HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Tennessee high school seniors eyeing a college just across the state line will keep a major price break for another year, the University of Alabama in Huntsville announced this week.
Trustees for the University of Alabama System voted at their Nov. 6 meeting to carry the Tennessee Resident Scholarship Program through the 2028-2029 academic year. The earlier authorization ran only through 2027-2028.
Under the program, a first-year student with a permanent Tennessee address who lands a merit or athletic scholarship pays the in-state rate instead of the out-of-state price. That difference is large: nonresident tuition at UAH runs roughly 2.37 times the resident rate.
The program began in November 2020. University figures show it has pulled students from deeper inside Tennessee. Nearly 73% of first-year students from the state who enrolled in fall 2026 came from beyond the nine counties nearest campus, up from 69% in fall 2020.
Families in those nine border counties already get a separate deal. Students living in Lincoln, Giles, Franklin, Marion, Moore, Coffee, Bedford, Lawrence or Marshall County are charged in-state tuition whether or not they receive a scholarship.
Applicants do not have to file anything extra. Every first-time freshman admitted to UAH is reviewed for scholarships automatically, with award amounts tied to high school GPA, ACT or SAT superscore and residency. The awards cover four years of fall and spring semesters and renew as long as the student stays full time and keeps making academic progress.
Students who want a higher award should note the cutoff: updated transcripts and test scores that arrive after May 15, 2027, will not be used to upgrade a scholarship. UAH also no longer counts the ACT science section for admission or scholarship decisions.
Provost David Puleo said in the university announcement that widening access for Tennessee students strengthens the school’s regional ties and helps build the workforce pipeline.
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