The U.S. Department of Education released the 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) earlier than expected last week, following recent efforts to modernize and streamline the process.

A record-breaking number of students applied for the Tennessee Promise program, with over 67,000 applicants from the Class of 2025, an announcement from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) said.

A new report from SCORE notes that “too many Tennesseans are still not realizing the full economic benefits of their education,” despite the state’s efforts in recent years to expand access to higher education and workforce training. To help address the issue, SCORE developed a framework for measuring the value of workforce credentials.

University of Tennessee (UT) System President Randy Boyd recently visited several high schools across the state to highlight the system’s academic programming and financial aid options.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga will use a $3.5 million gift and research grant from the Journey Health Foundation to establish a Research Center for Health and Economic Analytics within the Gary W. Rollins College of Business. Learn more about how the new center will use those funds.

The university has had another historic year for enrollment, retention and graduation rates, according to recent data.

The University of Memphis is building a $9.2 million facility to test drones in adverse weather conditions, sponsored by the U.S. Navy. Led by professor Eddie Jacobs, the facility will feature a "wind wall" of computer-controlled fans and a rain-making system, allowing researchers to develop drones that can operate in challenging conditions like wind and rain, improving future drone technology.

Commissioners said Roane’s new Associate of Applied Science in Nuclear Technology program will help build students' technical knowledge and engineering skills for careers in nuclear technology.

A new memo from the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) highlights the need to revise Tennessee’s outcomes-based postsecondary funding formula to better prepare students for career success after graduation.

A recent statewide survey from the University of Tennessee’s Institute of American Civics suggests there's a critical need to improve civics education in Tennessee.

A delegation from FIFA (International Federation of Association Football) recently visited the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, as part of the FIFA Pitch Research Field Day event to inspect the university’s field turf research and development facility, as well as to meet the teams from UT and Michigan State University (MSU) tasked with creating "the perfect natural grass pitches for the FIFA World Cup 2026,” a university news release said.

A new report from the ed tech platform Quizlet suggests that higher ed institutions are leading in AI adoption when compared to high schools.

The Tennessee Education Lottery has set yet another new fiscal year record for funds generated for education, transferring a total of $519,322,000 to initiatives that include college scholarships, grants and after-school programs, a recent announcement said.

The University of Tennessee-Knoxville's Haslam College of Business has once again received national recognition for its programming relating to supply chain management, ranking first in Gartner's 2024 Top 25 Supply Chain University rankings for graduate supply chain management programs and second in North America for undergraduate programs.

The University of Tennessee at Knoxville has been named the lead institution for a $25 million cooperative agreement awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration Office of Defense Nuclear Nonproliferation to support research relating to “nuclear security and nonproliferation missions,” a recent announcement said.

Two early intervention resource agencies for young children with developmental delays and disabilities at University of Memphis received three new grants from the state to support their work in the coming years, a recent announcement said.

The Princeton Review has named University of Tennessee in Knoxville as “one of the nation’s best-value colleges for students seeking a great education at a relatively affordable price,” a recent announcement said.

The Tennessee Department of Education has appointed Jonathan Criswell as Chief Program Officer, where he will lead school improvement efforts and key programming initiatives across the state.

The University of Memphis is investing $1 million in academic and research programming relating to artificial intelligence to better prepare tomorrow’s AI workforce for job opportunities in the emerging tech field, a recent announcement said.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga has been designated a 2024-2025 College of Distinction and a Tennessee College of Distinction, a recent announcement said.