Register to attend the upcoming FAFSA Completion Session on Saturday, November 17 from 10am – 2pm at the Benjamin L. Hooks Library & Information Center located at 3030 Poplar Avenue.

The 2019-2020 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
OPENS October 1, 2018 and the Leadership Memphis/Graduate
Memphis Team and volunteers want to make sure high school
seniors, their parents, and adults interested in attending college
have an opportunity to apply. Click the link below to register.

FAFSA Registration

The Back to School Scholarship, WGU’s largest national scholarship offer to date, is valued at up to $2,000 per student, and is open to new students in any of the more than 60 bachelor’s and master’s degree programs offered at WGU Tennessee.

Affordability is key in helping students complete their degrees, and our Back to School Scholarship makes it even easier to reach that goal.

If you have employees or members who are ready to take the first step toward completing degrees, we hope you’ll encourage them to apply before the deadline.

https://tennessee.wgu.edu/tuition_financial_aid/scholarships/backtoschool#

If you want to create an FSA ID now, go for it!

Why Complete to Compete?

With the support of the General Assembly, the Drive to 55 initiative has created more opportunities for more Tennesseans. Since the implementation of the groundbreaking Tennessee Promise program, more Tennessee students are going to college than ever before. In fact, the state’s college going rate, a metric difficult to move, has increased by roughly five percentage points since 2011. While more students are entering postsecondary education, the six-year graduation rate in Tennessee is currently 26.3 percent for community colleges and 56.8 percent for four-year institutions. Now more than ever before, Tennessee postsecondary institutions have an imperative to advise and guide students on their path to on-time completion, and this bill moves us closer to accomplishing that objective.

The Promise and HOPE 30-in-12

Under this proposal, students who receive either the Tennessee Promise or HOPE scholarship would be required to complete a minimum of 30 academic hours in 12 months or risk losing a portion of their award. The math is clear: to graduate on time, students must take at least 15 credits per fall and spring semester, or 30 credits per year including summer terms. Currently, many students default to 12 hours per semester because this classifies as full-time status for administrative purposes. Research shows the significant benefits of taking the credits needed to graduate on time: better academic performance, higher retention rates, and the increased likelihood of completion. Each extra semester comes with a cost, both to the student and the institution, and the longer it takes, the greater the likelihood that students will not earn their degree or credential. The bottom line: changing the requirement to a minimum of 30 credit hours in one year is good for students, institutions, and the state.

Structured Schedules for Success

When students start strong, they are more likely to complete their degree or credential. Yet, despite this fact, too few of our Tennessee Promise students are showing up to community colleges on day one with a clear sense of how to set up their academic schedule for success. This proposal restates the legislative intent for our community and technical colleges to become a more unified system to maximize effectiveness and enhance student success. Under this bill, the college system of Tennessee, which includes both community colleges and TCATs, would be required to implement a structured, ready-made scheduling for all entering freshmen based on the student’s academic program.

Complete to Compete Overall Plan

In addition to the 30-in-12 and structured scheduling provisions, the Complete to Compete initiative includes additional financial supports for both students and our institutions. The overall initiative also includes: 1) the addition of advisors at each community college; 2) the deployment of a college coaching network across the state to work directly with college students; 3) the expansion of the SAILS program to reduce the need for remediation; 4) the expansion of the bridge program that offers intensive pre-college orientation and remediation support for Tennessee Promise students; and 5) the creation of a mobile, modular lab that can be used to provide training in some of the higher education “deserts” in Tennessee, where students are not readily able to access post-secondary opportunities.

Drive to 55 Background

In 2013, Governor Haslam launched the Drive to 55 to increase the number of Tennesseans with a postsecondary degree or certificate to at least 55 percent by 2025. As a result, the Haslam administration and General Assembly established the Tennessee Promise and Tennessee Reconnect programs to allow high school graduates and adults meeting certain requirements to attend two years of community or technical college free of tuition and mandatory fees. Drive to 55 is changing the landscape of what is possible in Tennessee public higher education, its workforce and economy.

On Wednesday, May 24 Graduate Memphis, an action initiative of Leadership Memphis, hosted Governor Haslam for a ceremonial bill signing of the Tennessee Reconnect Act which will allow adults, age 25 or older to attend Southwest Community College or Tennessee College of Applied Technology tuition-free. To date Graduate Memphis has helped approximately 850 adults enroll in school. More than 80% of those who re-enrolled through Graduate Memphis have graduated or are actively pursuing their degree. For more information about how you or a family member can take advantage of this opportunity, you can visit their College Resource Center at the Benjamin L. Hooks Branch of the Memphis Public Library, 3030 Poplar, or call our office at 901-415-2774.

• Registered with Graduate Memphis: 5,900+ Adults
• Total Enrollments/Re-Enrollments: 850 Adults
• Currently Enrolled: 587 Adults
• Total Graduates: 143 Adults through December 2016
• Currently Advising: 1,687 Adults
• More than 80% of adults enrolled through Graduate Memphis have graduated or are still actively pursuing their degree…

Every instructor will tell you, “Never stop learning and growing.” In your career, you may wear one hat today, but this does not mean you cannot wear a different one tomorrow. New, challenging circumstances can teach you valuable lessons in your career and provide personal growth. Sometimes, a challenge can start you on a path to a second career you never envisioned for yourself. Challenge yourself at one of our free workshops.

2.  You’ll Meet New People, Make New Friends

One word: community. At Graduate Memphis, we believe you can never have enough connections in the field that inspires you. In expanding your circle of fellow colleagues, you are expanding the number of resources you can tap into for inspiration and support. At a workshop, you’re guaranteed to meet new people and make new friends.

3.  Your World Will Become Broader

If you’re bold enough to go somewhere you have never been before, your world expands. Explore. Be curious. Bombard your senses. The world is yours when you go to a workshop. Witness it. Delight in it. Expand your world.

4.  Education Leads to the Best You

When you attend a Graduate Memphis workshop, you’re doing a little something for yourself. While others’ happiness is important, focusing on yourself with a challenging learning experience creates a well-rounded, more balanced you. When you are the best version of yourself, you can be a better family member, colleague, community member, and friend. We believe educational experience leads to happiness and fulfillment. Let the guilt of focusing on your passions wash away. You will have plenty of stories, experiences, and photographs to share upon your return.

5.  You Can Still Change the World

Believing you can be a force of change in the world is not a feeling exclusively for twenty-somethings. Allow your experiences to feed your passion and drive your mission. As you learn from masters of a craft and experience new people in your adventures, the greatest challenge can come from using those skills upon your return to make your local world a better place. You can change the world!

View our upcoming free Graduate Memphis workshops by clicking here.

Belhaven University, 1790 Kirby Pkwy

Belhaven University, 1790 Kirby Pkwy

Belhaven University, 1790 Kirby Pkwy

Belhaven University, 1790 Kirby Pkwy