Fall 2024 Update: Refreshed Website, Celebrating 10,000 Students, COMPLETE Coaching
Fall at tnAchieves represents new seasons! A season of new college freshmen and sophomores. A new season of TN Promise high school applicants. I am always in awe of our small but mighty team who works to meet our nearly 90,000 students where they are.
We spent this summer planning, organizing and innovating to ensure this is our best season yet. We thought critically about what it means to tell the tnAchieves story and highlight the incredible accomplishments of tnAchieves students. We took time to reflect on amazing milestones surpassed at multiple community colleges throughout the state. And, we solidified COMPLETE, the tnAchieves proactive coaching model with a robust curriculum and strong in-person meeting efforts.
I encourage you to visit our newly redesigned website. It has a new feel and layout meant to make finding what you need easier. We also worked to explain tnAchieves and its programs in a more comprehensive way. Take a look around and learn more about the ways we are working to build Tennessee's workforce. From our state's innovative TN Promise scholarship, to volunteer mentor support, to proactive college coaching, tnAchieves programs are well represented. Additionally, we will use our new website to host valuable data resources like our annual report and county impact updates.
If you are interested in helping the next class of TN Promise students achieve their goals, our mentor program is for you! Learn more and apply by November 15. Mentors are the heart of tnAchieves and we are grateful for the thousands of Tennesseans who stand with students each year.
I am thankful for my 17th fall with tnAchieves and for each person who makes this work a success!
Krissy
Krissy DeAlejandro
President & CEO
Program Updates
A Refreshed tnAchieves.org
In 2014, tnAchieves scaled from 27 Tennessee counties to 80+. This growth called for adjustment and innovation, including a new tnAchieves website. That new website opened the door to the idea of college for hundreds of thousands of students and families in its 10-year run. While it served its purpose well, time (and our reliance on mobile devices) passed it by.
We are excited to launch the next era of tnAchieves online with a new website. This refresh is meant to improve navigation, making it even easier to find what you need when you access tnAchieves.org. We know many of our visitors are here for a specific purpose, so we are hopeful this new website connects you to the resource you are looking for and maybe some you didn’t know you needed.
We are optimistic that this new web presence will bring another 500,000+ students to the well of college — all types of college. While we know it may take a little getting used to, we feel confident you will find it much more user-friendly once you get the hang of it. A few things stay the same — you can still find the “high school senior” or “mentor” section, the community service button is still in the “top right-hand corner” and you will still find all the information you need to stay eligible for TN Promise. It’s just a little easier to find now.
Celebrating 10,000 Students Enrolled
This fall, we were thrilled to host a series of celebratory events at Chattanooga State Community College, Columbia State Community College, Nashville State Community College, Northeast State Community College, Roane State Community College and Southwest Tennessee Community College to commemorate 10,000 tnAchieves students enrolled. These celebrations were filled with excitement and pride as students, faculty, and community members gathered to mark this milestone. Each college created a unique and welcoming atmosphere, showcasing the strength of the partnership between tnAchieves and these outstanding institutions. It was a remarkable opportunity to recognize the dedication of students and the colleges’ unwavering support in fostering educational success across Tennessee.
We are deeply grateful to our community college partners for making this achievement possible. Your commitment to student success and ongoing collaboration has been pivotal in reaching this milestone. As we celebrate this achievement, we eagerly look forward to welcoming the next 10,000 tnAchieves students. Together, we will continue to expand access to higher education and empower students to reach their full potential.
COMPLETE Coaching is Underway
In July, tnAchieves COMPLETE coaches began connecting with their latest group of students. These initial introductions led to on-campus meetings which are currently underway!
Launched in partnership with Tennessee’s community and technical colleges, COMPLETE provides economically-disadvantaged TN Promise students with proactive, targeted coaching. COMPLETE Coaches embed on college campuses, meeting students where they are to build relationships and serve as an accountability partner. Impressively, students who work with a COMPLETE Coach are 6X more likely to graduate from college than their peers.
Each fall, COMPLETE coaches meet with thousands of tnAchieves students, each arriving with unique college and career goals. These short, in-person meetings give coaches an opportunity to understand each student's particular journey and provide personalized guidance that leads to college graduation.
Through the end of September, coaches have already met with more than 1,200 students on campus.
In addition to proactive coaching, COMPLETE students have access to COMPLETE Grants. Requested by the student, COMPLETE grants are designed to ensure unexpected financial hurdles are not barriers to college success.
In just two months, students have received $942,707 in COMPLETE Grant funding.
COMPLETE Grants are a game changer for students. Since the launch in 2022, tnAchieves has distributed more than $5.6M in funding to our state's most vulnerable students to assist with food insecurity, transportation challenges and tools/supplies needed to succeed in college.
Read a COMPLETE Grant story from tnAchieves Director of K12 Partnerships Holly Hunnicutt highlighting the impact of this critical additional funding.
Partner Spotlight
Mark Your Calendar
TN Promise Application Deadline: Nov. 1, 2024
The TN Promise application is open to the Class of 2025! TN Promise provides all Tennessee high school seniors with the opportunity to attend college tuition-free. Students must apply at TNPromise.gov by November 1, 2024 to be eligible for the scholarship!
Next Community Service Deadline: Dec. 2, 2024
Current college students must complete and submit 8 hours of community service by Dec. 2, 2024 to retain TN Promise eligibility. Learn more about this deadline and submit at tnAchieves.org/cs!