Now that the cost of attending a four-year school has surpassed what many can reasonably afford, graduates are left saddled with anywhere from up to six figures of debt that could stay with them for the rest of their working lives. In response, states and municipalities across the country are increasingly promoting community colleges as a viable, and more affordable, alternative to four-year schools.
While much of the current discussion around community college centers on improving access and affordability for recent high school graduates, Tennessee is poised to broaden access for adult learners with a new bill called Tennessee Reconnect. Just last week, the Tennessee House of Representatives passed the bill, which has the support and backing of Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam. Many believe it is likely to become law. Tennessee Reconnect is expected to go into effect in fall 2018.
Tennessee became a leader in the college affordability sphere after implementing Tennessee Promise in fall 2015. Tennessee Promise makes two years of community college free for recent high school graduates, if they maintain a 2.5 GPA and attend college full time.
Tennessee Reconnect is intended to pick up where Tennessee Promise leaves off. Adult learners over the age of 24 would be eligible to attend two years of community college tuition-free using the same “last-dollar” scholarship approach that Tennessee Promise uses, in which money kicks in after students had applied for federal aid, loans and other scholarships.
“What we hope to do with Tennessee Reconnect is bring individuals back into the community college and technical college setting to get them on a career trajectory,” said Dr. Flora Tydings, chancellor of the Tennessee Board of Regents system, which oversees the state’s community colleges and public universities.
Tennessee estimates that 900,000 adults in the state have some college but no degree. Haslam set a goal of upping the number of working-age adults with a postsecondary degree or credential from a current 38.3 percent to 55 percent by 2025. To meet the goals of Drive to 55, as the initiative is known, Tennessee needs 871,000 degrees. Only 645,000 high school students are expected to graduate by 2022, however, meaning that the state will need more engagement from adult learners to meet its goals.
“I think it’s going to have a large impact on the system,” Tydings said of Tennessee Reconnect. “We, like most colleges and systems across the nation, have been losing our adult population. As the economy tends to go up, that’s the group that tends to get jobs, but not necessarily career paths.”
