Moving from Baltimore to Knoxville ... HELP!

[KathiOH1]

donnah72, Are you set on waiting for your daughter to graduate? Tennessee offers 2 years free college tuition to those graduating from a Tennessee school.

[DaveinMtAiry]

Originally Posted by KathiOH1

donnah72, Are you set on waiting for your daughter to graduate? Tennessee offers 2 years free college tuition to those graduating from a Tennessee school.

Wait, what?

[JOinGA]

There is free 2-year community college for all Tennessee high school graduates at the public institutions. Also some private schools, such as South College, will match the financial aid package. The TN Promise is a "last dollar" program, meaning it will fill in the gap after other financial aid awards, such as Pell Grants, are applied. There are conditions, including attending a few meetings, working with a mentor and performing some minor community service. I was a volunteer mentor this past year.

There is also a new program for free 4-year tuition for families making under $50k a year. And a program for adults returning to school.

Tennessee needs a more educated workforce and the state is doing something about it.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by JOinGA

There is free 2-year community college for all Tennessee high school graduates at the public institutions. Also some private schools, such as South College, will match the financial aid package. The TN Promise is a "last dollar" program, meaning it will fill in the gap after other financial aid awards, such as Pell Grants, are applied. There are conditions, including attending a few meetings, working with a mentor and performing some minor community service. I was a volunteer mentor this past year.

There is also a new program for free 4-year tuition for families making under $50k a year. And a program for adults returning to school.

Tennessee needs a more educated workforce and the state is doing something about it.

The free tuition at state community colleges is not just for graduates of Tennessee high schools. It's for every adult. Those who didn't graduate from Tennessee high schools have to be residents of Tennessee for a year before receiving the free tuition.

The Hope scholarship, however, is strictly for graduates of Tennessee high schools and is good at any accredited university in the state, public or private.

The free 4-year tuition for families making less than $50k/year is only for the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, for now at least.

[JOinGA]

Originally Posted by JMT

The free tuition at state community colleges is not just for graduates of Tennessee high schools. It's for every adult. Those who didn't graduate from Tennessee high schools have to be residents of Tennessee for a year before receiving the free tuition.

The Hope scholarship, however, is strictly for graduates of Tennessee high schools and is good at any accredited university in the state, public or private.

The free 4-year tuition for families making less than $50k/year is only for the University of Tennessee-Knoxville, for now at least.

Right. Adults returning to school do not have to be from a Tennessee high school. However, the TN high school students who do not go on directly to college, must go into the program for returning adults. They can't delay a year and then take the same TN Promise they would have gotten directly out of school. I am not sure of the differences in the two programs, it may just mean they need to do a totally new application, but it was stressed at the meetings between mentors and students that they couldn't take a semester or year off and then automatically pick up the scholarship for which they had been approved while in high school.

The 4-year UT Promise 4-year scholarship is for tuition and mandatory fees at UT’s campuses in Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin and Memphis starting with this year's high school graduating class.

The state and schools do a good job of providing staff to answer questions like this and I would urge anyone thinking about these programs to be very clear on the timing and requirements.

[KathiOH1]

There are several programs. Tennessee Promise is a last-dollar scholarship. There is also Hope Scholarship, and Second Chance funds for older adults ... to name a few.

The 2-year colleges work well with the 4 year colleges to help students take courses that will transfer toward a 4-year degree.