Motlow State Community College continues to make headlines as one of the state’s top performing institutions for the Tennessee Promise scholarship program. After leading all colleges in Tennessee in enrollment growth for the fall 2015 semester, Motlow recently topped all Tennessee community colleges in another important category. Of the 13 participating institutions in the state, Motlow had the highest percentage of students completing their community service requirement for the upcoming spring semester. Eighty-eight percent of the students enrolled in Tennessee Promise at Motlow completed the minimum of eight hours of community service required by the Dec. 1 deadline.
“Starting with Governor Bredesen, and now elevated by Governor Haslam, we are grateful for the Tennessee Promise and for the hopes and dreams that this will provide to a whole new generation of Tennesseans who might otherwise never have had the opportunity to go to college,” commented Dr. Anthony Kinkel, Motlow president.
In order to continue to qualify for the program, high school graduates are required to complete a minimum of eight hours of community service each semester, maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0, and meet with their mentor.
When Motlow led all Tennessee colleges in growth at the beginning of the fall term, it was recognized that the biggest challenge moving forward would be retaining students under the requirements of Tennessee Promise. Achieving the highest percentage of students completing their community service indicates Motlow is well on its way to meeting this challenge.
Not to be lost in these impressive numbers is the impact the Tennessee Promise program has on the lives of the individuals that comprise the results. Students who otherwise might not have the opportunity to obtain a college education are getting the chance to improve their lives by attending a community college.
Tennessee Promise provides Tennessee high school graduates the opportunity to go to a community or technical college tuition-free. It is both a scholarship and mentoring program providing last-dollar funds to cover tuition and fees not covered by the Pell grant, the HOPE scholarship, or Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA) program.
The program has been established as a critical part of Governor Haslam’s “Drive to 55” initiative for the state, which aims to increase the number college graduates in the state from 32 percent to 55 percent by the year 2025.
For more information about the Tennessee Promise at Motlow, visit TNPromise.mscc.edu or contact Jonathan Graham, Motlow Tennessee Promise coordinator, at jgraham@mscc.edu or 615-220-7839.
