New data from the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) notes “significant momentum” in today’s increasing college-going rate in Tennessee, highlighted by a 2.4 percentage point increase for the class of 2023 over the class of 2022.
According to a recent THEC report, Tennessee’s 56.7 percent college-going rate for the class of 2023 “represents the largest year-over-year increase” since the initial implementation of the tuition-free Tennessee Promise scholarship program in 2015. It noted that the college-going rate shows the percentage of Tennessee public high school graduates who “seamlessly enroll in postsecondary education” immediately following high school.
“In the fall of 2022, THEC was pleased to work with partners across the state to launch a ‘Momentum Year’ to increase the college-going rate for the class of 2023, to increase adult enrollment in higher education through Tennessee Reconnect, and to improve coordination and alignment in education and workforce training,” Steven Gentile, THEC’s executive director, said in a public statement.
“It is gratifying to see those efforts pay off in helping even more Tennessee students and adult learners pursue their dreams and careers with college degrees and workforce credentials beyond high school,” he continued. “However, we know there is still so much more work to do to help ensure every Tennessean has the opportunity for college access and success, which is why we are doubling down on FAFSA completion with the class of 2024 this summer to help more students maximize free financial aid.”
According to the report, economically disadvantaged students had a 39.3 percent college-going rate, while their non-economically disadvantaged peers had a 65.3 percent college-going rate. In addition, the college-going rate for the class of 2023 is 56.7 percent, representing a 2.4 percentage point increase compared to the previous year. This increase represents the largest year-over-year increase since the initial implementation of the tuition-free Tennessee Promise scholarship in 2015, it added.
Among other findings, the college going rate for the class of 2023 is up across all race/ethnicity and gender pairs. White females, Hispanic/Latino males, and female students in the “Other” race/ethnicity group saw growth in college-going rates above the statewide growth average of 2.4 percentage points. Students who participated in the state’s Dual Enrollment Grant at any point in high school were also found to have consistently higher college-going rates than their high school peers, according to the report.
