A New Scholarship for the Post-Geier Era

Oct. 23, 2006

To: Deans, Directors, and Department Heads
From:  Loren W. Crabtree, Chancellor
Subject: A New Scholarship for the Post-Geier Era

Last week, I had the pleasure of visiting with students at several high schools in West Tennessee to promote some of our new scholarship programs. It was a wonderful reminder that there are many bright students who have a great desire to attend the university but need the financial assistance and the encouragement to do so.

In anticipation of Governor Bredesen's announcement last month about the lifting of the Geier consent decree, we have been planning programs that will allow us to continue to enhance campus diversity and to promote a learning environment that helps all students reach their full potential.

This week, we formally announced the new Tennessee Promise Scholarship, designed for graduates of high schools that traditionally send few students to UT. You’ll find copies of the media announcements in the sidebar to the right. The Promise Scholarship will provide up to $5,800 per year for four years when combined with the HOPE scholarship and other university scholarships. The Promise will be available next fall to academically eligible students from a group of 35 specific high schools, the majority in the Memphis and Nashville areas.

We're also making strides to open the university’s doors through the Tennessee Pledge Scholarship, which began last fall. The first institutionally funded, need based scholarship of its kind in the state, the Pledge guarantees that qualified students can attend UT for four years without incurring debt. To qualify, students must demonstrate need at or below the 150 percent poverty level defined by the federal government. Last fall, 189 in-state freshmen received the Pledge scholarship and this fall that number grew to 250 students. 

There's no question that our university has made significant strides toward enhancing black and overall minority enrollments throughout the Geier years. Our success was cited recently by The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education that placed us at the top of the list of flagship universities for our black enrollment growth. In the post-Geier era, it's more important than ever to reiterate our commitment to continue this progress and make sure that all our stakeholders know the steps we are taking to prepare for new challenges and opportunities.

In the coming months, you'll hear more about our efforts to continue faculty recruiting initiatives, as well as other efforts related to diversifying our student population. In the meantime, please take some time to familiarize yourself with the new scholarships and their requirements so that you can answer questions about them. We’ve compiled a convenient table that describes the HOPE, Pledge, and Promise Scholarships.

More information about other university scholarships is available from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships.

Ensuring that our campus is a diverse, welcoming and supportive environment for all races and cultures is our highest priority. These programs will ensure that the goals of inclusiveness and diversity, envisioned by Rita Geier nearly 40 years ago, will continue at the university. The efforts also provide the framework for us to meet our Ready for the World objective to equip all our graduates with the education and experiences they need to succeed in a global marketplace.