— NOW IN OUR 20TH YEAR

The TN Nursery Scholarship

TN Nursery awards $500–$1,000 scholarships to students pursuing higher education and working toward their future goals. For over a decade, we have proudly supported students across the country and personally review every application we receive. Our mission is simple: help deserving students access the opportunities they need to succeed.

AWARD

$500 -$1,000

AWARDS PER YEAR

≶ 25

DEADLINE

Dec 30

ANNOUNCED

Dec 31

Apply Now

est. 1959

20

YEARS OF GIVING

01 WHY WE DO THIS

The TN Nursery Scholarship exists because someone once believed in me before I could afford to believe in myself.

When I was pursuing my education in horticulture, I faced challenges that many students still experience today. I couldn't afford a computer for online classes, let alone tuition or the textbooks I needed to study. Then, someone changed my life. They brought me my very first computer and simply told me, "Pay me for it when you make money with it." That happened to be my nephew who was taking IT classes in high school.

That act of kindness happened 35 years ago, and I never forgot it.

I made a promise to myself that if TN Nursery ever became successful, I would pay that generosity forward. That promise became the TN Nursery Scholarship.

For more than a decade, we've proudly awarded scholarships to students working toward their dreams. I believed in helping people simply because they needed it—whether that meant assistance with bills, food, school supplies, or textbooks.

We continue this scholarship because many students still struggle to afford the basic tools required for an education. Opportunity shouldn't be limited by financial hardship. Sometimes, all it takes is one person willing to step up and make a difference.

That's what someone did for me, and that's what we hope to do for others.

Tammy Sons

FOUNDER and CEO. TN NURSERY

02 WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

We don't read transcripts.

We read your story.

In the first two paragraphs of an essay, we can see the need. We're looking for students who are passionate about this work and need the money to keep going.

i

Working through school

Holding down two jobs to put yourself through. We see you. We've been there.

ii

First-generation students

No family financial backing. You're the first in your family to do this.

iii

Passionate about plants

You'd be doing this work whether anybody paid for your books or not.

iv

People who don't fit

If folks in your life don't understand why you'd want to spend your life in the dirt, we do.

03 HOW TO APPLY

Scholarships

The application is short for a purpose. We never require fees, just the following information is needed to apply:

✦ Current college or university student (undergraduate or graduate)

✦ Letter of Referral from Teacher or Professor

✦ At least 17 years of age

✦ Legal US resident

The Application

Takes most students less than an hour.

i

Write a 500–800 word essay

Tell us why you're pursuing a degree in this field, and how you plan to use what you learn. Write it like you're talking to a friend. most of all, be genuine and real.

ii

Email it to us

Email your essay with your letter of recommendation to scholarship@tnnursery.net with the subject line "TN Nursery Scholarship Application."

iii

That's it

Tammy reads every application personally in October and November. Winners announced December 31, awards distributed mid-January.

NEXT DEADLINE: DECEMBER 30, 2026

Submit Your Application

04 PAST WINNERS

Helping with Scholarships

Over a Decade of real stories.

Kaylee Ardoin

Louisiana State University

Horticulture. Working weekends at a local garden center to pay her way through school while maintaining a full course load.

Kyle Kingma

Michigan State University

Sustainable agriculture. First in his family to attend college. Grew up helping on his uncle's farm and wants to bring regenerative practices back to his community.

Hannah Skousen

Tennessee State University

Plant pathology. Working two jobs while supporting younger siblings and finishing her degree.

Taylor Hall

Clemson University

Environmental science. Saving for a used car so she can keep commuting to her summer field internship at a native plant restoration site.

05 ABOUT TN NURSERY

A Tennessee family nursery, since 1959.

TN Nursery is a family-owned nursery in Altamont, Tennessee. Three generations. We grow native plants, trees, shrubs, perennials, and ferns across 3,000 acres of Middle Tennessee farmland.

We've shipped plants to Arlington National Cemetery, the White House, the Washington Monument, and the 9/11 memorial sites. But the work we're proudest of doesn't have a famous address. This scholarship is one piece of that work.

Apply by December 30th annually. Awarded Jan 15th

We read every essay. The students we award are the kind of people who'd be doing this work whether anybody paid for their books or not. If that's you, we want to hear from you.