Photo from the Johnson City Press used with permission
By Andrew Hollandsworth
*Editor’s Note: This article was revised and updated on Monday, Feb. 17.
If you could go back and redo your college education, what would you do differently? Would you try to attend a different school? Would you try harder in high school to get a scholarship? What if I told you that as an incoming freshman you might get two years free tuition at a community college? Would you have gone to Milligan?
Last Monday in his State of the State Address, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced the “Drive to 55” education plan that would increase student aid for two-to-three year community colleges while decreasing aid to four-year institutions. The plan calls for an increase in the amount of HOPE scholarship that an incoming freshman would receive in his or her first year at a community college, not a four-year college.
Currently, Tennessee ranks 21st in overall education quality, a ranking the “Drive to 55” campaign looks to increase with this proposal. In an official statement, President Greer said that Milligan “agrees with the importance of increasing educational attainment in Tennessee,” but “supports the stance of the Tennessee Independent College and Universities Association (TICUA) in strongly encouraging Governor Haslam to find other funding means for the Tennessee Promise program.”
The plan stipulates that no funding will be in tax form to any Tennessee citizens. Four-year institutions like Milligan will still receive the same amount of financial aid money, the big difference being the timing.
Lee Fierbaugh, vice president for enrollment management, said that the first few years are critical to student retention. She also noted that Milligan already has a strong relationship with surrounding community colleges via transfer agreements and resources.
So far, Milligan administration and others have said that the potential increase for enrollment in community colleges will strain their housing, personnel, and other important resources. Fierbaugh said that the backloading of tuition aid could make four-year institutions less accessible and “freshmen friendly.”
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