Members of the House Higher Education Subcommittee unanimously shot down a bill Monday that would establish prohibitions for public universities and other public institutions of higher education regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies.Before the vote, bill sponsor Representative John Ragan, R-Oak Ridge, told committee members that DEI promotes discrimination. Ragan said his bill is designed to be colorblind and sex neutral.

Jose Martinez, a senior at Senn High School in Chicago, wants to teach someday — maybe English. He’s applied to several top colleges in Illinois, but for now, he’s in limbo, unable to complete the financial aid forms he’ll need to attend.

Representative Ed Butler, R-Rickman, says it was something personal that led him to file House Bill 1803.Butler says his daughter decided to attend higher education classes in the summer and he realized the Tennessee Promise scholarship wouldn’t be available to students who make a similar choice to attend classes during those months.

Federal Pell Grants, awarded to students demonstrating exceptional financial need, have not kept pace with the rising costs of higher education in Tennessee according to a new study by the Education Trust. The organization’s research also found evidence that financial barrier is hindering the graduation rate of Pell-eligible students. They graduate at a rate of 22 percent below students who don’t receive the grant according to the study.

Nashville State Community College (NCC), the Tennessee College of Applied Technologies (TCAT) Dickson,  TriStar Horizon Medical Center, and The Jackson Foundation jointly announced a $35 million investment Wednesday to create a new place for students to earn a college degree, technical and career certificate, or certification in workforce programs.The Dickson County Higher Education Center will stand on TriStar Horizon’s Natchez campus off Highway 46, just south of Interstate 40. It will be the permanent Dickson campus for Nashville State and provide TCAT Dickson with a new location for academic programming.

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) announced the dates for this year’s free fall ACT Senior Retake opportunities.Traditionally, Tennessee high-school students take the ACT test during the spring of their junior year and then have the option of retaking the test in the fall of their senior year during normal school hours for free.

Fisk University’s Board of Trustees announced Girl Scout Leader Dr. Agenia Walker Clark as the university’s new president.Clark will be the 18th president and the third female head in Fisk’s history.

Tennessee State University (TSU) President Glenda Glover announced her retirement from the position after a decade of service Monday.“Serving as president of TSU has been an honor of a lifetime. Words cannot express the emotions I have as I stand before you this morning. TSU prepared me for every accomplishment I have achieved throughout my career. This is indeed more than a full circle moment for me,” said Glover.Glover was born in South Memphis and later moved to Nashville to attend college at TSU where she would graduate in 1974.

A new report by the Tennessee Comptroller found Tennessee students are showing a strong interest in Health Science careers.The Health Science cluster is the most popular choice for students taking career and technical education (CTE) courses in both high school and in college and trade schools according to the Comptroller.Out of more than 74,000 high school students participating in CTE, more than 22 percent are taking health science classes. That’s more than 16,000 students.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) announced Thursday that the state is seeing the largest increase in students going straight from high school to college since the Tennessee Promise launched in 2015.According to the THEC report, Tennessee’s statewide college-going rate for the class of 2022 is 54.3 percent, an increase of 1.5 percent from the year prior. 

Lee stated he will propose an additional investment of $350 million into TISA which would include $125 million for teacher pay raises.

Legislation to make the HOPE Scholarship accessible to graduate students received support from two key education leaders in the State House on Monday.