Tennessee Promise students besting peers in credits, awards earned

Tennessee Promise students are earning more credits, staying enrolled, and earning more awards than non-Promise students at the same schools, according to a new evaluation from the Tennessee Comptroller’s office. Researchers also found that the most common reason applicants are unable to qualify for the Tennessee Promise program is they have not completed the mandatory eight hours of service. While the Promise is a last-dollar scholarship that pays tuition and mandatory fees, it does not cover other costs such as textbooks, supplies, tools, lab fees, and other program-specific fees. The Comptroller’s evaluation found that a Promise student at a community college may pay at least $1,000 per year in out-of-pocket expenses. Students attending a Tennessee College of Applied Technology may pay as much as $3,100 out-of-pocket. To read the 2024 evaluation, please visit the Comptroller’s website at: tncot.cc/orea.