Tennessee Reconnect
The South College Reconnect Grant available to Tennessee Reconnect eligible students is offered to provide additional financial assistance and minimize our South College student debt. Our 19 eligible programs are designed to help you make an immediate impact in the career you’ve chosen as you enter the workforce.
What is Tennessee Reconnect?
The Tennessee Reconnect Grant (TNR) is available to eligible independent Tennessee residents as reported on the FAFSA.
The TNR grant is a last dollar grant that pays toward tuition after gift aid is applied. Gift aid for the purpose of determining the amount of the Tennessee Reconnect Grant is considered Pell Grant, Hope Scholarships, and state grant (Tennessee Student Assistance Award).
The maximum annual award for the 2023-24 year is $5000 and is disbursed over the terms in the year. The award amount varies based on the gift aid and number of credits enrolled in each term.
Eligibility Requirement
- Be an independent student or at least 23 years of age on or before January 1st of the initial enrollment
- Be a Tennessee Resident
- File the FAFSA by the established deadlines
- Enroll in a certificate or associate degree program
- Not have previously received a certificate, associate, or more advanced degree
- Enroll and attend in at least six credits per term
- Achieve a minimum 2.0 at the end of each academic year (3 term)
- Participate in a college success program is determined by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.
Deadlines
• New application start date 10/01/2022
•Tennessee Residency cutoff 09/01/2023
• FAFSA Receipt
Fall 09/01/2023
Winter 02/01/2024
Spring 02/01/2024
Summer 02/01/2024
Apply for Tennessee Reconnect and work towards your dreams at South College with these simple steps!
Step 1: Visit: https://clipslink.tsac.tn.gov/studentsignon/ and create an account. You can start your application at any time!
- Create a login account with the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) by clicking “Create a Login”.
- Complete the form
- Once finished, click “Create My Account”
- After creating your account, log in by clicking “Click here to log in to your account and apply online”
- Agree to the User Agreement
- Inside the TSAC Student Portal, choose “Apply for Scholarships”
- Select Tennessee Reconnect Scholarship Application
- Complete the application and Click Apply
- You will be directed to an Application Confirmation Page
TSAC and your Tennessee Reconnect Community will be working with you throughout the Tennessee Reconnect grant process. You can update your application and check your eligibility for the grant by visiting the Student Portal and logging in at https://clipslink.tsac.tn.gov/studentsignon/.
Step 2: Apply to South College here: https://enroll.south.edu
Step 3: File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at FAFSA.ed.gov: https://fafsa.ed.gov/
Step 4: Begin attending classes at least part-time, and you are on your way!
If you have any questions, please reach out to our Financial Aid office. We can’t wait to help you earn your college degree and explore options for your dream career!
The South College Reconnect Grant is administered as follows:
- This Grant cannot be combined with any other type of institutional grant or scholarship.
- The Grant does not have any cash value. It may be awarded to assist with covering the cost of tuition, fees, and books/required course materials posted to the student’s South College account for an applicable term. A credit balance on the student account will not occur as the result of a South College Reconnect Grant being awarded for any term. Therefore, a stipend due to a credit balance on an account as the result of the South College Reconnect Grant posting will not occur.
- Eligibility for this Grant is determined on a term by term basis. The student must be eligible for Reconnect as designated through the TSAC/eGrands website.
- Only undergraduate students pursuing Associate and Certificate level programs are eligible for the South College Reconnect Grant. Program eligibility is restricted to those programs that are designated on the South College website as TN Promise eligible programs. South College may update these programs at its discretion. Students who enroll in a South College Reconnect Grant program will continue to receive the grant as long as all other eligibility criteria have been met and there is no break in enrollment.
- Students who break enrollment for any reason are subject to updated grant rates as designated by the catalog under which his/her current enrollment falls. The South College Reconnect Grant is subject to change at the discretion of the college. Awards made to eligible students will not change as long as the student maintains continued enrollment and eligibility as outlined above.
- The Grant disbursement schedule is as follows:
Ground Campus Students:
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- 10 or more hours: $1,000 per term
- 6-9 hours: $500 per term
- 1-5 hours: $250 per term
Online Students, please contact Admissions at 865-288-8750 to discuss your financial opportunities with Tennessee Reconnect and the South College Reconnect Grant
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can I go part time or full time?
Students are required to enroll and attend at least half-time as of institutional census in each to quarter to receive an award. Exceptions are made on a case-by-case basis due to extenuating circumstances.
Students may enroll in mid-quarter classes to satisfy enrollment.
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Can I take a quarter off and keep it?
Continuous enrollment is required in the fall, winter, and spring quarters of an academic year. Enrollment in summer semester is optional and is not required
Failing to meet the continuous enrollment will require an appeal to retain the scholarship.
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Can I still get the TNR if I lost it previously?
To regain eligibility after losing the scholarship, for reasons other than the GPA, requires an appeal approval. The failure to receive the required GPA at the end of an academic year is not appealable and results in permanent loss of the scholarship.
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Can I only use it for AS degree programs, or also for CERTS and BS degree programs?
Programs eligible for the Tennessee Reconnect include diplomas, certificates and AS degrees.
BS degrees are not eligible.
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How long do I have to live here to get it/Do I need to be a Resident of TN?
Students must be a Tennessee resident one year preceding the date of the application.
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If I went to college a long time ago, am I eligible?
Any student that has not reached a terminating event for the TNR is eligible to apply.
Terminating events include receiving an associate degree or certificate.
Five years have passed since the date of initial enrollment as a Tennessee Reconnect Grant’s student, exclusive of any approved leave of absence.
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How much will TNR cover?
Tennessee Reconnect is a last dollar scholarship. The amount of the award is based on the maximum award for the hours scheduled, minus any gift aid. Gift aid is defined as Pell Grant, State to Grant (TSAA), and Hope scholarship. SEOG is not included as gift aid.
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And just in general a lot of people believe TNR works like TNP and will cover all their tuition and get confused.
TNR and TNP do have very similar requirements. TNP is designed to fund recent Tennessee HS graduates, whereas the TNR is designed to fund independent students who wish to pursue a college degree well beyond HS graduation.
The misconception that all tuition is covered relates to how the program was marketed to address community colleges. The programs were initially designed with the perception that students could receive 2-years of education tuition free. Therefore, the tuition and fee schedules were geared toward cost at a community college. It is the position of the state that to attend a private college is the choice of the student, but the rules and fees remain in place as originally written to cover tuition at a community college for a 2-year degree.
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Am I eligible if I already have a CERT or a diploma? (not an associates or bachelors)
A student may continue to receive a Tennessee Reconnect Grant for an associate degree or sequential certificate following completion of a certificate that directly leads to the associate degree or certificate program. However, there cannot be a break in enrollment between receipt of the certificate and enrollment in the associates. Any break in enrollment would require an appeal.
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Do I have to reapply every quarter?
Students are required to complete the TNR application and Success Plan each year
Students must also submit a FAFSA annually by the established deadlines:
September 1 for fall enrollment
February 1 for spring and summer