Grants

Memorial is the inclusive term for need-based aid at Lipscomb. There are two types: general and designated. A general memorial comes from the general funds of the university. The designated memorials consist of restricted scholarship funds set up in memory of individuals. All students who complete a FAFSA are automatically reviewed for need and consideration for Memorial Grants.  All need-based aid is based fully on FAFSA results and is usually awarded according to those who apply first.

Some memorials have definite instructions from contributors concerning whom the awards should be given. Others are available to any student with need.

Memorials exist for majors in art, Bible, biology, business, chemistry, dietetics, English, Greek, history, journalism, consumer sciences, physical education, pre-med, pre-nursing, social work and speech, among others. A few memorials have donor preferences for recipients who are from specific geographic regions, for minorities or for those who participate in athletics.

View a complete list of memorial funds

A Pell Grant is funded by the federal government and offered to undergraduate degree-seeking students who have not already obtained a bachelor's degree. The offer amount is based on your financial need as determined by the FAFSA and enrollment status. Your offer is adjusted based on the number of hours enrolled. You will receive the full amount if you are enrolled full-time (ex. 12 hours or more). You can receive the Federal Pell Grant for no more than 12 full-time terms or the equivalent (roughly 6 years). 

Learn more about eligibility

FSEOG is a grant funded by the federal government for undergraduate, degree-seeking students with the largest financial need. The amount of FSEOG funds is limited. Priority is given to students who receive Federal Pell Grants and are in good academic standing. There is no guarantee that every eligible student will be able to receive a FSEOG offer. The FSEOG does not need to be repaid.

Also called the Tennessee State Grant, the Tennessee Student Assistance Award is a need-based grant program for undergraduate students attending eligible Tennessee institutions. Recipients must be U.S. citizens, meet Tennessee residency requirements for state student aid, be enrolled in a degree-seeking program, and meet TSAC's need requirements based on the FAFSA. Awards vary based on need and enrollment status. Funds are awarded on a "first-come-first-serve" basis.

Learn more about eligibility and award information

Lipscomb University offers scholarships to undergraduate students whose parent is employed full-time (self-employed/paid minister as defined by the IRS in Publication 517 and working at least 40 hours per week) in certain ministerial positions associated with the Church of Christ. Students must maintain a 2.0 cumulative Lipscomb GPA, live on campus each semester, enroll full time (12+ hours) each semester and file a FAFSA each year.

These offers are available to children who are less than 25 years of age and are considered dependent for federal income tax purposes.  Married children are not eligible. Students must be seeking a first degree—second degree students are not eligible. These offers are subject to all GPA and probation restrictions as described in the Lipscomb Undergraduate Catalog and are available only for the customary duration of an academic program. 

The scholarships are available to children whose parents are employed in the following full-time roles:

• Church of Christ minister
• Church of Christ youth minister
• Church of Christ missionaries—must be living full time in a foreign country, working at least 40 hours per week

There are two scholarship levels: $11,000 per year (limited to 15 students; priority is given to students who have been admitted to the university and have submitted the Employment Verification Form by March 1 each year) and $5,000 per year (offered to all other students). These scholarships can be stacked with other gift aid, not to exceed the cost of full-tuition. If all gift aid exceeds full tuition, the grant will be reduced to meet the offer rule.

Your parent will need to send in their Employment Verification each year to maintain this grant.

Scholarships of $5,000 are offered to students who graduated from a NCSA Member School and are nominated by their Head of School. This grant is available to full-time freshmen, undergraduate students. This grant may be stacked with all other gift aid, not to exceed full tuition. If all gift aid exceeds full tuition, the grant will be reduced to meet the offer rule.

Children of Lipscomb employees and Heritage Scholarship recipients are not eligible. Recipients of the Trustee Scholarship, National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalist Scholarship, Lipscomb Academy Valedictorian Scholarship and athletes whose combined Lipscomb aid is full tuition and above are not eligible. The student must maintain a 2.0 cumulative Lipscomb GPA. 

To verify that you graduated from a member of the National Christian School Association, please visit the NCSA directory.

Scholarships of $1,000 are offered to students whose parent is employed full-time (40 hours per week) by a member school of the National Christian School Association (K-12). This grant is available to full-time undergraduate students who are less than 25 years old and who are considered dependent for federal income tax purposes. Married children are not eligible. Students must be seeking a first degree; second degree students are not eligible. This grant may be stacked with all other gift aid, not to exceed full tuition. If all gift aid exceeds full tuition, the grant will be reduced to meet the offering rule.

Children of Lipscomb employees are not eligible. Recipients of the Trustee Scholarship, National Merit Finalists/Semi-Finalist Scholarship, Lipscomb Academy Valedictorian Scholarship and athletes whose combined Lipscomb aid is full tuition and above are not eligible. The student must maintain a 2.0 cumulative Lipscomb GPA, live on campus each semester, enroll full time (12+ hours) each semester and file a FAFSA each year. 

Your parent will need to send in their Employment Verification for the NCSA (K-12) Scholarship each year to maintain this grant. To verify that your parent’s employer is a member of the National Christian School Association, please visit the NCSA directory.

Lipscomb University participates in the Federal TEACH Grant program. The Federal TEACH Grant is available to students who have been accepted into the College of Education at Lipscomb University. This is typically for undergraduate students at the end of their sophomore year or beginning of their junior year. 

Requirements: 

• Complete the FAFSA.
• Have a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.25 from previous semesters OR score above the 75th percentile on a standardized admissions test (ACT, SAT, GRE, MAT).
  • Qualifying based on the cumulative GPA requires the student maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA to receive the grant in multiple years.
  • Qualifying based on the standardized test does not have a minimum GPA requirement per federal rule.
• Request Federal TEACH Grant Eligibility form from the College of Education.
• Be accepted as a degree-seeking student into the College of Education.
• Be registered for at least six credit hours in a given semester.
• Complete and sign an Agreement to Serve or Repay which states that you agree to teach full-time in a high-need subject and in a Title I (high-need) school for a minimum of four years within eight years of graduation or leaving school (must be completed annually).
• Complete Federal TEACH Grant Entrance Counseling (must be completed annually).
• Complete the Lipscomb University Financial Aid Office's documentation worksheet that acknowledges the responsibilities of this grant before the grant can be issued.
• Complete Federal TEACH Grant Exit Counseling prior to graduation or leaving school and at the end of your eligibility.

It is very important to understand that if you do not teach for four years in a high-need subject and in a Title I (high-need) school, the full amount of the Federal TEACH Grant will be converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan with interest backdated to the beginning of your program of study. This loan must be repaid.

Click here for more information about the Federal TEACH Grant.

Degree programs at Lipscomb University are approved by the state-approving agency for the training of veterans and eligible persons under laws administered by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

For more information on Veteran Benefits, visit our Veteran Services page.

Through an agreement with the United States Department of Veteran Affairs, Lipscomb University will guarantee some level of graduate tuition funding, applicable to all Lipscomb University graduate programs, for graduate students who qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Depending on program tuition rates, the graduate tuition funding may or may not cover the total tuition cost of the program.

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (degree-granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition expenses.

Veterans Services page