Tennessee SGO
For Schools & Educators

Become a Member School

Join our network of member schools and unlock new funding opportunities while expanding access to quality education.

What a Scholarship Granting Organization Does

A Scholarship Granting Organization, or SGO, is a nonprofit that collects charitable contributions and uses them to fund tuition scholarships for students. Tennessee SGO is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves as the link between donors, families, and K-12 schools. For your school, the SGO is the vehicle that turns donor contributions into scholarship funds applied toward the tuition of students attending your school.

Students learning together in a classroom setting
New Scholarship Funding

Schools receive designated scholarship dollars they didn't have before — directly expanding financial aid capacity.

More Enrolled Students

Scholarships help qualified students who could not otherwise afford tuition, growing enrollment.

Stronger Donor Relationships

The SGO gives your community donors a powerful new reason to give — at no additional cost to them.

Co-Branded Partnership

TN SGO provides ready-to-use toolkits, email templates, and event materials — multiplying your Advancement Team's impact.

Simple 3-Step Onboarding

1
Register Your School

Complete our school registration form with basic institutional information and contact details.

2
Verification & Agreement

We verify your school status and accreditation, then execute a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that clarifies what it means to be a Tennessee SGO member school.

3
Receive Tuition Dollars

Scholarship funds are disbursed to your school, applied toward the tuition obligations of your scholarship recipients.

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions from schools about membership and how it works.

How do we become a member school?
Visit our For Schools section and complete the school registration form. We verify your school status and compliance with federal requirements, then execute a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that clarifies what it means to be a member school.
What are the benefits of being a member school?
Only students of member schools are eligible to receive scholarship awards from Tennessee SGO. Scholarship awards are made directly to member schools to be applied to student tuition. These scholarship awards help foster stronger donor relationships, giving your community a powerful new reason to give at no additional cost to them; and a co-branded partnership with ready-to-use toolkits, email templates, and event materials that multiply your advancement team's impact. There is no cost to become a member.
How are funds disbursed?
Once a scholarship is awarded to a student, we disburse funds directly to your school on behalf of the student. You can track all disbursements through our school portal.
Does our school have administrative responsibilities?
Minimal. Tennessee SGO receives contributions, reviews student applications, and makes scholarship determinations. Your school confirms enrollment, receives funds, and applies them to your students' tuition account.