NASHVILLE – Tennessee was listed today among five states that are leading the way in the use of data to create evidence-based results for citizens, in a report issued by the national nonprofit organization Results for America. Tennessee joined Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Washington as states recognized for outstanding performance. The recognition was announced at an event today in Washington hosted by the National Governors Association.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Tennessee was honored this week with two national awards for education innovation from the Education Commission of the States at its annual National Forum on Education Policy in Washington, D.C. The 2018 James Bryant Conant Award was formally presented to Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today. The 2018 Frank Newman Award for State Innovation was awarded to Tennessee for the Seamless Alignment and Integrated Learning Support (SAILS) program, which helps high school students become college-ready in math and avoid remediation.

NASHVILLE – Students in 15 Tennessee counties will benefit from over $11.68 million in funding to support college access and success efforts thanks to a federal grant. The funding is part of the U.S. Department of Education’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant, which aims to increase the number of low-income students in Tennessee who are accessing and succeeding in higher education. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission, which secured the federal grant, announced the communities that will be a part of Tennessee’s GEAR UP project, GEAR UP TN, following a competitive selection process.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today praised passage of the University of Tennessee Focusing On Campus and University Success (FOCUS) Act, legislation that restructures the UT Board of Trustees to improve governance of the UT system and establishes advisory boards for the primary UT campuses to create a local focus for each campus. The University of Tennessee FOCUS Act, SB2260/HB2115, reduces the current size of the UT Board of Trustees, empowering the reconstructed board to better oversee the multiple campuses that comprise the UT system. In addition to modernizing the focus and responsibilities of the UT Board of Trustees, the legislation establishes advisory boards for the primary UT campuses: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville; The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga; The University of Tennessee at Martin; and The University of Tennessee Health Science Center. These advisory boards will allow each campus to have a local focus.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the application is open for adults to enroll tuition-free this fall at a community or technical college through Tennessee Reconnect. Tennessee Reconnect builds off the groundbreaking Tennessee Promise program, which provides high school graduates two years of tuition-free community or technical college, by establishing a last-dollar scholarship for adults to earn an associate degree or technical certificate free of tuition or mandatory fees.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam announced his legislative agenda for the 2018 session, continuing his focus on leading the nation in jobs, education, and efficient and effective government. “We have made so many strides in higher education and workforce development, and we must not let up now. One of our top priorities this year will be making sure our students who receive Tennessee Promise and HOPE scholarships compete college on time, helping us reach our Drive to 55 goal,” Haslam said. “You’ll also see much needed reforms to Tennessee’s juvenile justice system that will strengthen families and communities while promoting public safety and ensuring a responsible and effective use of limited resources.”

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam will hold budget hearings for Fiscal Year 2018-2019 on Monday, November 6 through Thursday, November 9. The hearings will be held in the Executive Conference Room on the ground floor of the State Capitol. Haslam, Finance and Administration Commissioner Larry Martin, Chief Operating Officer Greg Adams and David Thurman, state budget director, will preside over the hearings.

NASHVILLE – The U.S. Department of Education has awarded the Tennessee Higher Education Commission a $24.5 million grant to increase the number of low-income students in Tennessee who are accessing and succeeding in higher education. The Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant will provide Tennessee $3.5 million in resources annually over seven years.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has awarded nearly $800,000 in Tennessee Promise Forward grants to five community colleges to develop and expand innovative student success and retention programs. Through the grants, community colleges will provide academic, advising, and community partnership programs to enable more Tennessee Promise students to earn a post-secondary credential.

BILOXI, Miss. – Tennessee’s efforts to increase educational attainment among veterans were recognized with a State Transformation in Action Recognition (STAR) Award during the Southern Legislative Conference’s (SLC) annual meeting in Biloxi, Miss.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) has awarded a total of $773,447 to three community colleges and one university to increase student success and outcomes.

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) today elected two new officers during the quarterly meeting. Mr. Vernon Stafford was elected Vice-Chair for West Tennessee, and Ms. Mintha Roach was elected Vice-Chair for East Tennessee.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today announced the state has set a new record and for the third year in a row has led the nation in the number of students filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Nearly three quarters of all Tennessee high school seniors—73.5 percent—filed the FAFSA for the 2017-18 academic year, a requirement for Tennessee students to be eligible for both federal and state aid, including Tennessee Promise and the HOPE Lottery Scholarship.

RIPLEY – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today awarded state workforce development grants to two Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) institutions in West Tennessee to expand higher education opportunities and support the Drive to 55 goal to increase the number of Tennesseans with a degree or certificate to 55 percent by 2025. The Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) will expand current programs and develop new training programs at TCAT-Ripley and TCAT-Covington in communities with limited higher education options.

NASHVILLE, TN – The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced today that 13 colleges and universities in Tennessee will receive additional funding and program support to serve veterans and service members and help them earn postsecondary degrees as part of Governor Bill Haslam’s Drive to 55.