Tennessee’s free community college plan draws interest, questions

In a little over a year, Tennessee becomes the first state in the nation to offer free community college education to nearly every resident without a degree.

Called Tennessee Reconnect, it was one of Governor Bill Haslam’s signature proposals that passed the legislature last week.

The admissions director at Nashville State Community College says she gets a thousand phone calls a week, some of them just learning about Tennessee Reconnect.

“They want to know the requirements, if they are going to be eligible,” says Laura Moran. “They want to know when it starts.”

One of those who may be calling is Berwin Freeman Sr., who was at the community college with his son.

The elder Freeman is very interested in going back to school when the free community college tuition statewide begins in the fall of 2018.
“There are several things that I am interested in,” says Freeman. “Theology and counseling. I would like to do drug rehab counseling.”He is one of the people Gov. Haslam may have been thinking about when he introduced the proposal this year, so that more adults would go back to get college degrees and become more of an educated workforce.

Matthew Burdette works in the community college’s bookstore and is already a student there, so he knows why some 25-year-olds like him don’t go to college right away.

“Having an opportunity to come back later on, when you are more mature, situation, or ready for it financially, and I have friends where kids pop up,” says Burdette.

Some more details are expected next week when the measure is signed into law by Gov. Haslam. There will be a several ceremonies of the event with the governor scheduled next week at several community college campus sites statewide.

Reserves from the Tennessee Lottery will fund the Tennessee Reconnect program. Many of the questions can be answered at the programs website, TNReconnect.gov.

Courtesy of WKRN News 2