Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam has officially signed into law House Bill 980, sponsored by State Rep. Kent Calfee (R-Kingston) and State Rep. Ron Travis (R-Dayton) during the 2017 legislative session.
House Bill 980 creates the Tennessee Middle College Scholarship program and expands eligibility for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship to students who earn an associate degree from a state community college. The program uses proceeds from the Tennessee Lottery to help fund the two-year scholarship program for rising high school juniors who are interested in earning their degree from a community college while they also work toward completing high school.
The Tennessee Middle College Scholarship program is open to Tennessee students who are admitted to, and enrolled in, an eligible public two-year community college that partners with a local school district to offer middle college courses beginning in the fall semester of a student's junior year in high school. Under scholarship guidelines, students must also maintain a cumulative 2.75 Grade Point Average during their dual enrollment semesters. An estimated 300 Tennessee high school students could benefit from the new Tennessee Middle College Scholarship program.
“The Tennessee Middle College Scholarship program supports the academic ambitions of enthusiastic students in communities across our great state,” said Rep. Travis. “I am pleased it will help alleviate fears of financial burden so that they can focus on their work in the classroom and obtain their degree.”
“We appreciate Governor Haslam’s support of this legislation, and we thank him for signing House Bill 980 into law,” said Rep. Calfee. “It is wonderful to know that more of our Tennessee children who might not be able to attend a four-year college or university will be able to further their education and also become the future leaders of our community, thanks to the Middle College Scholarship program.”
The full text of the bill can be accessed by visiting the Tennessee General Assembly website at: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/110/Bill/HB0980.pdf