Bonner Application 2025

Bonner Scholars Application

Students admitted to the Bonner Scholars program at Carson-Newman receive a scholarship package in return for participating in an intensive program of community service and servant leadership development, with Christ as our ultimate example. Participants are called “Bonners” for short.
Bonners receive the following financial awards:

$3,000 in service-based scholarship funds each year
A need-based grant for 100% of unmet financial need each year
$3,000 living stipend at the beginning of each summers of service (this is awarded twice)
$1,500 service awards at the end of each summer of service (this is awarded twice)
$500 in professional development funds, awarded during senior year

Save the link to this page! Read and follow the instructions carefully prior to submitting your application. Read fully the information on the Carson-Newman Center for Community Engagement (CCE) scholarship programs page before applying. Selected applicants will be invited for on campus or video conference interviews.

Once you begin this application you will not be able to save your work. We suggest utilizing a separate document to write your essays and then copy and paste them to the application.

PRIVACY POLICY: Your information is secure with us. Your information will never be used/sold/provided to anyone other than the CCE for the purposes of processing your application to our scholarship programs. Your essays WILL be shared among the student leadership team, but identifying demographic information will only be shared among CCE staff who review applications.

If selected, you may be asked for documentation to support the data you provide. Likewise, all correspondence and award agreements will be generated from the personal information submitted below. So, please use proper spelling, capitalization and punctuation.

To learn more about the scholarship programs at the CCE, please visit our website at www.cn.edu/academics/center-for-community-engagement/

If you have more specific questions, please contact the Bonner Scholars Coordinator, Pero Brittz, at pbrittz@cn.edu or 865-471-4315.

We are currently accepting applicants for the 2025 Fall Semester. Any current High School seniors looking to attend Carson-Newman in Fall 2025 are encouraged to apply.

* Indicates required question

Contact Information:

First Name*

Last Name*

Preferred Name*

Birthdate*

Gender*

Email Address

Phone Number*

Mailing Address*

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

Acknowledgement

Please acknowledge that you have read and understand the application overview above, and tell us how you heard about the Bonner Scholars Program.

I have read and understand the overview. *

Y

How did you hear about the Bonner Scholars Program at Carson-Newman?*

Demographic Information:

Tell us a bit more about you. This information will be kept confidential throughout the selection process, and will not be shared with any student leaders who assist in making selection decisions.

If you need to share any additional information about your academic history, please contact Pero Brittz at pbrittz@cn.edu with your name and any additional information.

Which semester do you expect to begin attending Carson-Newman?*

Year of High School Graduation:*

What is your expected Carson-Newman graduation date? (the date you would be finishing your degree at Carson-Newman)

High School Name:*

High School Address:*

Country

Street

City

Region

Postal Code

High School Phone Number:*

High School Cumulative GPA (Weighted)*

SAT Score (if applicable)

ACT Score (if applicable)

Family, Financial, and Demographic Information:

The Bonner Scholars program aims to recruit students based upon demonstrated service experience and academic ability. We value every geographic, economic, and cultural background, and no candidates will be excluded on the basis of their immutable characteristics (age, ethnicity, sex, etc.)

Residential Status*
Note: United States Citizenship is not required to be accepted as a Bonner Scholar.

What is the highest level of academic achievement attained by either of your parents/guardians?*

Parent/Guardian #1 Occupations: *

Parent/Guardian #2 Occupations:

FAFSA Student Aid Index (SAI)
Your Student Aid Index from the 2025-2026 FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
You can begin filing your FAFSA on or after December 1, 2024, here: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

Applicants who have not completed the FAFSA or are unable to complete the FAFSA should provide an estimate by using this website: https://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/
1. Click 'Start Estimate'.
2. Fill out financial information carefully.
3. On the results page, scroll down to "Estimated Student Aid Index (SAI)."
4. Copy and Paste the estimated SAI below.

The links above will open in new tabs.

What is your estimated SAI Amount?*

Service Experience

Please provide information on the following service opportunities in which you have participated.

Please list any/all short term service projects or events that you have participated in since your first year of high school:

Please list any/all ongoing weekly or monthly service commitments:

Please list any/all significant summer service experiences:

Do you have any significant family responsibilities? If so, what are they?

Essay Questions:

This is an opportunity to tell your story in your own words! There is a minimum of 400 words per prompt and no maximum length for each essay.

The Bonner Scholars Program at Carson-Newman embraces a wide range of thought and experience, hoping that every new perspective can bring us closer to the truth.
Describe an experience from your life where you saw through another person's eyes, and learned from their perspective.*

This world is a beautiful place, but natural and man-made problems are always present. In the Bonner Scholars Program, we aim to equip students to address the problems they are passionate about.
What is one family, community, or society-level problem you are passionate about?
How did you become aware of this problem?
Have you changed how you live or interact with others because of this problem? If so, how?*

A lot of our motivation in the Bonner Scholars Program comes from inspiring examples across history and in our own lives.
Discuss a role model in your life, a trait about them that you admire, and how you are striving to implement that trait in your own life.*

References:

References may be called to verify information stated in an application, give character reference, or answer other questions related to the applicant's ability to succeed as a Bonner Scholar. Please ask the individual for permission before listing them as a reference. Please do not list family members as references.

Reference #1

First and Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone Number.*

What is your relationship to this reference?*

How many years have you known this person?*

Reference #2

First and Last Name*

Email Address*

Phone Number.*

What is your relationship to this reference?*

How many years have you known this person?*

E-Signature:

By signing your name below, you are agreeing that all of the information in the application is true and accurate to the best of your knowledge. You are also acknowledging that you are required to self-disclose your Student Aid Index (SAI) and that your SAI will be used for the sole purpose of applying for the Bonner Scholarship at Carson-Newman University.

Please type your full First and Last Name *