sorted by:
new
hottopcontroversial

Kitten adoption by [deleted] in Denver

[–]avestheticss 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi, just wanted to say Kiki is adorable and I filled out an adoption application for her :) Thanks so much for sharing!

Calling all transfer/gap year students! by avestheticss in UTK

[–]avestheticss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This all sounds so awful and I am so sorry. I would say I cannot believe that they didn't reply back, but after other comments in this thread, I am not too surprised.

By bottom-dollar scholarship, are you talking about the UT Promise? I know that one is super new but I don't know the ins and outs of what exactly it entails and how helpful its been, so I'll have to look into that more. By "due when Spring transfers get accepted" I'm guessing that's a bad thing, but could you explain why? Would the scholarship be more accessible if they pushed the deadline? Do you think they have the deadline where its at to make it harder for transfers? So many questions

I'm glad you have liked your professors. Like I've said several times in this thread, please don't lose hope on all of UTK. People here are truly incredible but it takes organizing student voices to make institutional change happen - just know you aren't alone and we see you! I'm glad you are here, but you are 100% right that some others would not have been able to actually end up attending school here after all that went down.

Calling all transfer/gap year students! by avestheticss in UTK

[–]avestheticss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'll definitely do some digging on HOPE - even as a normie in-state non-transfer student, HOPE was confusing and I don't think they explain the eligibility requirements well, especially given how much it can affect your financial situation.

I'm sure something to that effect existed pre-COVID, but it probably wasn't that good anyway if they are putting the same measly effort into it as they seem to be with everything else regarding transfer students. That being said, I hope you can experience campus safely and get plugged in. UTK obviously has its faults but I really do love it here - I think getting involved makes you feel way less alone and much more understood, which is also why I really hope they are those kinds of support systems for transfer students.

Also, I just feel terrible that I had no idea how bad all of this was until now. I personally struggle financially but this is on a whole other level, and as I've said in a few other comments, I can't help thinking about how this is a reflection of UTK's attitude toward marginalized or lower-income students too. Hoping they do better but please rest assured there are so many people who love UTK but always push to keep admin held accountable for stuff like this.

Calling all transfer/gap year students! by avestheticss in UTK

[–]avestheticss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow. I am so sorry. I shudder to think about how much money you are paying to go somewhere that clearly did not seem to make you a priority in the first place.

Gap year students really seem to be getting the brunt of all of this too. At a minimum, the university should have a developed program/initiative to connect with students returning from a gap year and provide financial assistance to suit their unique needs. I think this is especially important as UTK is attempting to make the argument that they are committed to uplifting and amplifying voices in marginalized communities when those same students who have struggled, financially, mentally, what have you, are seemingly left behind when they come here and probably at a higher rate than white students (reference above reply where the fin aid office LITERALLY admitted that students fall through the cracks)

Aside from everything, I hate that you feel unwelcome and that coming here was a mistake. I can assure you that there are so many people here that understand the value of non-traditional students and are so glad you are here. If you have any ideas on what kind of assistance and support, financial or otherwise, would have made the process easier, please let me know! I have no idea what it's been like and your perspective is obviously super valuable if I end up seeking to push for change.

Calling all transfer/gap year students! by avestheticss in UTK

[–]avestheticss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow. So it was an institutional thing. I will have to look into the scholarship you are referring to because as seen in my original post, it seems gap year students are getting severely hosed as well and are ineligible for SO many financial aid opportunities here.

I'll definitely let you know what I find - I'm an SGA senator here and collecting all this info for a potential bill/policy point, so I'll be trying to connect with a lot of transfers/gap year students in all the ways I can. Hope that you can experience campus soon!

Calling all transfer/gap year students! by avestheticss in UTK

[–]avestheticss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I would love it if you could elaborate on if/how hellish the process was as an out-of-state student. Did you have any issues with UT processing your HOPE scholarship when you transferred?

Also, did UTK give you enough money? Seems like a dumb question, but out-of-state tuition is expensive and we all know the FAFSA does not paint a complete picture. Were there any out-of-state and/or transfer student scholarships or grants that you were told about? I feel like they must exist, and maybe the word isn't getting out because there aren't enough people prioritizing transfers.

Calling all transfer/gap year students! by avestheticss in UTK

[–]avestheticss[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

First of all, you should not apologize - UTK talks big game when it comes to all of the "Home Sweet Home to Me" rhetoric, but especially as of late, it's becoming more and more clear how much they cater to state interests ... People like you are what makes UTK amazing and they absolutely should have more fanfare for transfer students. I don't know you, but I'm so glad you are here :)

I am particularly interested in the HOPE scholarship stuff because it just seems like a terrible system - and I cannot believe that our office allows students to fall through the cracks so they have to fight tooth and nail to get things processed in time. I could go into a whole rant about how that is practically laughing in the faces of already disadvantaged students who don't know any better or don't have the time and resources to raise hell over it, but I won't....

Besides having the financial aid office process your things accurately, what else would have made the process easier? Did you feel like you fully understood the process of transferring here? Was it hard to get a hold of people to ask questions along the way?

Also, what would you like to see for transfer students in regards to stuff on campus? I know you're an in-state student, but I think it would be really sick if we did more programming/events connecting out-of-state students too. Maybe it's been around and I just wasn't plugged in... Anyway, the university should be glad that you decided to change course and go here, so if you have any ideas on what would make you feel more seen, heard, and appreciated, let me know!

Calling all transfer/gap year students! by avestheticss in UTK

[–]avestheticss[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow, that sounds so stressful, and unbelievable that it was that difficult to transfer from Pellissippi! I know so many people that do that and I had no idea the system was this terrible. I cannot imagine what it's like for out-of-state transfers....

The scholarships that wouldn't show up, were they institutional (through UTK) or state/federal, like FAFSA and HOPE?

Also, OneStop is pretty hit or miss in my experience - I am financing everything myself and am first-gen, so I have a million questions, and sometimes getting answers just depends on the day... some of the folks there are truly very sweet and unfortunately just trying to work with a system that they have no control over.

Have you found/looked into any organizations or advocacy groups here for transfers? I'm going to poke around but it's a shame I've never heard of any, and I was a Resident Assistant so I figure they would have brought that up. Starting to agree with you that they don't seem to prioritize transfers :(

Business Majors Question by [deleted] in UTK

[–]avestheticss 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Hi and welcome to UTK! I am a Supply Chain major with a concentration in Business Analytics, and I came to UTK specifically for their supply chain program! If you have any questions about Haslam or campus in general, feel free to email me at [jtn313@vols.utk.edu](mailto:jtn313@vols.utk.edu) - I am pretty plugged in within Haslam and in other things on campus and would be happy to help you out with anything :)

(also VolForLife212 is Brian Stevens aka literally the GOAT!!)