Middle Tennessee State University awards an array of guaranteed  scholarships to qualifying first-time, incoming freshmen, but an important deadline to take advantage is quickly approaching.

Students must have a complete application on file with the MTSU Admissions Office by Tuesday, Dec. 1, to be considered for an academic merit guaranteed scholarship, ranging from $2,000 to $6,000, for the 2021-22 academic year.

Wearing masks and social distancing because of COVID-19, prospective MTSU students and their parents listen to guide Tito Hernandez as they take one of the daily guided campus tours offered earlier this fall at the Blue Horseshoe near Peck Hall. Students must have a complete application on file with the MTSU Admissions Office by Tuesday, Dec. 1, to be considered for a guaranteed merit scholarship, ranging from $2,000 to $6,000, for the 2021-22 academic year for first-time freshmen based on ACT/SAT scores and GPA. (MTSU photo by J. Intintoli)

MTSU would also like to offer a special re-enrollment incentive for students who were awarded a guaranteed scholarship for 2020-21 academic year but did not attend MTSU. Whether the student paused their education because of COVID-19 or the student chose to attend another school and now want to come to MTSU, the newly launched “Bridging the Gap” initiative will allow those students to reinstate their previously awarded but untapped scholarship.

With Dec. 1 falling just after the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, admissions staff say it’s a good idea for prospective students and their parents or guardians to reach out now to their high school counselors for transcripts and anything else they might need in order to meet the deadline.

Dr. Debra Sells

“To be safe, I tell students and parents to apply immediately,” said Deb Sells, vice president for Student Affairs and vice provost for Enrollment Services.

“With both December 1 and the holiday fast approaching, students will need to act quickly to request transcripts, finalize other details and go ahead and complete the process in order to meet the deadline,” Sells added.

Prospective students can apply by going to https://mtsu.edu/how-to-apply/index.php and following the prompts.

A number of public school systems, including Rutherford County and Metro Nashville, will be closed Wednesday through Friday, Nov. 25-26, for the holiday. Williamson and Wilson county schools will be among those closed all week (Nov. 23-27) for an extended holiday break.

This year, COVID-19 and public and private school systems utilizing distance or remote learning add another potential hurdle to the process.

“So, it’s important students and parents act now,” Sells said.

To learn about the two possible paths (guaranteed admission and admission by review) to be accepted, visit here. The 2021-22 Scholarship Guide is available here.

For more information about “Bridging the Gap,”, visit https://mtsu.edu/how-to-apply/bridging-the-gap.php, call the MT One Stop at 615-898-2111 or email MTOneStop@mtsu.edu.

Guaranteed scholarships for qualifying students include:

• National Merit/Achievement/Hispanic semifinalist — $6,000 per year.

• Trustee Scholarship (30 to 36 ACT/1,300 SAT/3.5 or higher GPA) — $5,000 per year.

• Presidential Scholarship (25 to 29 ACT/1,200 SAT/3.5 or higher GPA) — $4,500 per year.

• True Blue Scholarship (23 to 24 ACT/1,130 SAT/3.5 or higher GPA) — $2,000 per year.

Sells said students who qualify must accept the scholarship by May 1.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)