Scholarships

Scholarships

Scholarships offered to Southwest students can be awarded through: The Southwest Tennessee Community College Foundation or The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarships (TELS) also known as the HOPE Scholarship. Scholarships are dependent upon availability of funds, so not all scholarships can be awarded every year.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application is the basis for all financial aid awarded at Southwest, even scholarships. Go online to apply even if you do not believe that you are eligible for grant programs.

Listed below are scholarships awarded annually. Find criteria for applying for each scholarship by selecting the scholarship link. Please read criteria carefully and select the name(s) of the scholarship(s) for which you wish to be considered on the Scholarship Application.

Do you have a balance not covered by FAFSA? Need additional tuition assistance? We can help you with our scholarships.

REGISTER TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FOR CONSIDERATION

FALL 2026

NOW OPEN - CLOSES August 28, 2026

*All Foundation scholarships are non-refundable. Students must reapply each term. No applications will be accepted after the deadline.

Requirements

1. Have a 2.0 GPA. Please use your Southwest email address when applying for this scholarship (not your personal email address).

2. Register for all classes within the requesting term before submitting this application.

3. Scholarships will not support classes added after application is submitted.

4. Required: If awarded, you must complete a video and letter of gratitude to the scholarship donor and attend the Donor Reception in December (TBA).

For more information or questions, please contact Cassandra Carthon, Institutional Advancement and Resource Development Specialist, at ccarthon@southwest.tn.edu.

Supplemental Scholarship Application

Scholarships Criteria

Please read the following criteria carefully.

Note: The number of scholarships available includes awards being renewed for second-year recipients.

Complete all needed sections of the scholarship application and attach a copy of your high school or college transcript. Failure to complete a section may result in disqualification.
The Southwest Scholarship Committee will make their selections in early May. Those who are selected will be notified by email or by phone. Those not selected will remain in the pool of applicants for scholarships that may open later in the year.
Entering freshmen must apply for admission before the beginning of the selection process (August 1). The Scholarship Committee will not consider applications from students who have not applied for admission.
All scholarships require full-time attendance unless otherwise noted.
All scholarships are for one year unless otherwise noted.
The scholarship application with reference letters, if required, must be received by August 1 unless noted.
Southwest will keep scholarship applications on file in the event more scholarships become available during the academic year.

Review the list of available scholarships. Apply for the scholarship(s) for which you wish to be considered by selecting the name(s) of the scholarship(s) on the Scholarship Application.

Note: All the scholarships listed might not cover full tuition.