AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, relative to higher education.
Summary
HB0738 expands eligibility for the Tennessee Promise scholarship program to include certain private career-education institutions accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) that have their primary campus in Tennessee. The bill adds these institutions as “eligible postsecondary institutions” for purposes of the scholarship and makes related conforming changes throughout Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 49-4-708. It also specifies that, beginning with the fall 2025-2026 academic year, qualifying programs at these institutions must lead to a certificate, diploma, or other credential.
The bill also sets a priority rule for access to the scholarship at these institutions: a student may use Tennessee Promise at a NACCAS-accredited eligible postsecondary institution only if there are no available enrollment slots in the student’s county at a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) for the student’s desired program of study. If a TCAT seat is available in the county for that program, the student must enroll in the TCAT to receive the scholarship. The act takes effect July 1, 2025, and applies to Tennessee Promise awards beginning with the 2025-2026 academic year.
Impact
The bill amends Tennessee’s higher education scholarship statute, Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-4-708, to broaden the list of institutions where Tennessee Promise may be used and to adjust scholarship administration and award calculations accordingly. It affects TSAC’s eligibility determinations, the institutions that may participate, and students seeking career and technical credentials, while preserving TCATs as the first option when local capacity exists. The practical effect is to extend state scholarship access to a limited class of in-state private career arts schools while maintaining existing public-sector priority.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate, support, or opposition in the available materials. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears policy-focused and targeted rather than broadly controversial, with an emphasis on expanding student options while protecting TCAT enrollment priority. The absence of recorded discussion makes the overall sentiment difficult to gauge beyond the bill’s apparent intent to increase access to career training pathways.
Contention
The main point of potential contention is the inclusion of private NACCAS-accredited institutions in a scholarship program traditionally centered on public postsecondary options and TCATs. Supporters would likely emphasize expanded access and flexibility for students pursuing cosmetology or other career-arts credentials, while critics may question using state scholarship funds at private institutions or worry about diverting students from TCATs. The bill addresses that concern by requiring TSAC to confirm that no TCAT enrollment slots are available in the student’s county for the desired program before scholarship use at the private eligible institution is allowed.