True Blue funding: MTSU doubles down on scholarships for incoming fall 2023 students
Attending Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro just got easier with new scholarship enhancements.
MTSU announced the creation of the Centennial Scholar. The university has also increased the value and broadened eligibility of its True Blue Scholarship, almost doubling the amount of the award offered to qualified incoming freshmen.
MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee made the announcement about additional funding as MTSU prepares to visit prospective students in Clarksville on Wednesday, Sept. 28, as part of the True Blue Tour. The 13-city, four-state road trip organized by the Office of Admissions showcases the university’s academic advantages.
The expanded True Blue Scholarship and the Centennial Scholar designation will begin with new, first-time freshmen who enter in fall 2023.
The True Blue Scholarship, first tier of MTSU’s array of guaranteed academic scholarships, will now be available to first-time freshmen scoring 22 to 24 on the ACT with at least a 3.5 high school GPA.
McPhee raised the scholarship payout from $8,000 to $14,000 total, making it $3,500 a year for four years. As a guaranteed scholarship, it is awarded automatically to all who meet its criteria — but only if they apply to the university before Dec. 1.
McPhee also announced the designation of Centennial Scholar, a new top-tier offering to the university’s guaranteed scholarships. The designation provides $32,000 over four years, or $8,000 per year, to students scoring 34 to 36 on the ACT test and earning a 3.5 high school GPA.
“Our True Blue Scholarship is now the largest guaranteed academic award given by any public university in Tennessee to students with these credentials,” McPee said. “Coupled with our new Centennial Scholar designation, MTSU is yet again making significant new investments in our scholarship offerings.”
MTSU continues awarding its guaranteed Trustees Scholarship to students with ACT scores of 30 to 33 and a minimum 3.5 GPA, paying $20,000 over four years, or $5,000 per year.
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Students scoring 30 and above on the ACT and with a minimum 3.5 high school GPA can apply for MTSU’s highest academic award, the Buchanan Fellowship, a competitive and selective full-tuition scholarship offered through the University Honors College.
The Buchanan award requires a separate application, which is Dec. 1. For more information, go to mtsu.edu/honors/Buchanan.
The slate of MTSU’s guaranteed scholarships, when combined with the recently enhanced Hope Lottery Scholarship, “substantially reduces or eliminates the cost of tuition for these high-ability students to attend the university,” said Debra Sells, vice president for student affairs and vice provost for enrollment services.
Sells said more information on ways qualified students can reduce or eliminate tuition expenses can be found at mtsu.edu/mtfree.
The university reallocated existing funds in its budget to pay for the scholarship enhancements.
“These scholarships will make it even more practical and affordable for them to pursue their higher education goals," McPhee said.
For more information about admission to MTSU, go to mtsu.edu/apply, email admissions@mtsu.edu or call 615-898-2233.
This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: MTSU doubles down on scholarships for incoming students
