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[Lubricus]

I did not realize this has been in effect since 2014. A Republican governor and a Republican majority in the state legislature made this happen. It kicks in once a student has used all possible scholarships, HOPE money (from the state lottery), financial aid and federal grants. Awards range from $14 to $2000 per semester.
The upshot is that the student and family pay no tuition.
This is for 2 year community colleges only. At least you can get the core classes out of the way.
And it is a step in the right direction.

All across Tennessee, community colleges are seeing record numbers of students this fall, thanks to a simple but sweeping promise from the state: free college education for everyone. This is the second school year that incoming college freshmen in the state can attend community college without paying any tuition, thanks to the Tennessee Promise Scholarship Act of 2014.

He [Governor Haslam] sent a proposal to the legislature, where several members balked at what they saw as a government handout. Haslam agreed that he didn’t want the state to simply say, “Here’s another free thing.” So he and other lawmakers added conditions and requirements to the plan. Students would have to attend informational meetings while still in high school. Once in college, they’d have to complete eight hours of community service per semester, stay enrolled full-time and maintain a 2.5 GPA. That way, the Promise program wouldn’t just get more students in the door. It would, they hoped, also be a way to boost student achievement.

Perhaps most crucially, Tennessee Promise was designed as a “last-dollar” scholarship, meaning that the money only kicks in once a student has exhausted all his or her other options for scholarships, HOPE money, financial aid and federal grants. Lawmakers compromised on how to fund the program, which costs about $34 million a year. Some of that money comes from existing lottery reserves, and some comes from funding cuts to the HOPE scholarship, with students at four-year universities receiving about $250 less per semester. The Promise program went into effect in fall 2015.

Because it’s structured as a last-dollar program, Promise varies widely in terms of what it pays out to students. George Van Allen, the president of Nashville State Community College, says he has seen awards to students as low as $14 and as high as $2,000. But overall, he says, the program has been a boon to students who might otherwise have had to forgo college. And it’s had a positive effect on the schools themselves. “The governor has made it clear that community colleges are a critical part of the educational system,” Van Allen says. “This has impacted the morale of community colleges. There’s a sense of importance that has never been associated with two-year colleges.”

Some drawbacks:

It only applies to graduating high school seniors, meaning older nontraditional students -- who make up the bulk of enrollment at many community colleges -- won’t benefit. And while they’re often billed as a way to help low-income kids go to school, last-dollar programs like Promise tend to help middle- and upper-middle-class students the most, since the poorest students already qualify for other federal aid, such as Pell Grants.

The full-time enrollment requirement is another hurdle for many students.

Hopefully they can expand it to cover older students as well as part time students.

http://www.governing.com/topics/education/gov-tennessee-free-community-college-promise.html

 

[outunderthestars]

Love the idea but I don't see why they would block non-traditional students from the funds. They generally have higher gpa's and graduating rates than people straight out of high school.

 

[Bubba T]

Minnesota has something similar in place, although that might be for certain community colleges.

 

[karmaforgotme]

My daughter is currently taking advantage of the free community college. After her 2 years is up she is transferring to University of Tennessee. I also have a 16 year old son who is going to do the same thing. I try to be positive and look at it as we are only paying half price for college.

 

[Lubricus]

My daughter is currently taking advantage of the free community college. After her 2 years is up she is transferring to University of Tennessee. I also have a 16 year old son who is going to do the same thing. I try to be positive and look at it as we are only paying half price for college.

That's great. How much do you reckon you will save?

 

[jayhawker]

I get why it's limited to community colleges, but I worry that this will lead to extreme community college bloat. Community colleges are the last place you can get an education without selling a kidney. If they start hiring 15000 administrators and paying them all like CEOs, then I'm worried it will have a negative effect on the traditional community college market of adults going back to school.

 

[AndyD]

Love the idea but I don't see why they would block non-traditional students from the funds. They generally have higher gpa's and graduating rates than people straight out of high school.

The concern in the past few years has been on the for-profit "community colleges" for non-traditional students and how they tend to be cash grab schemes. Devry, Phoenix and the like which are closing down. I think they are first focusing on getting young people the appropriate education without saddling them with a lifetime of debt.

 

[outunderthestars]

The concern in the past few years has been on the for-profit "community colleges" for non-traditional students and how they tend to be cash grab schemes. Devry, Phoenix and the like which are closing down. I think they are first focusing on getting young people the appropriate education without saddling them with a lifetime of debt.

Agreed. Maybe they could limit the funds to public schools...

 

[ShadowKingpin]

Does anyone know if the new Tennessee Reconnect program requires us to take out student loans before using the scholarship?