UT has opened a new office to help students find and apply for top scholarships.  The Office of External Scholarships helps students discover awards that may be provided by private donors, foundations, businesses and many other sources outside UT. 

It also provides students with readily available information on prestigious awards including the Fulbright, Rhodes and Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarships. 

"UT was prompted to open the office because we have so many able students, but our students have not been applying for and winning these highly competitive scholarships at a rate we might expect," said Professor Anne Mayhew, director of the new office.  Dr. Mayhew is the former chancellor of academic affairs for UT.

The new office will work with students from their freshman year on so that more UT students will, when they complete their undergraduate careers, be able to take advantage of these excellent opportunities for study abroad.  Anne Mayhew, director of the Office of External Scholarships

Most of the scholarships available through this office are for students who intend to do post-graduate work overseas.  Staff will work with students to determine which scholarship best fits with the students' interests.  Once students decide to apply, the office will help them begin the application process. 

These scholarships are highly competitive, so students who are interested are encouraged to use the services provided by the office early in their undergraduate career. 

"The new office will work with students from their freshman year on so that more UT students will, when they complete their undergraduate careers, be able to take advantage of these excellent opportunities for study abroad," Mayhew said.

The office will walk students through a four-step application process that begins with a pre-application and ends with mock interviews for finalists.  The goal of this process is to prepare students as much as possible for the real interviews that they will have with the organizations which donate the scholarships.

The Office of External Scholarships is located in F101 Melrose Hall.  Students who are interested are encouraged to call and make an appointment to sit down with the office staff.  More information can be found at http://www.externalscholarships.utk.edu/.