Presentation Overview• Program Details• Program Success Update• Transfer Pathway Alignment• Program Funding Framework• Enrollment Impact Projections• Challenges and Opportunities

The Tennessee Promise

“Tennessee Promise is a last-dollar scholarship, meaning it will cover costs of tuition and mandatory fees not met from Pell, HOPE, or TSAA. As part of the program, students will be paired with a partnering organization and provided with a mentor who will support them during the college application process.”

Enrollment Eligibility• Tennessee Resident• Enroll full-time• 8 hours of community service each semester• Complete orientation and program deadlines

o Applicationo FAFSAo Community Service

Maintaining Eligibility• Remain full-time (12+ credit hours per semester)• Attend a postsecondary institution for

consecutive semesters• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student

Aid (FAFSA) by February of each year• Maintain satisfactory academic progress• Complete 8 hours of community service each

semester

Program Success Update

Tennessee Promise Application Saturday – Motlow State Community College

TN Promise• Application portal open from Aug 1 – Nov 1, 2014• 56,638 students applied statewide (including

public, private, and homeschool students)• 6,000+ Volunteer Mentors• First cohort of students will enroll in fall 2015

Financial Aid Mentorship

Success Framework

Tennessee Promise Application Rate by

County• Applications as a Percentage of the Average High

School Graduating Class

Applicants by Sector Preference

73%

10%

10%

7%

Community Col-legeTCAT4 Year PublicTICUA

Next Steps

Jan-Feb 5First mandatory meeting

February 15FAFSA Completion Deadline

Mar-April SecondMandatory Meeting

August 1Community Service Deadline

FAFSA Verification Deadline

August 15Eligible StudentRoster Transmitted to Colleges

Access & Attainment Gaps

• Community Colleges have an overrepresentation of Low-Income Students when compared to HS graduation rates

• Low Income Students have lower success rates than Non-PELL students (Success defined as receipt of Associate, Certificate, or Transfer)

1

45%

60%

24%30%

PELL Access and Performance Compar-ison

Percent of TN High School Students Who are Low Income: 45%

Percent of CC Freshman who receive PELL: 60%

4 Year Success Rate PELL Students: 24%

4 Year Success Rate Non-PELL Students: 30%

Transfer Pathway Alignment

Program Funding Framework

• Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-4-708• Fund shall be an irrevocable trust that the state treasurer

shall administer• Trust shall consist of the Tennessee Promise endowment

account and the Tennessee Promise scholarship special reserve account

• More than $300 million from the lottery for education account: “in excess of the sum of the general shortfall reserve sub-account”

Can States Afford What Tennessee is Doing?

"...a federal Pell grant, which averages $3,300, to help pay for the average $3,800-per-year (TN) tuition. The state pays the difference: $500 on average. Nationally, in 16 states, the average Pell grant pays for the typical student’s entire community college tuition.”

- U.S. Senator (R-TN) Lamar Alexander

Potential Enrollment Impact

Institution 2014 Headcount 5% 10% 15%Chattanooga State 9,333 467 933 1,400Cleveland State 3,517 176 352 528Columbia State 5,116 256 512 767Dyersburg State 2,846 142 285 427Jackson State 4,926 246 493 739Motlow 4,790 240 479 719Nashville State 10,045 502 1,005 1,507Northeast State 5,842 292 584 876Pellissippi State 10,099 505 1,010 1,515Roane 5,826 291 583 874Southwest 10,182 509 1,018 1,527Volunteer State 7,665 383 767 1,150Walters State 6,006 300 601 901Total Comm Colleges 86,193 4,310 8,619 12,929

Challenges• Will our current facilities accomodate the increased

enrollment?• Will we have sufficient faculty to cover additional classes?• Will we have sufficient student services (advisors,

counselors)?• Will we have sufficient volunteer mentors?

Opportunities• Community College students are applying to college earlier• Tennessee Promise students are enrolled full time (12

hours)• Over 68,000 High School Seniors are engaged in college

discussions with advisors, counselors, and/or family members

• College planning now begins in Middle School• Every graduating senior can afford college

Questions & Answers• Dr. Warren Nichols

Vice Chancellor of Community CollegesWarren.Nichols@tbr.edu

• Michael TinsleyPerkins Grant CoordinatorMichael.Tinsley@tbr.edu