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By Richard Locker
Memphis Commercial Appeal
NASHVILLE The entering freshman class at the University of Tennessee has the highest average ACT scores in the schools history, continuing a trend that began accelerating with the states lottery-funded scholarships in 2004.
The 4,200 freshmen arriving on the Knoxville campus this weekend have an average ACT score of 26.7, up from last years 26.4, UT announced today. The new class has an average high school core grade-point average of 3.87, compared to 3.81 last year. And 46 percent of the freshmen have average high school GPAs of 4.0 or better, compared to 41 percent last year, according to UT.
Ten years ago, the freshman class that entered UT Knoxville in the fall of 2001, had an average ACT score of 23.5 and an average high school GPA of 3.31. In 2004, when the first lottery-funded Hope Scholars arrived on the states campuses, UTKs entering freshmen had an average 24.7 ACT score and a high school GPA of 3.45.
UT administrators said the upward trend reflects the schools goal of becoming a Top 25 public research university.
The qualifications of our students are already in line with the Top 25 public research universities, Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. Serving such high-ability students fuels our determination to elevate our programs and improve our facilities to provide a world-class education for our students.
Among Tennessee students who took the ACT, our incoming freshmen are at the 92nd percentile--underscoring the fact that they are the state's best and brightest students," the chancellor said.
Richard Bayer, assistant provost and director of enrollment services, said UT is attracting a critical mass of high ability students. When high-ability students come to campus, they feel comfortable and know this is the place they ought to be.
The school has expanded honors programs, instituted learning communities in residence halls and created more opportunities for study abroad.
The impact of Tennessee s lottery-funded Hope Scholarships, now available for the eighth entering freshman class, is clear. About 99 percent of the in-state, incoming freshmen at UTK qualified for the Hope Scholarship, which provides $4,000 per year toward tuition and fees and UT says it is a factor in the significant rise in freshman qualifications over the last several years.
But that is less than half of UTKs mandatory tuition and fees of $8,396 per year for in-state undergraduates and only 22 percent of the $18,324 that UT estimates it costs to attend the Knoxville campus for a year, including tuition, fees, room and board, and books and supplies.
The amount of the Hope award has not increased in several years. Faced with rising enrollments and lottery revenue that has not kept pace, the state legislature is considering tightening eligibility for the scholarships or decreasing the amount of the award.
UT has added several new scholarship programs to try to close the gap for eligible students
Memphis Commercial Appeal
NASHVILLE The entering freshman class at the University of Tennessee has the highest average ACT scores in the schools history, continuing a trend that began accelerating with the states lottery-funded scholarships in 2004.
The 4,200 freshmen arriving on the Knoxville campus this weekend have an average ACT score of 26.7, up from last years 26.4, UT announced today. The new class has an average high school core grade-point average of 3.87, compared to 3.81 last year. And 46 percent of the freshmen have average high school GPAs of 4.0 or better, compared to 41 percent last year, according to UT.
Ten years ago, the freshman class that entered UT Knoxville in the fall of 2001, had an average ACT score of 23.5 and an average high school GPA of 3.31. In 2004, when the first lottery-funded Hope Scholars arrived on the states campuses, UTKs entering freshmen had an average 24.7 ACT score and a high school GPA of 3.45.
UT administrators said the upward trend reflects the schools goal of becoming a Top 25 public research university.
The qualifications of our students are already in line with the Top 25 public research universities, Chancellor Jimmy G. Cheek said. Serving such high-ability students fuels our determination to elevate our programs and improve our facilities to provide a world-class education for our students.
Among Tennessee students who took the ACT, our incoming freshmen are at the 92nd percentile--underscoring the fact that they are the state's best and brightest students," the chancellor said.
Richard Bayer, assistant provost and director of enrollment services, said UT is attracting a critical mass of high ability students. When high-ability students come to campus, they feel comfortable and know this is the place they ought to be.
The school has expanded honors programs, instituted learning communities in residence halls and created more opportunities for study abroad.
The impact of Tennessee s lottery-funded Hope Scholarships, now available for the eighth entering freshman class, is clear. About 99 percent of the in-state, incoming freshmen at UTK qualified for the Hope Scholarship, which provides $4,000 per year toward tuition and fees and UT says it is a factor in the significant rise in freshman qualifications over the last several years.
But that is less than half of UTKs mandatory tuition and fees of $8,396 per year for in-state undergraduates and only 22 percent of the $18,324 that UT estimates it costs to attend the Knoxville campus for a year, including tuition, fees, room and board, and books and supplies.
The amount of the Hope award has not increased in several years. Faced with rising enrollments and lottery revenue that has not kept pace, the state legislature is considering tightening eligibility for the scholarships or decreasing the amount of the award.
UT has added several new scholarship programs to try to close the gap for eligible students
