The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Scholarships Newsletter
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The saying goes, "New year, new me," and here at CFMT, we've embraced that spirit by making an important change to our scholarship renewal process. As we reflected on the past year, we realized there was something we weren’t proud of:
Each year, only 29% of our scholarship recipients were renewing their awards.
This number felt far too low. After surveying our recipients and consulting with other scholarship providers, we identified a key issue—the renewal process itself. Previously, students were required to complete the entire application process again every year, a burdensome task for college students juggling academics, work, extracurriculars, and family commitments.
So, we made a change.
Now, renewing a scholarship is simple and straightforward. Recipients only need to provide:
• Their identifying information
• Their college information
• An unofficial transcript (uploaded directly from their student portal)
• A short, updated essay
That’s it. The process should take just 15-20 minutes to complete. While this may not seem revolutionary, we believe it will significantly improve renewal rates and reinforce recipient trust in CFMT as a true partner in their educational journey.
During our research, we had the privilege of speaking with past and current scholarship recipients who have successfully renewed their awards throughout their college years. Their stories were a powerful reminder of why this work matters and why simplifying our process is so important.
As we head into the new year, we want to share snippets of these inspiring interviews with you. We hope they serve as a testament to the impact of this program and encourage you to spread the word about our upcoming scholarship application deadline on February 1st.
Thank you for being part of this journey with us. As always, we are here to support you and your students in achieving their educational dreams.
Kelly Pietkiewicz
Scholarships Senior Manager
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| Xiyan Zhu
Columbia University, Martin Luther King Academic Magnet School Graduate, recipient of the Woman's Club of Nashville Scholarship
"Reflecting on my time in college, receiving a scholarship truly transformed the way I approached everything. Instead of worrying about my student contribution toward tuition, I was able to focus more on my career aspirations and other opportunities. I joined a malaria lab during the summer of my freshman year because, at the time, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to pursue electrical engineering or biomedical engineering. Without the scholarships, I wouldn’t have been able to explore my interests so freely. I ended up staying in the lab for two years, gaining experience in data processing, paper writing, and cell culture. I don’t think I would have had the confidence to explore lab work without my scholarship."
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| Caroline Powell
University of Tennessee, Brentwood Academy Graduate, recipient of the Brian Ralls Memorial Scholarship
"My scholarship played into two factors in my college experience. First, I feel that I really had to learn discipline so that I could stay on top of my grades and performance. I wanted to keep my scholarship, continue the work that I was doing, and do it well. I was honored to have been chosen and wanted to continue to work hard to honor the Ralls family and their generosity. Secondly, the scholarship was such an opportunity to help my family with paying for school and offered such a sense of relief that I was able to contribute if I continued to work hard!"
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| Andrew Brown
Middle Tennessee State University, Tullahoma High School Graduate, recipient of The Donald and Frances McDonald Endowed Scholarship Fund & Walter Reece Montgomery Scholarship Fund
"These experiences and skills I have gained in college have been invaluable, and they will help me become a successful commercial airline pilot. I want to continue to give back. Aviation is strong in my hometown, but many people do not have the resources to begin flight training, so I want to provide opportunities to help people interested in aviation pursue their aspirations. Other goals include continuing to give back to my community outside of aviation. I want to support programs for youth development like Scouting and Civil Air Patrol."
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| Jil Patel
University of Pittsburgh, Martin Luther King Academic Magnet School Graduate, recipient of the Woman's Club of Nashville Scholarship
"The skills and experiences that I have built with the help of this scholarship will definitely help in writing my personal statement for my medical school application and will also help me during my gap year. In my gap year, I will be working as a medical assistant and a research coordinator, both of which I wouldn’t have landed without the help of this scholarship."
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| Charles Good
Tennessee State University, Hillsboro High School Graduate, recipient of the Teddy Wilburn Scholarship
"Yes, there is a significant peace of mind that comes with knowing a portion of tuition is covered. It removes financial stress, allowing me to focus more on school and personal development rather than worrying about how to pay for school."
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The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee Scholarship application is now open. With just one application, students of all backgrounds, goals, and interests can unlock over 170 scholarship opportunities. Whether they're from a specific school or community, pursuing a unique field of study, or needing financial support, there's a scholarship for every student. The application is now open until February 1, 2025.
Application Media Kit
To help you spread the word to your students and families, we have included a media kit linked below. Please check it out and feel free to share out on socials with the hashtag: #CFMTScholarships
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As a part of each newsletter, we will feature a scholarship fund that is part of the General Scholarship Application through the CFMT. This way you can
learn more about the 170 scholarship opportunities students are being considered for when they apply.
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The Marjorie and Herman Collier STEM Scholarship |
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Est. 2024
This renewable scholarship is for a graduating senior from Tullahoma High School who plans to attend an accredited college or university. The student must be pursuing a STEM degree, demonstrating financial need, and showing involvement in their community.
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