SCORE President and CEO David Mansouri leads a quick conversation with Dr. Anthony Wise, President of Pellissippi State Community College, and Krissy DeAlejandro, Executive Director of tnAchieves, to discuss the innovative college access, persistence, and completion work of Knox Promise.

Knox Promise has been offering three high-impact supports to every Knox County high school graduate who is eligible for Tennessee Promise. Those supports include:

  • Completion grants to help students meet unexpected financial burdens that become a barrier to staying in school
  • A dedicated tnAchieves completion coach who proactively supports students until they achieve a college degree or credential, and
  • A unique summer support program to ensure all students get started on the right track.
Watch this episode and learn:
  • The nonacademic life challenges that often prevent persistence and completion, particularly among low-income, first-generation students of color
  • How completion grants and wraparound supports began through a student opportunity fund at Pellissippi State Community College
  • The Knox Promise model, successes, and hopes for expansion across the state
  • How Knox Promise offers a path to the middle class
  • Completion grants and what types of student expenses Knox Promise helps cover
  • How Pellissippi State Community College is looking to expand the successes of Knox Promise across all students on campus
  • Ideas for removing barriers for students who wish to transfer from two-year to four-year institutions