Scholarship Program Through REDI College Access

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Scholarship Program Through REDI College Access

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It is the intent of the REDI College Access Program is to change the educational culture of the region. The leadership of the REDI region understands the linkages between education, workforce and economic development.

The College Access Program, the cornerstone of the REDI initiative, consists of two phases.

Phase I is to work with each of the 11 REDI communities to develop a mentoring program. These mentors will be tasked with working with the participating students on the following:

importance of post-secondary education
advisement on career paths
assistance to the student and family with college applications and any financial aid forms

Phase II of the REDI College Access Program, is to work with your local community to help provide the “Last Dollar” in scholarships to any student that desires to attend a community college or technology center for two years. The College Access Program is designed after the Ayers Foundation program which is one of the most resourced and successful college access programs in the country.

Each of the counties in the REDI region determine to whom their program will be catered. Some may choose to focus on the traditional student, some non-traditional. They may choose to require a GPA or ACT score, some may not.

The College Access Program is designed after the Ayers Foundation program which is one of the most resourced and successful college access programs in the country. Each of the counties in the REDI region determine to whom their program will be catered. Some may choose to focus on the traditional student, some non-traditional. They may choose to require a GPA or ACT score, some may not.

The benefit of this program is a more educated population and workforce that will help to make this region of West Tennessee grow and become more prosperous.

As stated from County Executive Jeff Huffman of Tipton County: "My promise to the kids of Tipton County would be, if you graduate from high school and you are accepted into community college or technical college, we'll pay your tuition and fees".

The Tipton County Scholarship Program is designed to:

Encourage eligible high school graduates to attend college
Enable students to prepare for obtaining good, well-paying jobs within the region
Provide an educated and well-qualified workforce

Tipton County will be awarding scholarships to graduating high school seniors who participated in the R.E.D.I. College Access Program. Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, fees, books, room and board, or other educational expenses.

Scholarship Eligibility

Graduating high school seniors of Brighton, Covington, and Munford High Schools are eligible to apply. Active participation in The Regional Economic Development Initiative's College Access Program (REDI) is required.

Eligible Postsecondary Institutions

The Tipton County Scholarship can be applied to any of the following institutions:

University of Memphis

Middle Tennessee State University
Austin Peay State University
University of Tennessee at Martin
Dyersburg State Community College
Southwest Tennessee Community College
Jackson State Community College
Tennessee Tech
Tennessee State

Award Amounts

Annual award amounts are $600.00. ($300.00 per semester). Any dollars awarded will be sent directly to the attending post-secondary institution once enrollment is verified by REDI.

Maintaining the Scholarship

The Tipton County Scholarship Program is a renewable award for up to two years or four semesters. Students must be in good academic and financial standing with their post secondary institution.

Students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits per semester) pursuing a postsecondary degree from one of the eligible postsecondary institutions listed above. Students must maintain a cumulative 2.0 G.P.A. as a condition of continuing the scholarship on a yearly basis.

Students are required to continue their participation in REDI by meeting with a College Access Mentor or Program Coordinator once a semester while enrolled and perform eight (8) hours of community service per academic year. Scholarships can be renewed for a maximum of two years.

Next Steps

Step 1 Complete and submit application via mail
Step 2 Submit required documents

Transcript: A copy of your most recent transcript that reflects the most recent academic period from your respective college/university or high school
Acceptance Letter and Financial Aid Award Letter from the postsecondary institution the student will be attending
Proof of Expected Family Contribution: A copy of the first page of your StudentAid Report (SAR) (may be obtained via website at www.fafsa.ed.gov
Community Service Verification Form

You may submit the scholarship application and supporting documentation through standard mail or by fax to the following:

Via Mail: Southwest Tennessee Development District
C/o Cedric Deadmon
REDI College Access Program Coordinator
102 East College Street
Jackson, Tn. 38301

Via Fax: (731) 668-6421
Attention: Cedric Deadmon/Tipton County Scholarship Program

For questions or inquiries please contact Cedric Deadmon via e-mail or by phone at: cdeadmon@swtdd.org or (731) 668-6448.