Recent changes from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission are putting postgraduate studies closer in reach for Tennessee Tech University students, and the university is celebrating with a free graduate school application month from May 1 – 31, 2024.
Effective last fall, qualifying Tennessee students may now use their HOPE lottery scholarship for up to five years, equipping Golden Eagles with up to $5,700 in financial assistance toward the first year of graduate school or an additional year to complete their undergraduate degree.
Julie Baker, interim associate provost and dean of the College of Graduate Studies at Tech, says the extended scholarship opportunity is a game changer for students.
“For students who qualify, it provides them with an opportunity to essentially get up to half of their tuition and fees paid for in their first year of graduate school,” said Baker. “It could mean that, for students who didn’t see graduate school as an option, now it’s an option for them.”
Baker adds that Tech’s College of Graduate Studies offers specific tools to help students maximize the impact of the five-year scholarship. For example, the university’s Master’s of Professional Studies (MPS) track allows students to take seven-week courses, potentially doubling the coursework they can complete in a single semester. Likewise, Tech’s Fast Track program, available in more than a dozen academic departments, allows students to begin earning graduate-level credit hours during their undergraduate studies.