Student Funding

First-Year Scholarships

For incoming first-year students, to be considered for competitive scholarships, you must submit your admissions application by the November 1 early action deadline. To qualify for institutional scholarships, you must apply by December 15. Your application information will be forwarded to the college. Award decisions are typically made in mid to late spring. It is recommended to apply as early as possible to qualify for scholarships.

Continuing Scholarships

For incoming sophomores, juniors, and seniors, to be considered for general university and Herbert College of Agriculture scholarships, you must complete the Continuing Student Undergraduate Scholarship Application by March 1. This application opens in January each year.

For questions, please contact Cassie Johnson at [email protected].

The purpose of the Herbert Scholars program is to support the education and training of future scientists and business professionals in agriculture and related disciplines through experiential learning outside of the classroom. These experiences will consist of, but are not limited to, internships, service learning opportunities, and applied laboratory experiences. The intent of the program is to defray expenses for students completing out-of-town/state or international experiences, which necessitate travel costs or need to pay rent in an additional location to Knoxville. Students are selected through a competitive process conducted by the Herbert College of Agriculture, receiving awards ranging from $1,000 to $7,000.

Eligibility

Eligible students major in a degree program of the Herbert College of Agriculture. Students who have not previously been recognized as a Herbert Scholar will have priority. The experience must be paid, take place outside of the Knoxville area, and last at least ten weeks. Students can not use this funding for tuition, and must return for at least one semester following the conclusion of the experience to serve as a Herbert Scholars spokesperson.

Deadline

Applications are reviewed by the Herbert Scholars committee after the application deadline (e.g. March 1). If a student has not officially secured their internship by the deadline, the student must note it within their application. The funds will be distributed on the condition of securing the internship. Should the committee decide to extend the deadline, another round of review will take place.

Application Process

The Herbert Scholars application becomes available toward the start of the spring semester. Students will be notified via email, social media, and the Herbert Highlights newsletter. Those who miss the deadline may apply for the Gibbs Scholars program.

*Less funding is available through the Gibbs Scholars program. It is therefore ideal to first apply for the Herbert Scholars program.

Successful Candidates

Students should answer all questions within the application thoroughly. If a student’s application misses critical information, this could jeopardize receiving the scholarship.

For questions, please contact Timmy Carter at [email protected].

The Jerry Gibbs Student Enhancement fund provides unique experiential learning opportunities for undergraduate students in the Herbert College of Agriculture. Experiences may include internships, service learning opportunities, applied laboratory experiences, and professional educational opportunities in order to facilitate the education and training of future scientists and business professionals engaged in agriculture and its related disciplines.

Eligibility

Eligible students major in a degree program of the Herbert College of Agriculture. Students who have not previously been recognized as a Gibbs Scholar will have priority. Paid experiences will be considered over unpaid. Students can not use this funding for tuition.

Deadline

Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis once the application officially launches. The program is first come first serve, meaning funding will be awarded to students until the endowment is depleted for the year.

Application Process

The Gibbs Scholars application becomes available shortly following the Herbert Scholars program. The Gibbs Scholars program is ideal for students who missed the opportunity to apply for Herbert Scholars.

Successful Candidates

Students should answer all questions within the application thoroughly. Requests with cost-sharing from other on- or off-campus sources will receive priority.

For questions, please contact Timmy Carter at [email protected].

The Peter Howard Wine and Ag Tourism Scholarship Program offers opportunities to University of Tennessee, Knoxville, students (preferably Herbert College of Agriculture students) interested in pursuing studies in wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism.

Through this program, undergraduate students receive financial support to pursue industry internships in the areas of grape production, winemaking and marketing, agricultural farm recreational activities such as bed and breakfast, and general farm recreation for profit.

Who is this scholarship for?

UT Knoxville students who intern in the wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism industries are eligible. Preference is given to students enrolled in the Herbert College of Agriculture.

How to Locate an Internship

Prior to applying for the scholarship, students must first locate a paid internship in the wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism industry. Internships in Tennessee are preferable, but out-of-state and international internships are also supported. For assistance, students can contact Karen DeLong at [email protected], the Center for Career Development and Academic Exploration, or Herbert’s employer engagement and career development coordinator.

Steps for Accessing this Scholarship:

• Locate a paid internship opportunity in the wine, viticulture, and agricultural tourism industry.
• Contact Karen DeLong at [email protected] to coordinate an action plan and develop an educational component of the internship.
• Secure employment at respective company.
• Confirm eligibility for scholarship with Dr. DeLong.

How the Scholarship Works

The scholarship amount is tied to the action plan developed with Dr. DeLong. Scholarships range from $3,000 to $5,000. They are awarded in the semester in which the internships are completed, with the exception of summer internships, which will be awarded in the following fall semester. Special arrangements to pay for travel and lodging are allowed if the student’s internship is out of state or out of the continental United States.

Can you get credit for this?

Students have the option of receiving credit hours for their internship if they enroll in an approved internship course. For example, students can enroll in AREC 492 (Off-Campus Internship) so long as they complete the requirements of this course.

For questions, please contact Karen DeLong at [email protected].

The Farm Credit Mid-America (FCMA) Enrichment Program provides funding to make travel, competition, and club activity more accessible for students to enrich the college experience and to increase interaction between the credit and financial services industry and students.

How to Apply

Email Karen DeLong at [email protected] the following information:

• Name of the student, club, or group making the request.
• The specifics of the request (i.e. how you propose to use the funds).
• The approximate dollar amount of the request.
• Guarantees that all other possible funding sources have been exhausted (e.g. a Travel Funding Request Form has already been submitted, if applicable).
• Preference is given to requests for events that are most closely aligned with the mission of this program, which includes “increasing the interaction between the credit and financial services industry and students.”

