Cap-and-gown time for Tennessee Promise

Sherri Gardner HowellFarragut

When caps fly through the air at the end of commencement ceremonies for Pellissippi State Community College Friday, May 5, many will signify a promise kept. It has been two years since Tennessee made history as the first state to offer free college tuition to graduating high school seniors through a program called Tennessee Promise. The first Tennessee Promise kids are those graduating with associates degrees this spring, including many at Pellissippi State.

Approximately 800 students will earn their associates degree from Pellissippi this spring. Commencement ceremonies are at 7 p.m. at Thompson-Boling Arena. In a come-full-circle kind of play, Mike Krause, the founding executive director of Tennessee Promise and now executive director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission and Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation, will be the keynote speaker.

Since 2015, more than 33,000 students have enrolled in community college or trade school, paid for by the state. The average payout is just over $1,000 per student, for a total cost of $35.9 million since implementation.

Dr. L. Anthony Wise is president of Pellissippi State.

 

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