Jackson State Community College awarded Tennessee Promise grant

JACKSON, Tenn. — Jackson State Community College announced Tuesday that they have been awarded the Tennessee Promise Forward grant.

The $159,496 grant is meant to help the college focus on student success and retention, according to a release from the school.

The Tennessee Higher Education Commission announced Monday that nearly $800,000 was awarded to five community colleges.

In its application, JSCC stated that it would use the grant money to execute interventions that involve mentorship, community building and college planning, according to the release.

The application also stated that the college will begin the year by implementing a communication plan to increase outreach and touchpoints with students through their college transition, spanning from course registration to degree completion, the release states.

Grant funding also will be used to hire a Tennessee Promise Forward completion specialist who will work with Tennessee Promise students to track persistence and communicate with academic advisers and employee mentors about the status of a student’s enrollment, according to the release.

“Our goal is to provide robust support services that will help each student create a pathway to success,” Vice President of Student Services Brian Gann said in the release. “Each student will also be assigned a Jackson State employee mentor who will focus on connecting students to resources on campus.”

Tennessee Promise is both a scholarship and mentoring program focused on increasing the number of students that attend college in Tennessee. For more information, visit www.tnpromise.gov.