Newsroom

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.

NASHVILLE – In front of military personnel of the Tennessee Army and Air National Guard at the Tennessee Department of Military, Gov. Bill Haslam on Thursday signed the Tennessee STRONG Act that provides tuition free higher educational opportunities for eligible members of the Tennessee National Guard and supports the Drive to 55 goal to increase the number of Tennesseans with a degree or certificate to 55 percent by 2025.

MORRISTOWN – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam made history today as he signed the Tennessee Reconnect Act, making Tennessee the first state in the nation to offer all citizens – both high school graduates and adults – the chance to earn a postsecondary degree or certificate free of tuition and fees and at no cost to taxpayers.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam will make history on Wednesday as he signs the Tennessee Reconnect Act, making Tennessee the first state in the nation to offer all citizens – both high school graduates and adults – the chance to earn a postsecondary degree or certificate free of tuition and fees and at no cost to taxpayers. Haslam will be in each of the grand divisions, holding bill signing ceremonies in Morristown, Smyrna and Memphis.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam will address some of the first Tennessee Promise graduates at Southwest Tennessee Community College in Memphis on Saturday, where 63 Promise students are completing their degrees within two years.