Mentors Needed to Assist High School Seniors Attend College/Tech School with Tennessee Promise Program

Press Release from Crossville-Cumberland Co. Chamber of Commerce.

Volunteers Needed…to Mentor Students in Cumberland County now in fifth year…

Any graduating senior from high school here in Cumberland County can get a two-year degree under the Tennessee Promise Program that will provide “last-dollar” funding!

The Tennessee Promise Program which launched in 2014 is again seeking local mentors for the 2018-2019 graduating class of high school seniors. Under a law passed in 2014, students can use Tennessee Promise at any of Tennessee’s 27 colleges of applied technology (TCAT’s), 13 community colleges or any in-state independent or four-year university offering an associate degree. The requirements of students in this program are as follows:

• The student must meet the requirements of the Tennessee Partnering organization (a non-profit that administers this program)
• The student must apply in their senior year and meet established application deadlines
• He/she must attend all scheduled team meetings and a mandatory college orientation
• He/she must begin in the fall after their senior year at a postsecondary institution
• The student must maintain at least 12 hours each semester
• Must complete the free FAFSA application by February 1^st
• Must maintain satisfactory academic progress, and
• Must complete at least eight hours of community service each semester
• Each student must have a mentor

Graduating seniors in 2019 that meet these criteria will have access to what is called “last-dollar” funding for a two-year degree which means that after a student applies for all other financial support-this program assures them that they can achieve the dream of that two-year degree! But, that means that all requirements listed must be met and they must work with a local “mentor” to guide them in the process of meeting their obligations.

Cumberland County Mayor, Kenneth Carey, Jr. signed Cumberland County on to this program in July of 2014 by committing to work with Knoxville-based tnAchieves (https://www.tnachieves.org/). The tnAchieves staff, who has been providing a program in several Tennessee communities prior to the Tennessee Promise Program, estimates in Cumberland County more than 400 local high school seniors might opt for the two-year degree path. This will require a minimum of 61 local mentors to help shepherd these students as they prepare and are enrolled in a postsecondary program.

So far, 16 individuals have applied to be mentors beginning this fall which leaves 45 more to apply. The deadline for mentors to sign up is November 30, 2018.

It’s easy to sign up to be a mentor! Folks can do that by clicking on: http://tnAchieves.org/mentor-application or contact the staff at the Chamber of Commerce and we will walk you through the process by calling (931) 484-8444 or contacting Brad at: brad.allamong@crossville-chamber.com.