Tennessee Promise sees record applicants; Gov. Haslam calls for mentors

NASHVILLE — Gov. Bill Haslam announced Wednesday that the Volunteer State has received a record number of Tennessee Promise applicants. In turn, he is calling for mentors.

Nov. 1 marked the deadline for the state program which provides high school graduates two years of community or technical college free of tuition and fees.

A total of 60,780 high school seniors applied, up from 58,286 applicants in 2014 and 59,621 applicants in 2015, according to a release from the governor’s office.

The state’s goal is to secure 9,000 mentors before the deadline on Nov. 20.

Currently, 4,500 mentors have committed, and only two counties, Hawkins and Grundy, have met their goals.

For information on becoming a mentor including how to apply, visit the Tennessee Promise website.

The mentor application is available through Nov.20.