If you have further questions that you do not see on this page, please e-mail the Coordinator of the Great Smokies Experience at andrew.gunnoe@maryvillecollege.edu.

Total cost for Great Smokies Experience 2024 is $1,799 which includes all tuition, fees, room and board, and transportation to and from the Park, as well as to and from all field trips. This fee is well under that of many non-residential 3-hour college courses, and is significantly less than comparable residential, college-credit-bearing programs designed specifically for high school students. We make every effort to keep our tuition affordable for this groundbreaking program.

To reduce costs even further, many Tennessee residents may be eligible for a dual enrollment application from the State of Tennessee for up to $500 off GSE. The deadline for this grant is typically in mid-May for summer classes, but make sure you apply for the correct time period of Summer 2024.

Tennessee residents may be eligible for up to $500 toward the cost of this program through a state Dual Enrollment grant. If you apply to this fund, please make sure you’ve applied for the correct time period of Summer 2024.

Other states may also offer dual enrollment assistance so check with your high school or your state’s board of education.

Other than these funds, there are no scholarships directly associated with the Great Smokies Experience at present. However, there may be many ways to raise funds for tuition. Places of worship, fraternal organizations (such as Rotary or Lion’s Clubs), and family members may be able to help defray the costs of this program. There are also many websites that can help you with fundraising (such as Gofundme), that you can link to through social media.

Environmental Studies and Sustainability Studies programs explore environmental questions from many different disciplines and perspectives. Ecology, the study of the interrelationships between organisms and their surroundings, is of course a large part of these fields. In addition, these programs include analysis of environmental public policy, questions of sustainable design, ecological history, sociology, social psychology, and multiple other fields. We believe that Maryville College with its rich tradition of high-caliber interdisciplinary education is an ideal place to study the environment from this kind of holistic perspective.  Check out Maryville College’s Sustainability initiatives, as well as our majors in Environmental Studies, and in Environmental Science for more information.

This program requires students to engage in the following kinds of physical activities: hiking at a moderate pace up to eleven miles through rugged, wet and/or steep terrain; canoeing or kayaking; and camping in tents. We will work up to these distances and will not push anyone past their limits, but students should be in good physical shape before starting the program.

Our secure, online application for the 2024 Great Smokies Experience may be found here. Earlier applicants are likely to receive preferential treatment in the application process. There is no fee to submit an application.

We will make every effort to get back to applicants via email within ten days. If for some reason we have not contacted you after that time, there may have been a technical difficulty. Please email us at gse@maryvillecollege.edu and we will respond you as soon as possible.

Students traveling by air should fly into Knoxville’s primary airport: McGhee Tyson Airport (airport code: TYS), only ten minutes away from the campus of Maryville College. We will request flight information at least two weeks before the program begins. Students should try to arrive in the morning or, if necessary, mid-afternoon of the first day of the program.

The deadline for the Great Smokies Experience is May 15. Priority consideration will be given as applications are received. This means that if the program roster is filled to capacity before we reach the deadline, we may have to close the application early and/or create a waiting list.

Almost always. The final answer to this question depends on a given institution’s credit transfer policies. Maryville College is a four-year, accredited college with a reputation for high-quality classes, and this ENV/SUS 101 course from the Great Smokies Experience is no exception. We will be happy to provide you with a copy of a course description, a syllabus or any other documentation you need. Best of all, students planning to attend Maryville College will automatically receive credit for this class!

Participants in the Great Smokies Experience are accompanied at all times by advanced, hand-picked college students or recent graduates who work in the Mountain Challenge program–an organization with a reputation for safe, outdoor recreational experiences. These staffers are certified for safety; they have typically passed a nationally recognized wilderness first responder (WFR) program–and are in constant contact with older adult leaders of the program. While on Maryville College’s campus, they have 24-hour access to campus security and residence hall staff. When they move to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, students will work with Tremont’s staff, also certified in safe, outdoor experiences.

We are committed to providing a deep, comprehensive experience for each student and this kind of education works best in small numbers and with a very low student-to-instructor ratio. As a result, the program has not exceeded thirteen participants since its inception in 2013. This fact also means that students will have among the best student-to-faculty ratios in all of higher education, since they will be in frequent contact with at least two college professors, scores of other professional educators, and a pair of current college student staffers who also assist with the academic portions of the program.

Students stay in dormitories for the entire trip. For the first four days they live in the residence halls on Maryville College’s campus, and then spend a week in the Great Smoky Mountains Institute at Tremont’s facilities. There is a small chance that students may spend one or two nights in semi-permanent tents during their time at Tremont. Water and electricity are readily accessible in all locations

Yes! Check out Maryville College’s Sustainability initiatives, as well as our majors in Environmental Studies, and our programs in Environmental Science.

Students who apply to the Great Smokies Experience, are accepted, and who register for the program may cancel their registration for a full refund minus a $300.00 processing fee before the application deadline.