Blount County College Fair, Financial Aid Night set for Sept. 26 at MC

Aug. 2, 2019 

On Thurs., Sept. 26, 2019, Maryville College will host two events designed to assist students and their families with two of the most important pieces of the college search process: finding the right college and learning how to pay for it through the use of financial aid.

The Blount County College Fair will be held from 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the Clayton Center for the Arts’ William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer on the Maryville College campus. Representatives from more than 50 colleges, universities, technical schools and art schools are expected to attend the fair, which is coordinated and sponsored by Maryville College as a service to area students and their families.

Following the fair, all are invited to attend Financial Aid Night from 7 p.m. until 8 p.m. in the Clayton Center’s Ronald and Lynda Nutt Theatre. Although presented by Maryville College’s financial aid staff, the session covers general information that will help prospective students and families, regardless of the type of college they are considering.

Both events are free and open to the public. No registration is required, but college fair attendees are encouraged to create an online registration account and print out their individual barcode to save time and allow for more in-depth conversations with college representatives.

 “While we encourage every student in Blount County and the surrounding area to stop by the Maryville College tables at the fair, we also realize that students have a myriad of interests and needs as they pursue educational opportunities beyond high school,” said Alayne Bowman, Maryville College’s vice president for admissions and financial aid. “We believe it is important for students and their families to be as informed as possible as they navigate through the college search process, and this is what the Blount County College Fair is all about – helping people make informed decisions.”

Representatives from the following institutions are expected to be in attendance at the Blount County College Fair:

Austin Peay State University, Bryan College, Carson-Newman University, Cumberland University – Admissions, Douglas J Aveda Institute – Knoxville, East Tennessee State University, Emory & Henry College, Johnson & Wales University, Johnson University, King University, Lee University, Lincoln Memorial University, Lipscomb University, Maryville College & representatives from all MC academic divisions, Middle Tennessee State University, Military Science – Tennessee Tech University, Milligan College, Nossi College of Art, Nova Southeastern University, Pellissippi State Community College, Roane State, Samford University, South College, South College, Stowers Machinery, Tennessee College of Applied Technology – Harriman Campus, Tennessee School of Beauty, Tennessee State University, Tennessee Tech College of Education, Tennessee Tech University, Tennessee Wesleyan University, The University of Alabama, The University of Alabama – Huntsville, The University of the South, Tickle College of Engineering – University of Tennessee, Trevecca Nazarene University, Tusculum University, U.S. Air Force, Union University, United States Air Force Academy, University of Memphis, University of Tennessee Army ROTC, University of Tennessee – Chattanooga, University of Tennessee – Knoxville, Walters State Community College, Warren Wilson College and Western Carolina University.

For more information about the Blount County College Fair, please call the Office of Admissions at 865.981.8092. 

Financial Aid Night to focus on financial aid process

During Financial Aid Night, families and students will learn what they need to do to apply for all types of financial aid, including completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is required to qualify for most student aid programs such as the Tennessee State Grant, Federal Pell Grant, institutional awards and low-cost federal student and parent loans. Terminologies, student eligibility, timelines and information on grants and loans will be explained. From institutional aid to state and federal aid programs, this financial aid primer will help decipher the terms, raise the issues, review best approaches and answer financial aid questions.

Participants also will be briefed on the Tennessee Educational Lottery Scholarship Program, as well as the importance of searching out free money awards like scholarships to help pay for education costs.

“Financial Aid Night is a great opportunity for families to acquire the basic knowledge and skills needed to navigate the financial aid process,” Bowman said. “Sometimes this task can be daunting, and just knowing and understanding the terms, deadlines and types of aid can help assure families that their student is receiving the most financial aid that is available.”

For more information, please call the College’s Office of Financial Aid at 865.981.8100.

Maryville College is a nationally-ranked institution of higher learning and one of America’s oldest colleges. For more than 200 years we’ve educated students to be giving citizens and gifted leaders, to study everything, so that they are prepared for anything — to address any problem, engage with any audience and launch successful careers right away. Located in Maryville, Tennessee, between the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the city of Knoxville, Maryville College offers nearly 1,200  students from around the world both the beauty of a rural setting and the advantages of an urban center, as well as more than 60 majors, seven pre-professional programs and career preparation from their first day on campus to their last. Today, our 10,000 alumni are living life strong of mind and brave of heart and are prepared, in the words of our Presbyterian founder, to “do good on the largest possible scale.”