Knox Promise is a community-based, comprehensive approach to help Tennessee Promise students persist and succeed in attaining college degrees and credentials. Knox Promise will increase the number of Knox County college graduates by providing additional financial and coaching support for students.

About Knox Promise

  • By offering our high schools' graduates two years of tuition-free community or technical college, Tennessee Promise has already increased college enrollment and degree attainment in the state. Knox Promise recognizes that some of our students need support beyond the tuition dollars.

    Knox Promise helps students successfully navigate their way through college by addressing additional needs, closing lingering economic and equity gaps, and expanding the tnAchieves coaching model. Knox Promise students will have a dedicated COMPLETE Coach to support them during college (in addition to their volunteer mentor who helps them in their transition to college).

  • Knox Promise offers three high-impact supports* to every Knox County high school graduate from the classes of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 who remains eligible for Tennessee Promise. Students who meet the criteria will be eligible to receive:

    • COMPLETE Grants, determined by need, to ensure unexpected financial burdens are not barriers to college graduation.

    • A dedicated tnAchieves COMPLETE Coach who will proactively support students until they achieve a college degree or credential.

    Again, to remain eligible for Knox Promise, students must also retain their Tennessee Promise eligibility, meaning Knox Promise students must complete all Tennessee Promise requirements by the state’s prescribed deadlines. 

    *Class of 2019 & 2020 students will receive a textbook stipend (each semester for up to five semesters).

  • Knox Promise is a first-of-its-kind Tennessee Promise community-based initiative designed to increase the number of students attending and ultimately graduating from college.  While the program is deeply rooted in student success, it is also a community-based workforce development initiative. Here in Knox County, the birthplace of the idea for Tennessee Promise (knoxAchieves), Knox Promise seeks to create a model that other communities can replicate across Tennessee and the nation. Thanks to the profound generosity of the Haslam Family Foundation, Knox Promise was launched as a pilot program for the 2019 and 2020 Knox County high school graduating classes. It is being externally evaluated by the University of Tennessee Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research to verify results and establish its impact. 

    For questions and more information, please email Krissy DeAlejandro at krissy@tnachieves.org!

COMPLETE GRANTS

Thanks to the Haslam Family Foundation, Knox Promise COMPLETE Grants are available to TN Promise students to ensure unexpected financial burdens are not barriers on the path to college graduation.

  • A Knox Promise COMPLETE Grant serves as additional funding that can cover costs outside of tuition and mandatory fees. Determining eligibility and requesting a Knox Promise COMPLETE Grant is simple! To qualify, a student must:

    1. Be eligible for a Federal PELL Grant. This is based on a student’s Student Aid Index (SAI) as determined by the 2024-2025 FAFSA. Please ask your Knox Promise COMPLETE Coach or the financial aid office at your college for clarification if you are unsure.

    2. Be eligible for TN Promise.

    3. Be enrolled as a full-time student.

    4. Complete the Knox Promise COMPLETE Grant form in its entirety, including necessary documentation.

    5. Connect with your Knox Promise COMPLETE Coach.

    Qualifying students can be awarded up to $1,500 per academic period (periods reset Aug. 1, Dec. 1 and May 1). Knox Promise COMPLETE Grants are distributed on a first come, first served basis as funding is limited.

  • Knox Promise COMPLETE Grants can be used to assist with costs associated with the categories below. It is important to note that proper documentation is required for ALL Knox Promise COMPLETE Grant requests. If you do not provide proper documentation, your request will be denied. Required documentation needed for each category is listed below!

    All Knox Promise COMPLETE Grant requests require a screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time. This schedule can simply be a screenshot from your student portal, but it MUST have your name on it. Additional documentation required for each category (if any) is listed below:

     

    Transportation to School (Gas or Uber) Gift Card or Bus Pass

    • Screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time.

    • A $100 gas gift card or $100 Uber e-gift card will be awarded upon approval. Gas cards are sent via postal service and Uber cards are sent via email. If approved for a bus pass, a COMPLETE Coach will reach out to the contact information listed on the grant request.

    Grocery Gift Card

    • Screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time.

    • A $100 e-gift card will be awarded upon approval. Grocery e-gift cards will be sent to the email provided on grant request.

    Computer

    • Screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time.

    • tnAchieves has a standard computer that will be approved unless your class/major requires something specific. Computer will be sent to the mailing address provided on grant request.

    Supplies/Tools

    • Screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time.

    • Upload a screenshot of syllabus with required materials.

    • Provide a link to Amazon wish list or Home Depot cart.

    • tnAchieves will purchase needed supplies/tools and send them to the mailing address provided on grant request.

    Rent/Utilities

    • Screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time.

    • Upload a screenshot or photo of a signed rental agreement and/or utility bill showing the amount owed that includes student name. If approved, tnAchieves sends a check directly to the vendor, so tnAchieves will need the address of where to send payment, who to make a check payable to AND account number or any additional information that should be included on a check. 

    • tnAchieves will only pay the amount owed by the individual requesting funding. For example, if there are roommates, only request the amount of rent paid each month by the individual requesting the grant, not the full rent amount. 

    • Rent/utility checks can take up to 10 days to be delivered so be sure to request this funding well in advance of the due date and/or ask for a payment extension if necessary.

    Textbooks

    • Screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time.

    • Upload a screenshot or photo of class syllabus showing required texts along with ISBN numbers for each book. 

    • Provide a link to Amazon wish list.

    • tnAchieves will purchase needed textbooks and send them to the mailing address provided on the grant request.

    Class-Specific Fees

    • Screenshot of your class schedule with your name on it showing you are enrolled full time.

    • Upload a screenshot or photo of the fees owed from student account.

    • tnAchieves will pay the college directly.

  • Knox Promise COMPLETE Grants cannot be used to reimburse for expenses already paid. In addition, funding is given via gift card or paid directly to the vendor, so students never receive a check or money directly. If you request $1,500 for “general life expenses” this will be denied as you must request funding for specific expenses (outlined above).

    If you are requesting funding in multiple categories, you will need to submit a separate grant request for each category; however, this can be completed within the same form. Simply select “yes” on the question at the end of each grant form to submit an additional request within the same form. For example, if you are requesting $100 in gas money and $450 for books, you will need to submit TWO separate grant requests.

    Please do not submit the same request multiple times!