Opening in 2027 · Elizabethton, Tennessee
Scholarships for tutoring, special-needs services and school supplies
Highland Pathways Scholarship Fund is a new nonprofit that will help Tennessee families pay for the extra support their children need, with a focus on public school students in Northeast Tennessee.
We are applying for IRS tax-exempt status and a place on Tennessee’s list of scholarship granting organizations. Applications and gifts are not open yet.
What scholarships pay for
Help outside the regular school day
Tutoring
One-on-one or small-group tutoring in reading, math and other subjects from a qualified tutor or tutoring provider.
Special-needs services
Educational, speech and occupational therapy services for students with special needs.
Books and supplies
Textbooks, workbooks, calculators and the supplies a student’s classes require.
Scholarships are paid directly to the tutor, provider or school, or reimbursed against a receipt. Families never receive cash or gift cards.
For parents and guardians
Who can apply and how it will work
Your child can apply if
- Your child lives in Tennessee.
- Your child is eligible to enroll in a Tennessee public school, kindergarten through grade 12.
- Your household income is at or below 300 percent of the area median income for your county and household size. Most families in our region fall under this limit.
Federal law gives first priority to students who received a scholarship the previous school year, and next to their brothers and sisters.
How it will work
- Apply online when applications open in 2027.
- We confirm your household income and your child’s eligibility.
- Our scholarship committee reviews applications and makes awards.
- We pay your child’s tutor, provider or school directly.
Want to know when applications open?
Email us and we will let you know as soon as the first application period is set.
For donors
A new federal tax credit for scholarship gifts
Under a new federal law, individuals who give to an approved scholarship granting organization in a participating state can claim a federal tax credit equal to their gift, up to $1,700 a year. Tennessee is participating for 2027.
A credit lowers the tax you owe dollar for dollar, which makes it different from a deduction. Talk with your tax advisor about your own situation.
How giving will work
- Gifts open once the IRS approves us and the State of Tennessee lists us.
- Gifts for the credit go into a separate account used only for scholarships.
- Gifts cannot be directed to a particular student, and we never share who receives awards.
Want to hear when giving opens?
Email us and we will send you a note when you can give.
About us
A local nonprofit run by volunteers
We started Highland Pathways so more families in our region can get the tutoring, therapy and supplies their children need to do well in school. Our directors serve without pay.
The organization
- Legal name
- Highland Pathways Scholarship Fund, Inc.
- Organized
- October 16, 2026, as a Tennessee nonprofit public benefit corporation
- Based in
- Elizabethton, Tennessee
- EIN
- 43-2462910
- Tax status
- Applying for recognition of exemption under Section 501(c)(3)
We will post our IRS approval letter and annual filings here once they are available.
Board of directors
- Justin CollakePresident
- Aaron HamstraTreasurer
- Zack BickfordSecretary
Contact
Get in touch
Questions from families, donors, tutors and schools are welcome.
Privacy
How we handle your information
If you email us, we use your address only to answer you and to send the updates you asked for.
When applications open, we will collect household and income information only to decide eligibility and pay awards. We keep it secure, we never sell it, and we never share applicant information with donors.