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Northeast State Scholarships

Northeast State awards assistance to students to meet their college expenses through scholarships administered by the Northeast State Foundation or other sponsoring agencies that establish programs for Northeast State students. Northeast State scholarship awards are based on the availability of funds and the criteria set forth by the appropriate program sponsor and are subject to change.

Northeast State Scholarships are defined as competitive awards. Competitive scholarship awards are based primarily on academic merit with consideration given to a student’s major, county of residence, demonstrated leadership skills, and motivation among other selection criteria. Financial need is not necessarily a prerequisite for receiving a Northeast State scholarship award. No awards are defined as guaranteed scholarships. Neither academic merit nor financial need guarantee a scholarship award to a student who has applied for admission to Northeast State.

Scholarship Categories

To apply for Northeast State Scholarships, the Northeast State General Scholarship Application and all required documentation must be submitted. The Northeast State General Scholarship Application serves as the one application for the following programs:

Academic Work Scholarships

Recipients of the Academic Work Scholarship (AWS) are required to work 75 hours per semester in return for a scholarship applied to their maintenance fees. Residents of the state of Tennessee must submit a Northeast State General Scholarship Application to be considered. Applicants must be:

First-time freshmen with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, an ACT composite score of 21 or above, SAT equivalent, ACCUPLACER®, or math diagnostic test results which allow them to enroll in college-level courses. These students will receive priority placement.
Transfer and other than first-time freshman students with a minimum cumulative college GPA of 3.0 earned on the basis of at least 12 credit hours and having completed Learning Support requirements.

Northeast State Foundation Scholarships

Foundation Scholarships are made possible by gifts to the Northeast State Foundation from various businesses, industries, organizations, and individuals. Scholarship recipients are selected by the Northeast State Scholarship Selection Committee. A listing of Foundation Scholarships is available at Northeast State Foundation Scholarships.

Special Scholarship Programs

Scholarship awards may be made available through programs that utilize special grant funding, private sponsorship, or emergency determinations. Consideration for these awards may be dependent upon enrollment in specific majors, documentation of need, or may be period specific. Eligibility requirements and application deadlines vary by program.

Scholarship Provisions

Certain scholarships require applicants to demonstrate college-level course placement. Learning Support or college-level course placement for scholarship selection purposes is determined by ACT/SAT scores, ACCUPLACER® diagnostic test results, and/or previously earned credit as of the scholarship application deadline.

Eligible applicants must not have earned associate degrees or higher by the beginning of the 2025 Fall Semester. Scholarship recipients must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually while enrolled. Exemptions for Special Scholarship Programs may exist according to a specific program’s eligibility criteria.

Additional eligibility requirements may apply for individual scholarships. Individual scholarship award criteria determine eligible applicants for each program.

Applicants are matched to scholarship selection pools based upon the information on file in the student information system and supplied on the Northeast State General Scholarship Application.

Fall and spring enrollments must be complete by the last day to add a class for the full fall and/or spring term. Scholarship funds are not available during the summer term unless indicated in a specific program's award criteria.

Recipients are limited to no more than four semesters of scholarship assistance from the various award programs. Students who have received scholarship funds for four terms are no longer eligible to continue on the scholarship or to apply for new awards. Exemptions for Special Scholarship Programs and programs with attempted hour provisions may exist according to an individual scholarship award.

Scholarship recipients are notified in writing or by telephone call and are designated according to various award schedules during the period May to August. Scholarship awards are first applied to any unmet tuition and fees balances that recipients have due before any of the remaining funds are disbursed to the students.

How to Apply for Northeast State Scholarships

Complete a 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.StudentAid.gov by April 15, 2025.
Complete and submit a Northeast State Application for Admission by March 1, 2025 if you are a first-time applicant to Northeast State. Current Northeast State students or students previously enrolled at Northeast State are not required to submit a new Application for Admission but may need to complete and submit the Application for Readmission if not enrolled at Northeast State for two or more consecutive semesters.
Submit official high school transcripts (high school seniors or other first-time college applicants) or official college transcripts (transfer students) along with the Application for Admission. GED and HiSET graduates must submit official scores with the Application for Admission. Transcripts must be on file with the Northeast State Office of Admissions and Records by March 1, 2025. Current Northeast State students or students previously enrolled at Northeast State are not required to submit Northeast State transcripts. Please note that high school seniors applying for Northeast State Scholarships must submit a cumulative high school GPA that includes 2024 Fall Semester grades, as well as applicable ACT or SAT scores, by March 1, 2025.
Complete and submit the Northeast State General Scholarship Application online by March 1, 2025. While you are not required to provide certain information such as employment status or community service participation, this information may serve as priority selection criteria for some scholarships. Scholarship applications missing required information, applications completed by an individual (i.e. parent, family member, friend, etc.) other than the student/potential student, and applications with plagiarized essays will not be considered. You will not be able to submit an application after the March 1, 2025 deadline.
Applicants should be prepared to upload current resume information (including any extracurricular activities, honors, or community service) to the online application. The Northeast State General Scholarship Application also requires a brief essay describing the student’s need for a scholarship, short- and long-term career goals, and why the applicant selected Northeast State as the college of choice.
In the case of multiple online submissions from the same applicant, only the last Northeast State General Scholarship Application submitted will be considered.

Apply for Northeast State Scholarships List of Northeast State Foundation Scholarships

Contact Information

Contact the Office of Scholarship Programs at scholarships@NortheastState.edu or 423.354.2507 for more information on Northeast State Scholarships.

Campus:  Blountville
Office: Scholarship Programs
Room: C2113, General Studies Building
Office Hours:  8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Monday - Friday
Address:  2425 Highway 75, P.O. Box 246, Blountville, TN 37617
Phone: 423.354.2507 or Ext. 3307
Email:  scholarships@NortheastState.edu