University of Tennessee AI Policy for College Applications
Policy Changed Since September 2025
Permission: L0 (unchanged)
Disclosure: D2 → D0 (Unknown policy)
Enforcement: E1 → E0 (Unknown policy)
This school updated their AI admissions policy between our September 2025 and February 2026 reviews.
Quick Answer: Can you use AI at University of Tennessee?
University of Tennessee has no explicit AI policy for admissions essays. While not explicitly prohibited, the lack of clear guidance means students should be cautious.
Disclosure: University of Tennessee does not require disclosure of AI use in admissions materials.
Enforcement: University of Tennessee has not indicated how they check for AI use in admissions essays.
Last verified: 2026-02-17 • Confidence: High
What This Means For Your Application
✓Generally Safe
- Grammar and spell-checking tools
- Getting human feedback on drafts
✗Avoid
- Submitting AI-generated paragraphs as your own
💡No explicit policy doesn't mean AI is allowed — err on the side of caution
Policy Evidence
University General Policy
“No AI-specific admissions essay policy found on admissions website or graduate school pages”
— First Year Student Applications - Undergraduate Admissions(Verified: Feb 2026)
Sources Verified
All sources checked (10)
Additional Sources Checked:
- https://admissions.utk.edu/undergraduate-application/first-year-student/
- https://admissions.utk.edu/undergraduate-application/transfer-information/
- https://admissions.utk.edu/guaranteed-admission/
- https://admissions.utk.edu/blog/
- https://gradschool.utk.edu/future-students/office-of-graduate-admissions/applying-to-graduate-school/
- https://winston.utk.edu/admissions/apply/
- https://policy.tennessee.edu/policy/bt0035-policy-on-artificial-intelligence/
- https://writingcenter.utk.edu/ai-tools-and-writing-information-for-students/
- https://guides.lawlib.utk.edu/c.php?g=1428347&p=10626320
Policy History
| Date | Permission | Disclosure | Enforcement | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-17 (current) | L0 | D0 | E0 | High |
| 2025-09-19 | L0 | D2 | E1 | High |
Additional Context
No AI-specific admissions policy found. The UT system-wide AI policy (BT0035, effective Feb 2025) is explicitly scoped to 'instructional and assignment purposes' in 'academic courses' and does not cover admissions materials. The Writing Center provides AI guidance for coursework but not admissions essays. The undergraduate application includes one required essay (seven prompts) and an optional supporting statement, with no AI restrictions mentioned. The Winston College of Law states personal statements must be 'composed by you' but does not explicitly reference AI. Previous classification included D2/E1 based on the system-wide academic policy, but that policy does not apply to admissions per its own scope language.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does University of Tennessee allow ChatGPT for essays?
Do I need to disclose AI use to University of Tennessee?
How does University of Tennessee check for AI?
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