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For the second consecutive year, Tennessee Tech University is putting students first with added scholarship flexibility to help those impacted by nationwide delays to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The U.S. Department of Education's 2025-2026 FAFSA was delayed by nearly two months, potentially impacting some students' college enrollment timelines and decisions. In response, Tech is accommodating students through a secondary deadline for its Presidential Scholars program.
Presidential Scholars offers guaranteed scholarships ranging in value from $3,000 to $10,000 per year to new freshmen meeting minimum grade point average and standardized test score requirements. While the original deadline for Presidential Scholars was last December, the university will now continue to offer the scholarships at slightly reduced amounts for students who meet eligibility requirements for the fall semester before June 1, 2025.
"We want students to know there is a place for them here at Tennessee Tech, and we will do everything in our power to remove roadblocks in their path," said Mary McCaskey, Tech's associate vice president for enrollment and student success. "While the delays to the 2025-2026 FAFSA were shorter than the prior year, we know that those added weeks of waiting still impacted many students' timelines. Offering more scholarship flexibility is a practical way that we can assist students with late enrollment decisions and set them up for success as Golden Eagles."
Under the secondary deadline, students can still receive Presidential Scholarships of $1,500 to $8,000 per year. The scholarships are renewable for up to four years, as long as students maintain 12 credit hours per semester and a cumulative 3.0 GPA.
McCaskey adds that students who have not yet completed the 2025-2026 FAFSA are encouraged to do so at the soonest possible date.
Tech is ranked as a "Best National University" by U.S. News & World Report and offers more than 225 programs of study. Tech grads leave with the least debt of all public universities in the state. In fact, based on total cost and alumni earnings, Tech provides students with the highest return on investment for any public university in Tennessee, according to PayScale.
