Accessible, Affordable, & Attainable Education
With the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, your education is within reach. Your success is our goal. UT provides accessible and affordable online degrees and certifications to make your educational and career plans achievable. No matter where you live, your life stage, or your financial level, we’re here to support you.
In fact, UT was recently ranked by Money Magazine as one of the best universities in the nation for both affordability and quality.
UT’s Commitment to Affordability
ACCESSIBLE. AFFORDABLE. ATTAINABLE.
Higher learning is one of the most important investment decisions you’ll make in your lifetime. Investing in your education can lead to increases in future earning power, improved financial security, and employment positions with better benefits and perks.
UT is committed to empowering you to advance your personal well-being, to more comfortably support your family, to give back to your community, and to fulfill your career goals. We do this by providing equitable and inclusive educational opportunities to students residing both in Tennessee and beyond the Volunteer State.
That is where our online programs come in…an education available on your terms within your reach to enhance your future.
Accessible
UT empowers you to pursue your desired education by making online programs accessible and flexible. This allows students to learn and work around other life commitments.
Who is earning online degrees and certificates through Vols Online?
- Students of all ages and backgrounds
- Students with part- or full-time jobs
- Students caring for children
- Students caring for elderly family members
- Students with transportation limitations
- Students with health or physical limitations
- Students residing in Tennessee, across the country, and beyond
Affordable
UT enables online students to maximize income and minimize expenses. Meaning, you can take your courses while still taking care of what’s important to you outside of school.
What benefits are students reporting about attending an online UT program?
- Maintain income from part- or full-time job
- Access to aid & scholarships
- Continue child care priorities
- Continue eldercare responsibilities
- Reduce transportation & vehicle expenses
- Avoid on-campus housing costs
- Reduce fees for on-campus services
- Reduced out-of-state tuition compared to in-person programs
Attainable
UT provides a learning environment where you can develop professional and personal skills that will get you ready to enter the modern work world and ignite your next career chapter.
What skills and abilities are UT online students learning and experiencing?
- Increased technical skills
- Increased job marketability
- Increased time-management skills
- Increased self-discipline
- Increased self-motivation
- Joining the robust Volunteer alumni network
The Cost Benefits of Online Degrees: Tuition & Fees
There are so many advantages of online learning with the University of Tennessee. You can truly “have it all” since our online degree programs allow you to attend college while tending to your other life responsibilities. Whether you’re busy balancing work or child care (or both!), you’ll also find a few financial benefits by earning your degree from afar.
Since you’ll be attending classes from your home (or maybe your favorite coffee shop?), you won’t be responsible for the same university fees as our on-campus students. Fees are reduced for online students since you won’t need access to on-campus services like RecSports, student health center services and insurance, parking, athletic event student tickets, and other expenses. (Currently, there’s not an option for distance education students to opt in for these programs or services.)
Another advantage of enrolling in an online program at UT? Your tuition is paid on a per-credit hour basis and you’re afforded the ability to flex and customize your course load. That means you can keep tuition to your own personal budget’s “pace.” Whether you take one course a semester or two courses a term, you’re empowered to choose what works best for you. And, you’ll only pay tuition for the courses you take.
Traditionally, one of the largest costs associated with attending college is the cost of lost wages. With UT, this is not necessarily the case. Because we offer flexible programs with both asynchronous and synchronous courses, you can likely maintain your current job while you learn. In fact, in a recent UT survey, over 88% of our online students reported working a job while pursuing their degree through UT.
Reduced fees
Customize course load to fit the budget
Low or no lost opportunity cost
Online tuition & fee schedules
For questions relating to tuition and fees, contact:
Financial Aid for Online Students
Just like our on-campus Vols, online students are eligible for financial aid and student loans. Financial aid and awards from federal, state, and university sources can help reduce or completely offset the cost of tuition, reducing the total cost of your college education. In addition, student loans are available to help cover additional costs based on allowable limits.
- Through FAFSA, you apply for federal student aid that is available to you based on income and student type (undergraduate or graduate).
- First, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- If you are a dependent, your parent(s) will also need to fill out the FAFSA form.
- You will want to list the UT school code 003530 on your FAFSA application.
- After you have submitted your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) with estimates of your eligibility for federal financial aid.
- For more details, see One Stop Students Services – Apply for Financial Aid.
- For informational assistance with the FAFSA, visit FAFSA Form Tips or review FAFSA Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
- Need additional help with the FAFSA? Contact the appropriate Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) via phone or email.
- The FAFSA is also used to determine aid eligibility for state educational funding organizations, such as the Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA) which provides scholarships with specific requirements, including the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, among others.
- Undergraduate Students may qualify for need-based grants, such as the Pell Grant, which does not require repayment, or other federal work-study and student loans.
- Graduate Students are generally not eligible for Pell Grants, but exceptions could exist such as students in a post-baccalaureate teacher certification program. FAFSA does provide graduate students with federal student loan options.
- In addition, many states and universities as well as some private foundations use FAFSA information to determine eligibility for aid, loans, and awards that are based on income criteria.
- Once admitted to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the university will also use FAFSA information to assess eligibility for need-based scholarships and possibly even scholarships from UT Colleges and other aid and award programs administered through the university.
- You can also explore more information on One Stop Student Services – Scholarships
- See the more detailed Scholarships section below for more information.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA)
One Stop Student Services – Scholarships
UT Departmental Scholarships
One Stop Student Services – Loans
For questions relating to financial aid and loans, contact:
UT Scholarships & Grants
Competitive and merit-based grants and scholarships can also help reduce your college costs. These scholarships are generally based on specific requirements including student type (undergraduate, graduate, international), area of study, academic achievements, standardized test scores, residency, or other criteria.
- Continuing and transfer undergraduate students must respectively complete the Continuing Student Undergraduate Scholarship Application and Transfer Student Undergraduate Scholarship Application each year.
- Departmental scholarships from UT colleges and schools are most often awarded to non-first-year student undergraduates or graduates who have met certain academic requirements in their major.
- Check with your college or school to inquire about any departmental scholarships.
- UT is proud to offer several scholarships to students with disabilities across our Student Disability Services department and the UT Haslam College of Business.
- We also provide quick links for additional non-UT scholarships.
- For scholarships with disability criteria, see UT Student Disability Services.
- Scholarships are also available through private foundations, corporations, and organizations.
- These awards are generally based on specific criteria.
- Scholarships not affiliated with or administered by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, can be located by searching scholarship databases.
- Once admitted to the university, our online students can search for and manage additional university or university-administered undergraduate and graduate scholarship opportunities based on various criteria at our Scholarship Applications and Search Website.
Merit-based grants & scholarships
UT departmental scholarships
Student disability scholarships
Private foundation scholarships
Organization & corporate scholarships
Scholarship search databases
For questions relating to grants and scholarships, contact:
Find Inspiration in These Student Success Stories
- With a flexible and asynchronous distance learning format, Lori Hughes earned an online Master’s degree in Educational Psychology while juggling her other roles as a full-time elementary school teacher, wife, and mother of five, including a child with special needs. Read Lori’s story
- After completing his undergraduate degree, high school teacher and lifetime Vols fan, Hunter Dove, was faced with the decision between going into the workforce or pursuing higher education. With Vols Online, he was able to do both simultaneously and achieve his dream of a master’s in Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communication (ALEC). Read Hunter’s story
- With hard work and unwavering support from professors, Dayle Warren was able to continue online learning after finding out she was pregnant during her first semester of our online Master’s of Mathematics degree program. Read Dayle’s story
