ETSU will cover remaining tuition and add $1,500 a year for housing for eligible MNPS graduates. Who qualifies, and the 10 colleges now in University MNPS.

East Tennessee State University will pay the remaining tuition for eligible graduates of Metro Nashville’s zoned high schools, plus $1,500 a year toward on-campus housing. ETSU is the 10th college to join University MNPS, the district’s college partnership program.

Metro Nashville Public Schools announced the partnership in a news release on Thursday. ETSU and district officials and Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced it at an event in Nashville on Wednesday.

Who qualifies for the ETSU EXCEL Scholarship

The scholarship is open to graduates of the district’s 12 zoned high schools who meet all of these conditions:

  • they qualify for Tennessee’s HOPE Scholarship
  • they have at least a 3.0 GPA or a 21 on the ACT
  • they qualify for the maximum federal Pell Grant

What it pays

  • any tuition and program service fees left after other aid
  • a $1,500 housing scholarship each year for four years, toward on-campus housing and meal plans
  • access to the Mary V. Jordan Center, ETSU’s student success hub for academic, financial and personal support

ETSU is in Johnson City, in Northeast Tennessee. It is the second school outside Middle Tennessee to join, the district said.

“This initiative is designed to expand access to higher education and create new opportunities for students across Nashville who have the talent, determination, and drive to succeed,” ETSU President Brian Noland said.

Noland and ETSU admissions staff also visited John Overton High School on Wednesday to see its Academies of Nashville programs. “Don’t let price limit where you want to go,” he told students. He presented ETSU’s top merit award, the Presidential Scholarship, to an Overton senior, the district said.

The 10 University MNPS colleges

Superintendent Adrienne Battle started University MNPS to build partnerships with colleges in Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Each partner offers scholarships and on-campus support to district graduates:

  • Belmont University
  • East Tennessee State University
  • Fisk University
  • Lipscomb University
  • Nashville State Community College
  • TCAT Nashville
  • Tennessee State University
  • Trevecca Nazarene University
  • University of Tennessee, Knoxville
  • Vanderbilt University

What it means for you

If you have a senior at a zoned Metro high school, check now whether they could meet the HOPE and Pell conditions. The HOPE Scholarship and Pell Grant both depend on the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, so filing it is the first step.

The district lists every partner’s scholarship terms on its University MNPS page. School counselors can help with applications. Our Nashville schools guide has contact details for every school.