Contributor Matt Appleman is back with some great news from Tennessee. Don’t forget to complete your free Student Intern Network member profile to connect with awesome employers and opportunities!
With Texas and Florida moving in the right direction by offering four-year degrees for just $10,000 in tuition, Tennessee has just passed a law that helps make college more affordable and attainable. In February 2014, Republican Governor Bill Haslam proposed the “Tennessee Promise” plan, which would make the state’s 80,000 community colleges free to in-state high school graduates, starting with the Class of 2015. In order to be eligible, a student must maintain a 2.0 GPA, enroll in twelve credits per semester (full-time student status), and must complete eight hours of community service per semester. The plan would cost about $34 million per year and would be paid for by the state’s lottery fund. This should not be an issue considering the fact that in 2012, Tennessee’s lottery sales reached a record high of $1.2 billion. While the proposal sounds progressive, it was passed overwhelmingly through the Republican-controlled legislature: 30-1 in the Senate and 87-8 in the House of Representatives. Governor’s Haslam’s bold public policy proposal could spread across the country. The purpose is to reduce the cost of college and provide additional opportunities to low-income high school graduates who have a difficult time getting admitted into a four-year college. In addition, it is also part of Haslam’s broader, long-term goal of increasing the percentage of adults with a bachelor degree to 55% by 2025. Right now, Tennessee is ranked number 43 in the country when it comes to college graduation, with a rate of just 32%. This plan with allow college students to take remedial courses to catch up to college-level studies. In addition, it will give people more time to pick a major. If this plan is effective, it should spread across the country.
via Matt Appleman on twitter @MattyAppsPSU @SINevents
