Scholarship Opportunities

Applications for the 2025-2026 Academic Year (all scholarships) are OPEN

Click Here to be taken to the MTSU Scholarship Manager. When you fill out this application, it will link to ANY of our scholarships you are eligible for.

*Please note, scholarships will be awarded in Fall of 2025 for Fall 2025 and Spring of 2026. We allot all funds for Fall and Spring Scholarships and do not often have money during other times of the year*

Due to when we are distributed the funds, you may not be awarded scholarships until after the awarding semester starts/bills are due. If money is placed into your account after the semester starts, you will be given the scholarship as a refund.

Osher Reentry Scholarship – The Bernard Osher Foundation (Link Above)

The Foundation requires that institutions promote the Osher Reentry Scholarship to non-traditional students. The Bernard Osher Foundation requires that the following guidelines be followed when selecting Osher scholars:

• must be seeking your first undergraduate degree
• must be applying for admission to Middle Tennessee State University, either for part-time or full-time enrollment, for the upcoming academic year
• must have been out of school for 5 or more years (cumulative) since high school
• demonstrate financial need (not necessarily on their FAFSA)
• show academic promise and commitment to obtaining a degree.

Crankstart Foundation Scholarship (Link Above)

The Foundation will provide scholarship awards in support of the Crankstart Re-entry which is intended to support the following students at MTSU:

• must be seeking your first undergraduate degree
• must be applying for admission to Middle Tennessee State University, either for part-time or full-time enrollment, for the upcoming academic year
• must have been out of school for 5 or more years (cumulative) since high school
• must anticipate workforce participation for a significant period of time subsequent to graduation and are ideally between the ages of 25 – 50. Ages 50+ are NOT excluded from application.
• demonstrate financial need, socio-economic status, challenges and or hardships (not necessarily on your FAFSA)
• show academic promise and commitment to obtaining a degree

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Nickell Scholarships

The Jane and Joan Nickell scholarships are funded by Marcus Nickell in honor of his two daughters who returned to college as nontraditional students to earn teaching degrees.

Jane Nickell Taylor Scholarship (Link Above)

This privately endowed scholarship is designed for non-traditional students undergoing life changes, who are in their final year working towards a degree.

Application criteria: You must be a student classified as a senior (at the time of scholarship award) who is in a life transition and is in need of financial assistance. You must have a 2.75 GPA or better.

Joan Nickell Bailey Scholarship (Link Above)

This privately endowed scholarship is designed for a senior elementary education major who is in their final year working towards a degree.

Application criteria: You must be classified as a senior who is majoring in elementary education (5th or 6th Grade preferred). You must have a 3.0 GPA or better.

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June Anderson Center Emergency Micro-Grant

The June Anderson Center is thankful to receive donations from various MTSU and Murfreesboro community members to assist our constituents in need.

The June Anderson Center Emergency Micro-Grant seeks to assist eligible students who encounter an unexpected hardship, so that they may continue their education at MTSU. This program’s goal is to assist students with financial resources, ulitmately leading to student success, retention, and graduation.

Students who demonstrate need and are facing a current, unexpected hardship may apply for the JAC Emergency Micro-Grant. All grants are subject to approval with documentation and verification to support your application. Examples of emergencies to be considered include, but are not limited to:

• Travel due to illness or death in immediate family
• Homelessness for student (and/or dependent family members)
• Theft of books and/or other essential academic belongings
• Sudden loss of childcare due to a change in academic schedule or custody arrangement
• Fire or theft of property
• Other instances as referred to this micro-grant by an advisor or MTSU employee

To be eligible, students must fall into one or more of the following criteria-

• Female-Identifying
• Nontraditional-Identifying (25+; married/widowed/divorced; parent/caregiver/guardian; current or former military; full-time employee attending school part-time or more)
• Any student dealing with Power-based Violence (dating violence; domestic violence; sexual assault; stalking)

Students must be in good academic standing, with a minimum 2.0 overall cumulative GPA at the time of the request. Students must be classified as a degree-seeking student enrolled in six (6) or more credit hours during fall/spring semesters and/or enrolled in three (3) or more credit hours during a summer session. Students currently on financial aid warning, probation, or suspension are not eligible. Students receiving other forms of financial aid may not receive the emergency micro-grant if it will cause them to exceed their allowable Total Cost of Attendance calculation. 

Funds are awarded as grants and do not have to be repaid. The JAC Emergency Micro-Grant is available up to an amount of $250, and is awardable to undergraduate and graduate students. Students may only be awarded the emergency micro-grant ONCE during their tenure at MTSU.

Once received, the June Anderson Center will initiate the award of the Emergency Micro-Grant by verifying the student’s GPA and enrolled credits. Once verified, an email will be sent to the Financial Aid Office to check the status of the student’s FAFSA, if applicable, to ensure that the student is eligible to receive funds. The total aid awarded to a student from all sources cannot exceed their cost of attendance. If there is an unmet need, the Financial Aid Office will credit the student’s account or, if necessary, provide it directly to the student via the Bursar’s Office.

While a student does not have to have an active FAFSA to be eligible for the JAC Emergency Micro-Grant, the information the June Anderson Center uses pulls from data provided to Financial Aid for their programmatic and fundraising efforts. This information assists us in requesting money from donors who assist students in need.

Other Scholarships

Search for other Scholarships on the WEB:

• June S. Anderson Foundation Scholarship (Closed for 2024- 2024 Applications are in review)
  *Please note this scholarship is NOT connected to the June Anderson Center.* The June Anderson Center will not have any information on the application deadlines or submission information. Do not email any application materials to the June Anderson Center or the Center for Student Involvement and Leadership.
  Contact andrienne.friedli@mtsu.edu for more information. 
• University College scholarships
• www.fastweb.com
• www.finaid.org
• MTSU Scholarship Guide