Where to go and how to pay for it: Blount County College Fair & Financial Aid Night set for Sept. 24 at Maryville College
Sept. 10, 2025
College planning is often a complex and time-consuming process, but the Maryville College Admissions team aims to make it easier for East Tennessee high school students and their parents with the Blount County College Fair and Financial Aid Night.
The annual event, scheduled for 5:30 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 24, in the William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer of the Clayton Center for the Arts on the MC campus, will bring together more than 50 higher education institutions, from large D1 universities across the Southeast to smaller liberal arts colleges similar to MC to trade schools like the Tennessee School of Beauty. The idea, said Assistant Director of Admissions and Visitor Experience Catherine Hill, is to give prospective students and their parents an opportunity to get to know as many institutions at one time as possible.
“Each of these schools will have a representative on hand to tell fair-goers more about their respective programs and opportunities,” Hill said. “High school students who are in the middle of the college application process need to know more about a particular school before they apply, and the Blount County College Fair is a great opportunity for them to explore as many of them as they can, all in one evening. It’s not always easy to schedule tours that involve traveling to some of these schools, so bringing them to Maryville College is an option that allows parents and the students themselves to either save themselves a trip or make certain that a future trip is worthwhile.”
Maryville College, of course, will also be represented at the fair, Hill said, and enrollment counselors look forward to assisting potential Scots with finding a home in one of the College’s nine academic divisions.
“The whole goal of the Blount County College Fair is to give those individuals and their parents an idea of what’s expected of them academically at these schools, but also what their lives might look like should they apply and be accepted,” Hill said. “At Maryville College, we’re confident that our broad and varied programs of study and our active and involved student organizations will help any potential student see themselves as a Maryville College Scot. More importantly, however, we want to help students in East Tennessee find the school that’s right for them.
We want every student in the surrounding area to stop by and visit the various Maryville College tables at the fair, but we recognize that there may be interest in programs of study and other opportunities that we don’t offer. At the end of the day, we believe it’s vitally important for students and their families to learn as much as possible about all of their options as they search for the right school, and that’s what the Blount County College Fair is all about — helping people make informed decisions.”
Besides Maryville College and each of its nine academic divisions, the following institutions will be represented: Austin Peay State University, Belmont University, Bethel University, Carson-Newman University, Centre College, Cumberland University, the Douglas J. Aveda Institute, East Tennessee State University, Eastern Kentucky University, Emory & Henry University, Florida Southern College, Hampden-Sydney College, Johnson University, King University, Lees-McRae College, Lee University, Lenoir-Rhyne University, Lincoln Memorial University/the LMU Office of Undergraduate Admissions, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, Milligan University, Mississippi State University, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Nossi College of Art & Design, Pellissippi State Community College, Randolph College, Samford University, South College, Tennessee Higher Education Commission — Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, Tennessee School of Beauty, Tennessee Tech University/Tennessee Tech University-College of Engineering, Tennessee Wesleyan University, Transylvania University, Trevecca Nazarene University, Tusculum University, The University of Alabama, University of Alabama at Huntsville, University of Alabama at Birmingham, University of the Cumberlands, University of Memphis, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, University of Tennessee Knoxville, UTK Retail, Hospitality and Tourism Management, UTK Herbert College of Agriculture, UTK Tickle College of Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Virginia Tech, Warren Wilson College, Western Carolina University and more.
The Blount County College Fair will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. No registration is necessary; interested students and family members are free to drop in at their leisure, Hill said.
Financial Aid Night sessions
In addition, parents and families are invited to attend Financial Aid Night sessions that will take place concurrently with the fair from 5 to 6 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m., also in the Clayton Center for the Arts. Although presented by Maryville College’s financial aid staff, the session cover general information that will help prospective students and families, regardless of the type of college they are considering.
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.
“Navigating college financial aid opportunities can be intimidating, which is where Financial Aid Night comes in,” Hill said. “Knowing and understanding the terms, deadlines and types of aid can reassure families that not only is the process manageable, but it can be done in a way that ensures each student receives the most financial aid that’s available.”
For more information about the Blount County College Fair and Financial Aid Night, call the Office of Admissions at 865-981-8092 or email Hill at catherine.hill@maryvillecollege.edu.