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Measure to Help Tennessee Students Attend Community Colleges

Tennesseans looking to attend a two-year public community college are getting some assistance.

Gov. Bill Haslam held a ceremonial bill signing yesterday at Chattanooga State Community College establishing an endowment of at least $35 million through the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation for need-based students.

The measure was part of Haslam’s legislative agenda this year and is a component of his “Drive to 55” initiative that aims to increase the number of Tennesseean’s with at least a two-year college degree or certificate. Haslam wants to raise that number to 55 percent by 2025. Currently, only 32 percent of the state’s residents have at least a two-year degree.

Haslam officially signed the bill in April.

Whitney grew up listening to Car Talk to and from her family’s beach vacation each year, but it wasn’t until a friend introduced her to This American Life that radio really grabbed her attention. She is a recent graduate from Union University in Jackson, Tenn., where she studied journalism. When she’s not at WKMS, you can find her working on her backyard compost pile and garden, getting lost on her bicycle or crocheting one massive blanket.
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