Seven counties see increase to college-going rate
PARSONS, Tenn. — The amount of high schoolers heading to college increased thanks to a statewide partnership.
According to a news release from the Ayers Foundation, seven counties in Tennessee saw an increase in their 2022 college-going rates.
Counties that saw an increase from 2021 to 2022 included:
- Hardin County from 51% to 74%
- Benton County from 46% to 69%
- Haywood County from 42% to 58%
- Wayne County from 50% to 66%
- Claiborne County from 51% to 63%
- Union County from 35% to 53%
- Lewis County from 45% to 70%
Back in 2021, Gov. Bill Lee, the Tennessee General Assembly and The Ayers Foundation joined together in the Governor’s Rural Education Foundation to help focus on the rural, economically distressed or at-risk counties.
“Thanks to the continued trust and support of Governor Lee and the General Assembly, and the dedicated work of our Ayers counselors with local educators, school leaders, students, and parents, we are very pleased to see and report these big jumps in college-going rates in the latest counties and high schools we serve,” said Janet Ayers, President of The Ayers Foundation. “Our mission is to improve the quality of life of people of rural Tennessee, and we believe education and increased employability that will lead to higher standards of living are key.”
“Tennessee is leading the nation in expanding educational opportunities across our state’s rural communities,” said Governor Bill Lee. “I commend The Ayers Foundation for its partnership to support students, strengthen our workforce, and transform rural Tennessee.”
You can see a breakdown of the increases for each county here.
You can find the full news release from the Ayers Foundation here.
You can find more news from across the state here.
