Financial Hardship

The Tech Food Pantry provides the campus community with access to food and basic household items, closing the gap between need for food and availability. This resource supports Tech students and employees.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps) provides nutritional assistance benefits to children and families, the elderly, the disabled, unemployed and working families. SNAP helps supplement monthly food budgets of families with low-income to buy the food they need to maintain good health and allow them to direct more of their available income toward essential living expenses.

Enrolled Tech students have access to Handshake, Tennessee Tech’s part-time, co-op, internship, fellowship, and full-time job gateway through the Center for Career Development. Local and on-campus job options are available. Note: If a student does not qualify for a Federal Work Study (FWS) assignment or receive a University Academic Service (UAS) scholarship, they may still have the opportunity to find employment on-campus.

American Job Centers, in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, provide free services to help Tennessee Residents find steady, good-paying jobs. They provide training, job counseling, assistance with financial aid for education, and more.

The Eagle Assistant Grant (E.A.G.) is an emergency fund intended to provide limited, one-time financial assistance to enrolled Tennessee Tech students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of temporary hardship related to an emergency situation. The program supports sudden, urgent, or unforeseen occurrences that require immediate attention.

Helping Hands of Putnam County is a charitable non-profit organization that provides emergency services (such as food, utilities, medical expenses, rent, and gas vouchers to medical appointments). 

The Cookeville Rescue Mission is a community resource and offers temporary emergency shelter to anyone who has need of it. While residents are there, they try to connect them with various local agencies that can provide housing assistance, job placement, health services and other social services.

Cumberland Regional Development Corporation (CRDC) connects individuals with safe and affordable housing. 

Highlands Residential Services provide safe and affordable public housing options to lower-income, elderly, or disabled individuals. These homes are located in Algood, Baxter, Celina, Cookeville, Gainesboro and Monterey.

The Care Center is a partnership of local churches that supplies food, clothes, and counseling to people in need in the Cookeville community.

The God's Grace Food Pantry Provides healthy food choices and promotes self-sufficiency assistance to those living in the local community. The food pantry serves hundreds of families in Putnam County on Tuesday afternoons. If you are in need, call their Servant Ministries team at (931) 526-2177 or email servant@cookevillefumc.org.

Search for community resources and support through United Ways of Tennessee, part of the United Way Worldwide organization. You can also simply dial "2-1-1" for Tennessee's community services helpline. A trained member can help sort out needs and provide phone numbers and addresses to places closest to help.

Is a community resource that offers services around public transportation, head start programs, and access to job opportunities.

The Upper Cumberland Public Transit and Ride Upper Cumberland services are community resources that provides fast, easy, professional, and inexpensive transportation around the city of Cookeville, across our campus, and within the counties and communities in the Upper Cumberland.

Students living in the Cookeville area have access to ride the Go Upper Cumberland buses for free by showing their Eagle Card. Visit their website to learn their routes and pick up times.

Students in need of shuttle service to Nashville airport may also utilize the Upper Cumberland Public Transit Intercity Express Service.

Lifeline is a federal program administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) that includes support service and lowers the cost for phone and internet for broadband and wireless communication services. Lifeline is available to many that may already have or qualify for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, and more.