Financial Aid
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville gave merit aid averaging $6,872 to 3,749 first-year students who had no financial need, about 84% of the freshmen without need.
Merit aid
Scholarships The University of Tennessee-Knoxville gave to first-year students who had no financial need.
Average merit award
$6,872
Freshmen who got one
3,749
of 7,133 in the class
Share of those without need
84%
who received merit aid
Need-based aid
For first-year students the college found to have financial need.
Average need-based grant
$15,874
Average percent of need met
58.8%
Freshmen with need
38%
2,684 students
The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $15,787.
How to read these numbers
- Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
- The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
- A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.
Frequently asked questions
Does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville give merit scholarships?
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville gave merit aid averaging $6,872 to 3,749 first-year students who had no financial need, about 84% of the freshmen without need.
How much is the average merit scholarship at The University of Tennessee-Knoxville?
$6,872 for first-year students without financial need, according to The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.
Does The University of Tennessee-Knoxville meet full financial need?
The University of Tennessee-Knoxville reports meeting 58.8% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid. A figure under 100% means the average student was left with a gap to cover.
What share of The University of Tennessee-Knoxville freshmen have financial need?
2,684 of 7,133 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 38%, were found to have financial need.
Source: The University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.