Gov. Haslam introduces proposal for free community college tuition

JACKSON, Tenn. — It may sound too good to be true, but free college tuition may soon be a reality for some non-traditional students.

In the State of the State address Monday night in Nashville, Gov. Bill Haslam introduced a proposal called the Tennessee Reconnect Act that might make it easier for adults to go back to school.

“Tonight, I’m introducing the next step in making certain that everyone in Tennessee has the opportunity to earn their degree,” Haslam said. “I am proposing that Tennessee become the first state in the nation to offer all adults access to community college, free of tuition and fees.”

Knowledge is said to be power. And if this proposal is approved, Tennessee will be given a power that no other state in the nation has, at no cost to taxpayers. And local community colleges say they’re confident it would benefit the residents of West Tennessee.

Staff at Jackson State Community College believe the Tennessee Reconnect Act will only bring good things to West Tennessee because programs similar to it have already proven successful in the past.

“It’s definitely going to expand what Promise has done for our students in the area and give our adult students to higher education, those that probably thought they wouldn’t have the opportunity to return,” said Dewana Latimer, director of financial aid at JSCC.

JSCC students who are already enrolled in the Tennessee Promise Act, a similar statewide program, say they’re grateful for the opportunity to have a funded education.

“Without the Tennessee Promise, I probably would not have come to college to start with because I had no idea how to pay for it, and it has helped me to be able to reach my dream job of being a nurse,” said Kayla Carpenter, a nursing student at JSCC.

Staff at JSCC say, if the proposal is approved, they’re looking forward to expanding their student body to those non-traditional students interested in pursuing a higher education.

“Any education is going to take you a lot farther in life,” Latimer said.

The state legislature will make further decisions on the Tennessee Reconnect Act in the next coming weeks.