Overview

The Herbert Undergraduate Study Abroad Scholarship is available to degree-seeking undergraduate students with a major in the Herbert College of Agriculture. It supports credit-bearing, pre-approved study abroad programs and helps cover program-related fees and expenses.

Students must submit the scholarship application by the deadline appropriate for their program. Applications are reviewed by a panel of Herbert faculty and staff, and decisions are announced prior to the program payment deadlines.

Review Criteria:

• Alignment of program/location with academic, career, and personal goals
• Potential for cultural, academic, and professional growth
• Ability to represent Herbert and the University of Tennessee positively abroad

Funding

Applicants who demonstrate outstanding alignment with all review criteria and commit to meeting all program requirements will be considered for the maximum funding amount per student. Students enrolled in Herbert faculty-led study abroad programs that are already subsidized may receive reduced funding, subject to available resources and broader financial considerations.

*Non-Herbert students enrolled in a Herbert minor and participating in a Herbert faculty-led study abroad course may be eligible for limited funding. These students must have completed or be currently enrolled in at least three Herbert courses. Substitutions do not count toward this requirement.

Expectations:

• Keep a journal and take photos/video during the experience for sharing with the college
• Complete the program evaluation in the Vols Abroad Portal
• Promote the Herbert study abroad program to future applicants
• Participate in a thank-you video upon request

In addition to Herbert, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and external organizations offer study abroad scholarships for a wide range of student needs. Explore your options and see how doable studying abroad can be!

For questions, please contact study abroad coordinator Kyra Barrier at [email protected].

The Herbert Experiential Research Opportunities (HERO) Program supports Herbert undergraduate students pursuing experiential research opportunities. Funding is awarded on a semester-by-semester basis. Faculty mentors must submit the HERO application for their undergraduate researcher to receive an hourly stipend and supported travel and/or equipment costs.

Requirements:

• The student must be enrolled in a Herbert College of Agriculture major and remain in good academic standing.
• The student must provide a deliverable from their research (e.g. presentation at a conference, manuscript for publication, extension fact sheet, final technical report, honors thesis, etc.).
• The faculty mentor and lab will provide instruction and training in appropriate research theory and methods, analysis, technical writing, outreach, and presentation skills.
• One award per faculty mentor per calendar year is permitted.
• The HERO application must be submitted by the specified deadline.

Decisions will be made shortly after the application deadline, and funds will be disbursed as soon as the student is on payroll.

For questions about the program and the current HERO cycle, please contact Adam Willcox at [email protected].

The Herbert College of Agriculture and AgResearch each provide $5,000 fellowships to assist with recruiting high-quality PhD students. AgResearch awards are provided throughout the year—interested faculty should contact Dr. Hongwei Xin at [email protected] or Dr. Timothy Rials at [email protected].

Herbert will award at least seven fellowships for new PhD students matriculating in the college at the start of fall semester. The actual amount may be more if we receive less than seven qualifying nominations. The award will be provided annually up to four years to the recipients assuming satisfactory degree progress. Student recipients will receive half of the funding at the beginning of fall semester, and the second half will be awarded at the beginning of spring semester. Satisfactory progress will be determined by departmental annual reviews of the students.

Conditions:

• Nomination due dates for 2025-2026 academic year: January 15 and March 1
• New PhD student beginning fall semester 2025
• Must be on 0.5 FTE graduate assistantship
• Not available to students receiving an AgResearch fellowship

Process

Department heads, or their designee (e.g., graduate coordinator), nominate prospective graduate students by submitting the nomination form and a letter of nomination as a single PDF by the specified deadline(s).

Nominations received after the deadline(s) may be accepted if awards remain unclaimed.

Departments may submit for multiple nominees. The Dean’s Office, working with other assistant/associate deans of Herbert-AgResearch-Extension, will make selections. If awards remain after that time, or a selected student does not accept the award, the college will either consider other nominees or raise the amount of the award.

Departments should use the following language when communicating to potential students about the Herbert College of Agriculture Graduate Fellowship Award: “You are offered a part-time assistantship, and we’ve nominated you for a Herbert College of Agriculture Graduate Fellowship Award of an additional $XXX/yr. Decisions on the Herbert College of Agriculture Graduate Fellowship Award will be announced by early February/mid-March.” A template letter will be provided by the college.

Departments may indicate that a student may accept an assistantship offer at any time but are not required to do so prior to April 15.

Award Criteria:

• Quality of master’s or bachelor’s degree institution
• GPA
• Previous awards
• Presentations
• Publications
• Teaching and/or research experience
• Patents
• Grants
• Other creative works (e.g. mass media products, designs, etc.)
• One additional letter beyond the nominator’s letter may be submitted (one-page limit each)

*Note: GRE scores are no longer part of the criteria.

If you have any questions, please reach out to John Stier at [email protected].

The Herbert College of Agriculture supports professional development for undergraduate students in several ways, including travel. Travel support is provided for undergraduate student research, judging/competitions, clubs/organizations, and other ventures. In many cases, matching funds are desired. Student travel requests should show a requested match from another source(s). Submit the Travel Funding Request Form to be considered.

You will need to download and complete the Budget Request Form and upload it to the Travel Funding Request Form.

Graduate students in need of travel support should seek assistance from the Graduate Student Senate.

For questions, please contact Spencer Ryan at [email protected].

The Herbert College of Agriculture offers supplemental funding for Hebert student organizations. Please submit the Herbert Student Organization General Funding Request Form to apply for funding for any expenses (not travel) incurred by the organization, including, but not limited to, events, programming, supplies, or other student organization resources.

If you are requesting travel, please use the student travel request form. For questions, please contact Spencer Ryan at [email protected].