Scholarships
Alumni Board Scholarships
Our department’s Advisory Board Scholarship program was set up by departmental alumni and friends in 2018 to provide support for current EEPS undergraduate students and graduate students. There are two types of scholarships: (1) Financial Need or Hardship Scholarship, and (2) General Scholarship. Awards are typically in the range of $500 to $1,000.
1. “Financial Need” or “Hardship” scholarships
These are non-recurring (one-time) scholarships. Financial Need and Hardship applications and awards are strictly confidential. There is no GPA or academic requirement, other than the student must be making adequate progress towards their degree. Factors considered in making awards include, but are not limited to, the student’s educational and living expenses, income, family contributions towards education, eligibility for “Pell grants,” expiration or loss of “Hope Scholarship,” status as a “first generation student,” and health/family considerations. A short financial statement is required for both types of scholarship applications, and a resume or CV is also required.
- Financial Need Scholarships are for students who, through financial planning, realize they may require more support in the future for tuition and/or fees, meeting changing living expenses (e.g., rent hike), upcoming fieldwork or conference travel, gap in research funding available from an advisor, etc. Financial Need support is not immediately required but could help the student in the future. Submission deadlines for Financial Need scholarships are twice a year, February 15 and October 15.
- Hardship Scholarships are for students who are in immediate and critical financial distress because they cannot pay rent, are unable to buy groceries, pay medical bills, meet a tuition and fees deadline, etc. There are no submission deadlines for Hardship Scholarship requests.
Please submit applications by email to Dr. Molly McCanta, Associate Department Head, mmccanta@utk.edu.
2. General Scholarships for EEPS undergraduates and graduate students
These are non-recurring (one-time) scholarships to undergraduate students or fellowships if awarded to graduate students. The purpose of the award is to provide students with support for a wide variety of needs or activities. These could include books, computers, other electronics, academic travel, study abroad, research, etc. These awards are meant to supplement, not replace, existing EEPS department funds (like the Byerly field camp scholarships, Ross field camp scholarships, departmental travel grants provided through the Discretionary Fund, Otto Kopp undergraduate research scholarships, etc.), and Graduate Student Senate Travel Grants, and/or faculty research grants or endowments. A resume or CV is required with the application. Student GPA, academic standing, and financial need may be considered for the award, but are not the sole factors. Successful applicants must be making adequate progress toward their degree. EEPS may announce recipients of General Advisory Board Scholarships. Submission deadlines for General Scholarships are February 15 and October 15.
Please submit applications by email to Dr. Molly McCanta, Associate Department Head, mmccanta@utk.edu.
Student Success Fund Summary of Policies and Procedures
The Student Success Fund (SSF; formerly the Discretionary Fund) is used primarily to support research and educational activities for students in the UT Department of Earth, Environmental & Planetary Sciences (EEPS). This includes funds for research for graduate thesis research, undergraduate research projects, and travel for conferences and workshops. Funds are also provided for special needs (such as for non-course related student field trips).
Requests for SSF money should be sent to the Chair of the Student Success Fund Committee, Prof. Bradley Thomson (bthom@utk.edu). In the case of travel to a professional meeting at which the student is presenting (section 1 below), the SSF Chair can approve the funds directly. All other requests are sent to the entire Committee for a vote. The Head of the Department also has the authority to award Student Success Funds in accordance with the Departmental Bylaws.
Scholarship Disbursement
Student recipients should be aware that Federal regulations govern how fellowships and scholarships are administered at UT. Specifically, these EEPS Advisory Board scholarship funds are processed through UT’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. The Financial Aid office may combine this award with any other financial aid and the amount of other financial aid may be reduced. Also, if a recipient has unpaid charges (e.g., fees), then the scholarship may be applied towards those outstanding charges before dispersing excess funds to the recipient. Questions or concerns can be directed to the associate department head.
EEPS Field Geology Scholarships
There are three scholarships available to students attending the summer EEPS Field Geology, and you will be able to apply for all three via one application.
To apply, please submit your information, in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format, via email to mmccanta@utk.edu.
Include the following information in a single-spaced document, no more than two (2) pages long:
- Name and contact information
- Your current GPA (both geology and overall—do not include estimates of grades from this semester)
- Reasons why you feel yourself deserving of a scholarship (this should include need)
- The specific field course you plan to attend, and why
- What you anticipate achieving in your field geology course
Note: These written criteria are driven by the requirements of the individual scholarship sponsors, and are a MAJOR component of the selection criteria. The decisions will be made on how well you can articulate your responses, and not on GPA alone, so take your time to be clear and concise!
Acknowledgement of Support
Student Success Fund awards are possible only because of the generosity of EPS alumni, faculty, and friends who created the endowments that support this fund. In peer-reviewed publications that result from research supported by the SSF, support from the EPS Student Success Fund should be noted in the Acknowledgements section of the manuscript. Students are encouraged to consider SSF awards as “loans” rather than “gifts.” Once you are actively employed after graduation, we hope that you’ll continue to support our EPS Department through annual giving, participation in departmental social activities, involvement in collaborations, hiring our students, etc.
How to apply
Are you interested in applying to The University of Tennessee and studying with us in the Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences department? Here’s an easy how-to:
- Register for a GoVols account OR apply via CommonApp
- Are you going to arrive as a first-year student? Here’s what you need to know.
- Are you a transfer student? Here’s what you need to know.
- Are you an international student? Here’s what you need to know.
When you begin registering for classes, tell your advisor you want to pursue classes in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. They will direct you to the appropriate course of study! If you want to browse our course now, feel free!
