A new initiative at Tennessee State University will provide 100 scholarships to students in Nashville public schools, starting the fall of 2023.
In partnership with Metro Schools, “Trailblazing to TSU” will prepare kids for careers in education, engineering, business and health sciences.
The perks of the scholarship will begin while the students are still in high school. They’ll have access to a TSU mentorship program during their sophomore year. Once they get to TSU, they’ll receive a laptop, tailored counseling support and four years of paid tuition and fees.
“We will be with them every step of the way,” said TSU President Glenda Glover during a Wednesday morning press conference, “from application, to admission, to studying, to graduation.”
The scholarships come at a $9 million price tag and will help the historically Black college keep more students on track to getting a degree.
More: How decades of underfunding harms TSU students and hurts graduation rates
Tasha Andrews, who heads new student programs and retention at TSU, told WPLN News that not knowing how to navigate college, and the high cost of getting a degree, are some of the biggest reasons why kids don’t graduate.
“So, by us getting ahold of these students at the 10th-grade level, we have two years to kind of level the playing field before they even touch ground,” Andrews said.
The support will go to Metro students who show high levels of academic achievement.
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