nothing inside a band and the whole step at the edge of one.
Enter a score and a GPA below to see which band it actually lands in, what that band pays, and exactly how many points the next one needs.
Unweighted, as the school asks for it.
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Example — an ACT 29 with a 3.60 GPA
No automatic award at this combination
A 29 with a 3.60 GPA does not reach the published grid under Out-of-state. That is not a verdict on admission — only on automatic merit.
Knowing where a score sits is the easy part. Moving it starts with knowing exactly which questions they're being missed, and why.
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The published Tennessee merit aid grid
Reproduced in full from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s own pages for 2026-27 entry. Nothing here is estimated: where the school states a benefit rather than a figure, that is what the table says.
Out-of-state
The top two bands require a 4.0 UT Weighted Core GPA; the entry band requires 3.8.
$18,000
Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship
ACT 34–36 · 4.0+
$9,000
Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship
ACT 30–33 · 4.0+
$3,000
Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship
ACT 28–36 · 3.8+
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship | ACT 34–36 · 4.0+ | $18,000 |
| Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship | ACT 30–33 · 4.0+ | $9,000 |
| Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship | ACT 28–36 · 3.8+ | $3,000 |
Source: Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarship · verified 2026-10-19
In-state (Tennessee residents)
All three bands require a 3.8+ UT Weighted Core GPA. Tennessee residents may also hold the state HOPE scholarship on top of these.
$9,000
In-State Volunteer Scholarship
ACT 34–36 · 3.8+
$5,000
In-State Volunteer Scholarship
ACT 30–33 · 3.8+
$3,000
In-State Volunteer Scholarship
ACT 28–29 · 3.8+
| Award | With a score | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| In-State Volunteer Scholarship | ACT 34–36 · 3.8+ | $9,000 |
| In-State Volunteer Scholarship | ACT 30–33 · 3.8+ | $5,000 |
| In-State Volunteer Scholarship | ACT 28–29 · 3.8+ | $3,000 |
Source: In-State Volunteer Scholarship · verified 2026-10-19
Does Tennessee superscore for scholarships?
Yes. UT uses your highest superscore for both admission and merit, and does not use the ACT Science section or the optional essay.
“UT will only use the highest ACT or SAT superscore when making admissions decisions and reviewing students for institutional merit scholarships.”
So the number that matters here is your superscore, not your best single test. Work out your superscore and look that score up in the grid above — it may sit a band higher than the one you have been planning around.
Comparing schools? See which colleges superscore for scholarships — 66 of 501 commit to it, 52 say they do not, and the rest never say.
Tennessee scholarship deadlines
| Entry term | Due |
|---|---|
| Out-of-state application | December 15 |
| In-state application | January 5 |
| Test scores received by | May 15 (scores through December 2026 only) |
Scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive, and official reports sent to schools can take longer, so the last useful test date is several weeks before the printed deadline. Check which test dates still make it.
Where these numbers came from
Every figure on this page was read from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s own published pages, linked below with the date we last confirmed them. We do not estimate a missing band or interpolate a value.
- In-State Volunteer Scholarshipverified 2026-10-19
- Out-of-State Volunteer Scholarshipverified 2026-10-19
- Test Score Policyverified 2026-10-19
- GPA here is UT's own Weighted Core GPA, not the GPA on a high school transcript. Check how UT recalculates it before assuming you clear a band.
- The out-of-state page states both December 15 and January 15 as its application deadline in different sections. Treat December 15 as the safe date and confirm with admissions.
- The ACT Science section is not required for Fall 2027 admission or merit consideration.
Check before you rely on it. Grids change by entry year and schools update them without notice. This page is a reproduction with a date on it, not a guarantee, and it is not financial aid advice. ClutchACT is not affiliated with The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Frequently asked questions
What ACT score do you need for a scholarship at Tennessee?
Automatic merit aid at The University of Tennessee, Knoxville starts at an ACT composite of 28, alongside the published GPA minimum, and reaches $18,000 a year at the top of the 2 grids it publishes. The bands are steps rather than a slope, so the only score that matters is the next threshold above where you are now.
Is Tennessee test-optional?
UT is not test-optional. Every first-year applicant must self-report an ACT or SAT score as part of the application. For merit aid the answer is different: a score is required for institutional merit consideration, and only tests taken through December 2026 count. Being admitted without a score and qualifying for money without a score are two separate questions.
How much is one more ACT point worth at Tennessee?
The most valuable single point on Tennessee's published grid is 33 to 34, at a 4.0 GPA: it moves the award by $9,000 a year, or $36,000 across a four-year degree on the Out-of-state grid. The same point is worth less at other GPAs, and most points move nothing at all — the grid steps rather than slopes, which is why the only score worth aiming at is the next threshold.
Does in-state or out-of-state change merit aid at Tennessee?
Yes. Tennessee publishes separate grids: In-state (Tennessee residents) run $3,000 to $9,000 a year, and Out-of-state run $3,000 to $18,000 — a difference of $9,000 a year at the top. Check which grid applies to you before planning around a figure.
Does Tennessee superscore the ACT for scholarships?
Yes. UT uses your highest superscore for both admission and merit, and does not use the ACT Science section or the optional essay. UT will only use the highest ACT or SAT superscore when making admissions decisions and reviewing students for institutional merit scholarships.
When are Tennessee scholarship deadlines?
Out-of-state application: December 15. In-state application: January 5. Test scores received by: May 15 (scores through December 2026 only). The application and the official score report are both due by that date, and ACT scores take roughly two to four weeks to arrive — so the last useful test date is several weeks earlier than the deadline suggests.
Is this Tennessee scholarship data current?
Every figure on this page was read from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville's own published pages and last verified on 2026-10-19. The sources are linked at the bottom of the page with that date. Grids change by entry year, so check the source before relying on a figure for a decision.
Other schools to check
What to do next
You know what a score is worth at Tennessee. The question is whether you can move it.
A grid tells you the target. It does not tell you which questions are costing the points between here and there. That takes about three minutes to find out.
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