The new 2014-15 MTSU Scholarship Guide offers dozens of potential awards for freshmen, transfer and returning students. Click on the cover for a direct link to more scholarship information.

Prospective high school students wanting priority consideration for key MTSU academic scholarships for the 2014-15 academic year will have until Monday, Dec. 2, to apply.

Applications postmarked Dec. 2 or hand-delivered to the admissions office by 4:30 p.m. that day will be eligible to be considered for major scholarship awards and also the prestigious Buchanan Fellowship.

MTSU’s freshman academic scholarship deadline normally is Dec. 1.

Because Dec. 1 falls on a Sunday this year and because MTSU will be closed Nov. 28-29 for the Thanksgiving holidays, however, the university will allow an extra day for prospective students and their families to submit the paperwork and include the nonrefundable application fee.

Prospective students and their families can visit the admissions website, www.mtsu.edu/admissn, to learn more. For important dates, visit http://mtsu.edu/how-to-apply/deadlines.php, and for scholarship information, visit www.mtsu.edu/scholarships.

The Buchanan Fellowship for top scholars is MTSU’s highest academic award for first-time freshmen who meet academic requirements, including a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher, a composite ACT score of 29 or higher or SAT greater than or equal to 1280 and other requirements. (You can get more details here.) Twenty recipients are selected each year by the University Honors College,  and funding is provided through the financial aid office.

Successful Buchanan applicants generally possess qualifications that equal or surpass those required for other MTSU academic scholarships. Students accepted to the program participate in a specially designed cohort curriculum of courses limited to Buchanan Fellows.

Freshman academic scholarships include the Chancellor, Presidential, Academic Service and Provost awards. All require a minimum GPA of 3.5 plus outstanding ACT/SAT scores.

“MTSU is an institution where if you bring us your best, we will do our best to make sure you succeed,” said Dr. Laurie Witherow, associate vice provost for admissions and enrollment services.

“Any student who meets our admissions standards can be successful and we pledge to have all of the programs and resources in place to support you through to graduation.”

For students who qualify for National Merit/Achievement/Hispanic, Valedictorian/Salutatorian and International Baccalaureate scholarships, the priority deadline is Feb. 15, 2014. However, these students should apply by Dec. 2 to be considered for additional academic scholarships.

For more information, call the admissions office at 615-898-2111 or the scholarships office at 615-898-2830.

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