The Tennessee legislators have been very busy this year. They have been proposing several policies that could have a large potential effect on UTM.
The bill that has been introduced that will potentially have the largest effect on campus is the Tennessee Promise.
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced the details of the Tennessee Promise, which proposes that all high school graduates will have the opportunity to attend a Tennessee community college or Tennessee College of Applied Technology center free of tuition and fees for two years.
This has the potential to impact UTM in regards to freshmen enrollments. Students who choose to go to the community college and/or the TCAT will experience college in a different way than attending a four-year university.
The funds to pay for this proposal will come from the HOPE Lottery by reducing the freshmen and sophomore scholarship for those who choose to attend a four-year institution instead. The amount of the junior and senior HOPE scholarship will be increased for those who continue beyond the community college or TCAT.
Some other bills that were introduced are widely varying and could all take different severity of effectiveness:
- House Bill 1372 by Johnson C addresses the Tennessee Veterans Education Transition Support Act (Tennessee VETS). This act seeks to assist veterans in transitioning from military service into enrollment at a Tennessee public institution for higher education. It will allow under certain conditions that Veterans be given in-state tuition to attend.
- House Bill 1777 by William R addresses the Tennessee Go Build Fund. Its purpose is to encourage more students to seek a credential leading to a career in the construction industry, which is intended to improve economic development and industrial recruitment to Tennessee.
- House Bill 1929 by White M seeks to define residency in Tennessee. UTM does not admit undocumented students; therefore, this bill should not have a financial impact for UTM.
- Senate Bill 1452 by Green addresses higher education tuition discounts. It addresses local education authority (LEA) tuition discounts that can be applied for higher education (25%).
- Senate Bill 1610 by Green continues to address higher education tuition reductions.
- Senate Bill 1927 by Finney is related to the Tennessee rural teachers scholarship. Its intent is to increase the number of teachers who are willing to teach in rural areas.
- Senate Bill 1951 by Gardenhire addresses tuition for undocumented aliens. UTM does not admit undocumented aliens; therefore, this bill should not have a financial impact on our campus.
- Senate Bill 2094 by Green relates to tuition and fees at public institutions of higher education. Specifically, it addresses “Military Education Assistance for Tennessee Act” and states that “A veteran enrolled at a public institution of higher education shall be charged for tuition and fees no more than the maximum tuition reimbursement provided under the Post-9/11 Bill benefits for Tennessee residents.
- Senate Bill 2173 by Bell relative to fiscal impact of state policy changes. This bill suggests that any change to a policy/procedure would have to be reviewed and approved by the fiscal review committee before making such change(s). This could have a significant impact on how the university operates, depending upon the definition of “Policy Change”.
- Senate Bill 2182 by Campfield addresses disclosure of student records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is an important piece of privacy legislation for students and families. This bill could impact how that federal law is handled on the UTM campus.
- Senate Bill 2235 by Tracy relates to the Dual Enrollment grant in Tennessee. A four-year dual enrollment pilot program is proposed to determine whether increasing the amount of the dual enrollment grant would increase participation in high school and later success in college.
- Senate Bill 2357 by Gresham addresses hate crimes on campus. UTM already complies with all requirements; however, this bill will provide a requirement for reporting to the education committees of the senate and House of Representatives. The intent is to increase awareness.
- Senate Bill 2362 by Gresham relates to the duties of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). Its intent is to create a mechanism for regulating the Tennessee Transfer Pathways (TTP). UT Martin proactively participates in the TTP program.
- House Bill 1735 by Sexton relates to dyslexia and the need for proper training for teachers and other educators.
- Senate Bill 1692 by Massey establishes the minimum accessibility criteria for electronic instructional materials and related technology used by institutions of higher education. UTM is proactive in meeting all requirements and will continue to comply with all laws as required.
- Senate Bill 1597 by Green creates the Tennessee Come Back for Your Future scholarship. Under certain conditions, if passed, will provide scholarships to financially enable students to return to UTM to complete their degree.
- Senate Bill 1683 by Gresham relates to tuition and fees at public institutions of higher education. The bill suggests, under certain conditions, if passed, tuition would be frozen at the rate charged when the full-time student entered the institution. This would allow families to plan for the expenses that would be incurred over the four years in college.
- House Bill 1566 by Casada relates to publishing of information by state governmental entities. Lists would be provided to alert students as to what personal information would be collected applying for admission.
These are not all inclusive of every piece of legislation; however, as you can see, the house and senate have been extremely busy this year. Many of these bills could have a significant impact on our campus here in Martin.
Time will tell which make it through the approval process and which will not. One thing that is clear, UTM will advocate for what is in the best interest of its students and it will focus on providing a quality education above all else.
