COVID-19 Campus & Financial Aid Information

THEC is closely monitoring the evolving situation of COVID-19. As always, the safety and health of our employees and students are our highest priority. We will continue to evaluate the situation along with higher education partners, the Governor's Office, and the Tennessee Department of Health.

Ultimately, decisions related to higher education instruction and operations belong to the respective institutional governing boards and presidents. However, the state has issued guidelines for colleges and universities based on the current recommendations of the CDC and OSHA. Please call your doctor and stay home if you feel sick or have been exposed to an infected individual in order to mitigate the spread of the virus.


Department of Veteran Affairs Guidance

The Department of Veteran Affairs guidance for certification of GI Bill® benefits to approved institutions: 

3/21/2020, President Trump signed Senate Bill 3503: To authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to treat certain programs of education converted to distance learning by reason of emergencies and health-related situations in the same manner as programs of education pursued at educational institutions, and for other purposes.

The new law provided guidelines regarding COVID 19. The VA provided FAQs as guidelines for schools to understand how to work with student veteran certifications for GI Bill® due to changes to school programs because of the COVID 19 virus.  See Department of Veterans Affairs link for details: https://benefits.va.gov/gibill/covid19faqs.asp#NCD   The VA is also compiling questions from SCOs.  If there are other general questions for the VA, please send your questions to Veterans.Education@tn.gov and the questions will be compiled and forwarded to VA.

Information current as of 4/30/2020

TN Promise & TN Reconnect 
Enrollment Guidance

Deadline
Extensions

Federal
Financial Aid

HOPE Scholarship

Due to the current state of emergency related to the COVID-19 crisis, the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) is suspending the rules that Tennessee colleges and universities use to report a student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) for HOPE scholarship purposes.  This temporary suspension will provide institutions flexibility in calculating a student’s GPA when determining continuing eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship and other Tennessee Education Lottery programs. The intent of this modification is to provide relief to those students whose academic performance might otherwise suffer, potentially resulting in the loss of crucial scholarship funding. This waiver will be effective for the spring and summer terms of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Information updated on 3/26/2020.

TN Promise

Due to current conditions surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and out of an abundance of caution the Tennessee Higher Education Commission/Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (THEC/TSAC) has made the decision to waive the December 1 community service requirement. A Tennessee Promise student beginning or continuing enrollment at an eligible institution for the spring 2021 term will not be required to complete and submit community service to maintain eligibility.

In addition, the deadline to apply for the Tennessee Promise scholarship will be extended from November 2, 2020 to December 1, 2020.  More information can be found in the November 2, 2020 press release.

THEC/TSAC will continue to monitor the impact from COVID-19 on our state to determine any additional accommodations which may become necessary in the fall semester and beyond.

If you have questions regarding this decision please contact tn.promise@tn.gov.

* Virtual Office Hours: Monday and Wednesday, 10:00 a.m. - 11a.m. CT  and Tuesday and Thursday, 1:00 p.m. - 2 p.m. CT

Financial Aid Call Center Contact Information

  • Local: 1.615.741.1346
  • Toll Free: 1.800.342.1663

Live Chat

 

When sending an email or live chat, do not include sensitive information such as your Social Security Number.

TN Reconnect

THEC/TSAC is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation. Please visit this webpage to find the contact information of your Reconnect Navigator.

Online Resources

  1. TN Achieves-Team meeting cancellations are happening across Tennessee. Learn about how you can maintain your eligibility for TN Promise. 
  2. Financial Literacy Resources-While you are working with your students to engage in effective educational practices outside of the classroom, the Tennessee Financial Literacy Commission is making sure you have access to our free financial literacy programs.  
  3. NEXT Guide- An online resource for seniors, as they navigate the next steps to college, career, and military service.  
  4. CollegeforTN.org- Explore interests inventories and then match up those interests to careers in high demand.  Explore all the Financial Aid options in Tennessee as well.   
  5. BigFuture- CollegeBoard.org has pulled together interviews, resources, and lots of other great information on how to navigate the application process and find a career that works best.  
  6. Raise.Me- Ever wanted to get paid for doing the right thing in school and in the community?  Well, check out Raise.Me to research the schools in Tennessee and elsewhere.  
  7. Time for Payback- What are the hidden costs and challenges of your first year of college?  Play this virtual game to see what it really costs to thrive in college next year.
  8. Amazing Educational Resources : http://www.amazingeducationalresources.com/?usp=sharing
  9. Shmoop- Online learning solutions in the form of creatively curated content.  Shmoop is offering free statewide support to teachers and students in grades 6-12.
  10. WideOpen School, powered by Common Sense from The Gates Foundation: https://wideopenschool.org/