Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarships (TELS) 

The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program (TELS) is intended to provide financial support for Tennessee's best high school students and encourage them to remain in TN for their college education. The Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) is the state headquarters for the TELS program. Their website contains information about the TELS program and other kinds of state aid. You must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to be eligible. To apply for a TELS scholarship, you must fill out the Federal Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You do not need to complete any additional applications, the HOPE scholarship will be offered to TN residents who meet the qualifications. You may visit the following below for additional information and eligibility requirements:  

Effective Fall 2023, any TELS eligible student who graduates with their baccalaureate degree from an eligible Tennessee college/university on-or-after July 1, 2023 AND has not reached the maximum 5 year TELS program completion limit AND immediately enrolls in an eligible advanced degree program (i.e. Masters or Doctoral) the semester after receiving baccalaureate degree MAY be eligible to receive TELS funds while working on advanced degree program (i.e. Masters or Doctoral).

Effective Fall 2023, any TELS eligible student who is enrolled less than half-time in Coursework towards Program of Study (CPoS) may be eligible to receive a less than half-time TELS award amount dependent on the reason why student is enrolled less than ½ time. See Enrollment Status section on this page for more information.

HOPE Scholarship for Summer

If you’re registered for at least six  Course Program of Study (CPOS)  hours, the HOPE Scholarship may be used to help pay for summer school. Students who currently receive the HOPE Scholarship and continue to meet the HOPE GPA and enrollment requirements at the end of the spring semester will initially be offered the full-time HOPE Scholarship term amount for summer term. Please note that the award will be prorated and paid based on the number of  Course Program of Study (CPOS)  hours in the summer. Students must be enrolled for at least six CPOS credit hours to receive HOPE Scholarship payment. Class status is determined by the University. For HOPE Scholarship recipients, hours attempted during summer session will count toward HOPE attempted hours, and the GPA will be calculated into the HOPE GPA, even if you do not receive HOPE payment for those hours or if those hours are taken at another institution. If you need information about using HOPE at another institution in the summer, please contact our office.

Transfers to TSU

If you’re transferring to TSU, you must have an official academic transcript sent to TSU Admissions  from all prior institutions, including the most recent semester you attended. Note: Generally this delays payment of Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) awards during the first semester at TSU, especially for mid-year transfer students.

TELS Forms

TELS Regain Form  - This form applies to TELS scholarship students who may have lost eligibility at a benchmark and wishes to utilize the regain option. Please complete this form and return it the Office of Financial Aid.

TELS Consortium Form (Lottery Scholarship) - This form applies to TELS scholarship students who decides to enroll simultaneously at two eligible postsecondary institutions or during the summer semester at another eligible postsecondary institution.

TELS Repeat Course Form (Lottery Scholarship) - This form applies to TELS scholarship students who wish to utilize the one-time option to repeat one course for purposes of determining continued eligibility.