Torchbearer: Summer 1998

African-American Enrollment Up

Scholarships, honors programs, and campus visits are attracting more African-American students to UTK.

Freshman African-American enrollment was up about 20 percent last year, says admissions director Gordon Stanley. Of the 25,039 students on campus, 1,288 were African-American.

African-American students with at least a 3.4 high school average and 23 or above on the ACT automatically qualify for a scholarship equal to in-state tuition, or about $2,500. The scholarship is renewable for three years. Seventy students accepted these grants last fall.

"The African-American Achievers Scholarship has made a big difference. Plus, we have seen a halo effect-friends following friends to our campus and enrolling," Stanley says.

The admissions office sponsors bus trips for African-American students from West Tennessee who have applied for admission to UTK. While on campus, the students meet with faculty and stay in a residence hall. Similar campus visits are available to students from Chattanooga and Tri-Cities.

UTK's honors programs also help attract top African-American students, admissions surveys show. An honors day program last year drew more than 700 prospective students, far more than expected.

"The minority representation at Honors Day was good," Stanley says. "If we can get students to visit, we have an excellent chance of getting them to enroll."

Return to Summer 1998 table of contents.





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