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THEC and partners seek recurring funds for 'Career Starts Here TN' to scale proven student-success pilots
Summary
THEC, TBR, Tennessee Achieves and the ARIS/Ayres Foundation asked the committee to support Career Starts Here TN, a recurring funding request that would scale four proven strategies (career exploration, dedicated coaching, completion grants, and an innovation lab) with explicit dollar requests for coaching ($5M) and grants ($7.5M).
THEC proposed Career Starts Here TN, a partnership led by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the Tennessee Board of Regents, Tennessee Achieves and the ARIS/Ayres Foundation, seeking recurring state funding to expand four evidence‑based strategies aimed at boosting credential completion at community and technical colleges.
Steven Gentile summarized the four components and dollar requests: scale college coaching (a $5,000,000 recurring request to expand the Tennessee Coaching Project), expand completion coaching and emergency grants for low‑income students ($7,500,000 recurring for Tennessee Achieves and the ARIS Foundation), double access to Advise TN and Navigate Reconnect with a $3,000,000 request to serve more high school and adult learners, and create a $500,000 recurring TBR Innovation Lab to support campus pilots and AI adoption.
Gentile described the pilot evidence as promising and asked the committee to consider state support either in the governor’s budget or as a committee bill if necessary. Committee members expressed strong interest in carrying the idea forward and requested follow-up on which elements would be in the executive budget versus legislative proposals.
