Tennessee invented free community college a decade before it became a national talking point.
TN Promise launched in 2014, covering tuition and mandatory fees at any Tennessee community college, college of applied technology, or eligible four-year institution for any Tennessee graduate who applies, meets with a mentor, and completes community-service hours. It is a last-dollar scholarship, kicking in after Pell and HOPE.
The state credits the program with stabilizing the college-going rate, particularly at two-year institutions. Whether it lifted that rate, held it steady against falling enrollment elsewhere, or both, is the policy question this dashboard helps you answer.