Our Scholarship Philosophy
At the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students are the focus of all scholarship efforts, and scholarship recipients are equal partners with University Advancement in our work connecting donors to the impact of their generosity.
Scholarship recipients are invited to say thanks and highlight impact to donors in ways that feel safe, comfortable, and transparent, but they are not required to share any more than their name, major, minor, concentration, hometown, and class level. UT is working diligently to create a scholarship environment that is transparent, equitable, and free of undue emotional labor.
A student’s scholarship status and/or eligibility for future funding are not impacted by a student’s level of participation in any advancement activities.
What to Expect
University
Will
Be in compliance with all IRS regulations and university policies to support our mission.
Encourage donor/recipient interactions but not require.
Be transparent in reporting on accounts.
Donors
Will
Be encouraged to interact with recipients when possible but not required.
Support UT’s mission and priorities through their giving.
Understand that the relationship is with UT, not the recipient.
Receive meaningful updates from the university on their investment and impact.
Students
Will
Have potential opportunities to build relationships with scholarship donors.
Be encouraged to share gratitude and personal updates through organized procedures.
Voluntarily partner with UT to share their story.
Common Terms
A scholarship is an amount given or awarded to a student for the purpose of educational study. Scholarships at UT have set criteria that may be based on hometown, academic performance, area of study, financial need, and more. LINK: onestop.utk.edu/scholarships-financial-aid
All UT students, including scholarship recipients, are protected by the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a federal law that governs the privacy of student education records.
One Stop Student Services is here to support your experience with enrollment, academic records, financial aid, and making payments as smooth as possible. Our counselors answer questions, provide information and resources, and help you understand your next steps. For questions about scholarship award or amount of scholarship, please contact them at onestop.utk.edu
University Advancement is responsible for donor and alumni engagement, including fundraising and stewardship.
Stewardship involves managing philanthropic gifts as donors intended and updating donors on the progress and impact of their gifts.
A stewardee is the individual associated with a specific gift or fund, to whom University Advancement reports back about the progress and impact of the gift/fund. A stewardee is usually the donor who made the gift/established the fund.
The Scholarship Thank You Process is an optional way for students to share how scholarships have impacted their UT experience. Responses are used to create stewardship reports for UT Advancement to share with the stewardee(s) associated with a student’s scholarship. Completing the Scholarship Thank You Process is optional and has no impact on a student’s eligibility to receive future funding, but it is highly encouraged. All questions about the Scholarship Thank You Process and other stewardship projects should be directed to gratitude@utk.edu.
