Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant
Offered by Tennessee Higher Education Commission / Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) · Free to apply
The Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant is a Tennessee lottery grant for students in certificate or diploma programs at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), the state's technical colleges for trades such as welding, nursing aide, automotive and industrial maintenance. It pays $2,000 per academic year toward the program of study. There is no GPA, test score or income requirement: the student needs admission to a TCAT program, continuous enrollment and satisfactory progress. The application is the FAFSA, which must be received by November 1 for the fall trimester, March 1 for the winter or spring trimester, and June 30 for summer. A distinctive feature is the bridge to a degree: a recipient who completes a TCAT diploma of at least 900 clock hours may become eligible for the HOPE Scholarship by enrolling at a two-year or four-year college within three years. It pairs with Tennessee Promise and the Tennessee Student Assistance Award for TCAT students.
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How hard is the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant to win?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award.
- Odds
- not published by the provider
- Paperwork
- ~1 hr to file
What drives the odds here
Odds on a scholarship are mostly a question of how many students can enter. Each rule below changes the size of that field.
- Fewer rivalsOpen only to Tennessee residents
- Fewer rivalsRestricted to specific intended majors
- Fewer rivalsOpen to a single grade level only
How Solyo estimates this: We model the applicant field from how narrow the eligibility rules are, then divide the awards available by that field. Requirements such as essays and recommendation letters improve a serious applicant’s odds, because most browsers never complete them. These are estimates derived from each award's published structure, not reported acceptance rates, which almost no scholarship provider discloses. Treat them as a way to rank where the hours go, not as a guarantee.
Who can apply for the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant?
These are the eligibility rules Solyo verified against the official award page, translated into plain English. Your student must meet each one.
- Must be a resident of Tennessee
- Must attend a college in Tennessee (the award does not travel out of state)
- Open to high school seniors
- Planning to study Skilled Trades
- Only at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT), in a certificate or diploma program
Personalized matching
Does your student actually qualify?
Not sure your student clears every rule above? Solyo checks 20+ criteria against their real profile: GPA, state, grade level, intended major, and more, across every award in this directory at once.
What the application takes
No essay, recommendation letters, or transcript are required. This is one of the lighter applications in the directory.
Deadline and application cycle
The current deadline is November 1, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around November 1 each year. Applications open October 1 (FAFSA opens). File the FAFSA before the first TCAT trimester; the cutoff depends on which trimester the student starts.
- FAFSA due for winter/spring trimester
- March 1, 2027
- FAFSA due for summer trimester
- June 30, 2027
- 2027-28 FAFSA opens
- October 1, 2027
- FAFSA due for fall trimester
- November 1, 2027
Free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge a fee. We use your student's information only to build their plan.
Common questions about the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant
How much is the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant worth?
The Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant awards $2,000 per academic year at a TCAT and is renewable in later years.
When is the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant deadline?
The current deadline is November 1, 2027. This award runs on an annual cycle, with deadlines around November 1 each year. Applications open October 1 (FAFSA opens). File the FAFSA before the first TCAT trimester; the cutoff depends on which trimester the student starts.
When do Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant applications open?
Applications open October 1 (FAFSA opens), and close November 1, 2027. File the FAFSA before the first TCAT trimester; the cutoff depends on which trimester the student starts.
Who is eligible for the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant?
Key requirements: Must be a resident of Tennessee; Must attend a college in Tennessee (the award does not travel out of state); Open to high school seniors; Planning to study Skilled Trades.
Does the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant require an essay?
No essay is required. The application is light on requirements. Expect to spend about 1 hour on it.
How hard is it to win the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant?
A large applicant pool chases this award. Apply if the student is a genuinely strong fit, but build the plan around better-odds awards first. The provider does not publish applicant or winner counts, so Solyo shows no odds figure for this award. What is known: open only to Tennessee residents and restricted to specific intended majors. Plan on about 1 hr of work.
Is the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant free to apply?
Yes. The Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant is free to apply. Legitimate scholarships never charge an application fee, and Solyo verifies every listed award against its official page.
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Lists this award appears on
Award details are curated by Solyo and verified against the official scholarship page. Deadlines and requirements can change between cycles, so always confirm on the provider's site before applying.