Schools across the region to join MC for Blount County College Fair

Sept. 8, 2023

When it comes to higher education, the Maryville College Admissions team believes that while MC is the best choice, it’s not the only choice for area students considering their future plans.

As a result, MC will open its doors on Wednesday, Sept. 27, to almost 50 colleges, universities, technical schools and art schools for the annual Blount County College Fair and Financial Aid Night, scheduled for 5:30 to 8 p.m. in the William Baxter Lee III Grand Foyer of the Clayton Center for the Arts.

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 financial aid), the fair is open to area high school students and their families, even those who live and go to school outside Blount County.

“Helping high school students find the right fit for them is a way of giving back to the community we’re a part of,” said Kelly Massenzo, MC director of undergraduate admissions and events. “While we work hard to compete with all schools big and small for those looking for a higher education that can prepare them for anything, we understand that a rising tide lifts all boats. College enrollment, with us or our peers who will join us for the fair, is vital to producing future leaders, thinkers, healers and builders who will, in the words of our founder, do good on the largest possible scale.

“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. 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.”

In addition to Maryville College and each of its nine academic divisions, the following institutions will be represented: Austin Peay State University, Carson-Newman University, Cumberland University, East Tennessee State University, Emory & Henry College, Gardner-Webb University, King University, Lee University, Lincoln Memorial University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, Middle Tennessee State University, Milligan University, Mississippi State University, Missouri University of Science & Technology, Nossi College of Art & Design, Oglethorpe University, Pellissippi State Community College, Randolph College, Rhodes College, Roanoke College, South College, Tennessee Tech University, Tennessee Wesleyan University, The University of Alabama, The University of Alabama in Huntsville, The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, The University of Tennessee Haslam College of Business, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, The University of Tennessee Southern, Trevecca Nazarene University, Tusculum University, Union University, University of Kentucky, University of Mississippi (Ole Miss), University of South Carolina, Vanderbilt University, Virginia Tech, Warren Wilson College and more.

The Blount County College Fair will take place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Registration is requested and can be completed at https://maryville.link/bccf.

Financial Aid Night to follow

Following the fair, parents and families are invited to attend Financial Aid Night from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Lambert Recital Hall of the Clayton Center for the Arts. 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.

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,” Massenzo 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, please call the Office of Admissions at 865-981-8092. 

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.”