NASHVILLE – Dozens of colleges and universities across Tennessee are joining with the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), and several other partners to officially launch a short-term social media marketing campaign called #ItsGoTimeTN.
The purpose of the campaign push is to support and encourage recent high school graduates and returning students who have not yet finalized their college-going plans to do so quickly since there are only 10 weeks left before classes start on most college and university campuses in August. Application counts at colleges in the Tennessee Board of Regents system are currently down 20-25 percent year over year for fall enrollment.
“Due to the uncertainties created from COVID-19, we have seen a dip in college applications across the state,” said Mike Krause, Executive Director of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC.) “Our goal is to convey to students the importance of finalizing their college plans and ensure that Fall 2020 continues the momentum we have seen in Tennessee in recent years.”
“We want to remind everyone that with today’s economic uncertainty and high unemployment – it is now more important than ever to earn a postsecondary degree or certificate to prepare for a rewarding career and high-demand job,” said David Mansouri, President and CEO of SCORE.
“And that’s why SCORE, THEC, and so many other partners across the state are teaming up to create a campaign to remind ALL students: There is no time to wait and no time to waste. It’s GO Time for college this fall,” Mansouri said.
A new website in support of the campaign has been created at ItsGoTimeTN.com along with social channels on Twitter and Instagram @ItsGoTimeTN to assist partners in connecting with prospective students, their parents and families.
“Our goal is to have some fun with this campaign – by creating some social media buzz using gifs and memes – but with the serious goal of getting more of our recent high school graduates, as well as returning students, signed up and going to college this fall,” Mansouri said.
“We want students to know it’s really as easy as 1, 2, 3,” Krause said. “Students should connect with their college and get their documents in right now, sign up and attend orientation on their campus, and most importantly, to get excited and go to college this fall.
“Last year, Tennessee’s high school graduates had a 61.9 percent college-going rate, and this year, we are leading the nation again in FAFSA completions, which is another strong indicator that our graduates want to go to college,’ Krause said. “We are hoping this campaign will reach and encourage all students to quickly finalize their plans.”
For more information about the campaign, visit ItsGoTimeTN.com.
(This news release was published first by the It’s Go Time TN campaign.)