New grants helping make college more affordable for Tennessee students

Tennessee students are receiving additional help this year with the extra expenses that come with attending college.tnAchieves says it has distributed more than a million dollars in tnAchieves COMPLETE grants to eligible students since the program launched statewide in August.Under the program, students can apply for up to $1,000 per semester for college expenses that are not covered by the Tennessee Promise scholarship. tnAchieves COMPLETE grants can be used for computers, tools, textbooks, transportation, food insecurity, or other hardships.A recent study found these sorts of expenses can add up to make college unaffordable, even to students who receive the Tennessee Promise scholarship.So far, more than 3 thousand students have received a tnAchieves COMPLETE grant and the average awarded is $130. Most of that funding is helping students with transportation and food needs.tnAchieves modeled the program after its Knox Promise program that has been in operation since 2019. Governor Bill Lee and the Tennessee General Assembly approved funds earlier this year to expand the program statewide.The Knox Promise increased a student’s likelihood of retaining by more than 150 percent.“Results from our Knox Promise pilot are clear; students are much more successful when they have access to a COMPLETE coach and grants to ease the cost of college attendance. Students who are hungry or cannot afford tools for the TCAT or books for class have a very real disadvantage. tnAchieves COMPLETE provides a more level playing field,” said tnAchieves President/CEO Krissy DeAlejandro. “Thanks to Governor Lee and the General Assembly we now have the opportunity to provide a full suite of wraparound support services for our economically disadvantaged students in an effort to reverse negative enrollment trends exacerbated by the pandemic.”Students can apply for the tnAchieves Complete grants online. To be eligible, a student must be enrolled full time and qualify for both the Tennessee Promise scholarship and the Pell Grant.Students who are awarded a grant will also be paired with a tnAchieves COMPLETE Coach to provide important non-financial support and help ease the transition to college.tnAchieves is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that has provided scholarships with mentor support since 2008. It now serves as the partnering organization to the Tennessee Promise program in 83 Tennessee counties.