News & Press https://ticua.org/news/default.asp Thu, 9 Jul 2026 13:35:47 GMT Fri, 24 Apr 2026 18:56:00 GMT Copyright © 2026 TICUA Policy Update | April 24th, 2026 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=726601 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=726601

 

MEASURES PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Education Bills Impacting TICUA Institutions

HB2032/SB2670 although private institutions already have the ability to purchase goods and services through state cooperative purchasing contracts, this bill allows them to do so on the same terms and pricing available to public institutions of higher education. The bill, sponsored by two Memphis members, Representative Torrey Harris and Senator Raumesh Akbari, was sent to Governor Lee for signature on April 15. TICUA appreciates the work of Lemoyne-Owen College on this legislation and will work with the Department of General Services and provide guidance to our campuses on how they can benefit from the bill.

HB2305/SB2407 allows teacher candidates who have started but not completed, the required amount of clinical practice requirements to obtain a temporary clinical permit if the other permit requirements are met. A candidate who receives a temporary clinical permit can combine their clinical hours before and after receiving the permit to meet the EPP requirement. Current policy only allows the State Board of Education to issue a temporary clinical permit at the beginning of the semester. This bill provides flexibility if/when an LEA has a vacancy at other times in the academic year and wants to hire a current student teacher via a temporary clinical permit. The bill passed the Senate on March 5 and the House on April 21 and will go to Governor Lee for signature.

 

HB2095/SB2141, is a THEC ‘clean-up’ bill. The bill allows THEC to discuss certain sensitive topics (contracts, personnel) behind closed doors. The bill updates Tennessee code on student assistance awards, transfer pathways, and institutional oversight, but does not make any substantive changes around student aid. The bill was sent to Governor Lee for signature on April 23.

 

HB1952/SB2076 expands the scope of practice of optometrists to include light amplification by stimulated emissions of radiation (LASER) assisted procedures. The bill was signed by Governor Lee on April 14 and is effective upon signing.  

 

Education Bills Impacting Public Institutions of Higher Education

HB2194/SB2259 requires public colleges and universities to adopt and implement policies that clearly distinguish between tenure decisions and disciplinary actions for faculty members. The bill intends to streamline disciplinary processes by giving more authority to the chief academic officer and eliminates peer review for terminations or suspensions for misconduct. The bill requires public institutions to adopt policies to ensure tenure cannot be awarded, denied, or revoked as a form of discipline, require consistent disciplinary procedures for both tenured and non-tenured faculty, and guarantee due process for faculty members. Significantly, the bill also requires institutions to adopt policies supporting institutional neutrality, free expression, and civil discourse.  The bill was signed into law by Governor Lee on April 16 and is effective July 1.

HB1822/SB1828, the Charlie Kirk American Heritage Act, authorizes LEAs, public charter schools, public school teachers, and faculty or other instructors employed at public institutions of higher education to provide instruction on the positive impacts of religion on American history. The bill passed with one no vote and will go to the Senate floor. The bill was signed by Governor Lee on April 14 and is effective July 1.

 

HB571/SB468, the Riley Gaines Women’s Safety and Protection Act, establishes definitions of sex throughout Tennessee code, and requires restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping quarters in a variety of settings- including public institutions of higher education, domestic violence shelters, correctional facilities and juvenile detention facilities to be designated by sex. The bill passed the House on April 21 and the Senate on April 22 and will go to Governor Lee for signature.

 

HB1664/SB1713 requires each state department or agency, local government, and public institution of higher education to submit an annual attestation to the Comptroller of the Treasury that they have not implemented a discriminatory preference to increase diversity, equity, or inclusion. The bill passed the House on April 21 and the Senate on April 22 and will go to Governor Lee for signature.

 

HB1882/SB1649 changes the start date for terms for public university board of trustees appointed by the Governor from July 1 to February 1 so that their confirmation from the General Assembly takes place before their terms begin. The bill was sent to Governor Lee for signature on April 21.

 

HB1833/SB2079 as amended, changes the appointing authority for THEC board members, splitting appointments equally among the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house. The bill also revises on-time graduation rates in THEC’s outcomes-based funding formulas from three years to two years for community colleges and from six years to four years for public universities. The bill directs THEC to establish on-time target graduation rates for each institution and allows THEC to approve additional tuition and fee increases if an institution demonstrates a three-year average growth in on-time graduation rates. The bill further requires public institutions to create and implement a policy for how revenues from the out-of-state undergraduate tuition and fees are used to mitigate costs for in-state students. The bill was sent to Governor Lee for signature on April 15.

 

HB2141/SB2292 prohibits public access to commercial contracts that a public university enters into in furtherance of an intercollegiate athletics program through July 1, 2033 and permanently extends open records exemption for game and player integrity. The bill was signed by Governor Lee on April 16, effective upon signing.

 

SB1723/HB2080 restructures and increases oversight of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation by reconstituting its board of directors, subjecting certain lottery records to public records requirements, and setting a sunset date of June 30, 2030. The bill passed the General Assembly on April 21 and will head to the Governor’s desk next.

 
 
 

Gov. Bill Lee delivers his second State of the State Address to the Tennessee General Assembly in Nashville.

Photo Courtesy of Chalkbeat Tennessee

 

MEASURES WHICH FAILED

Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Bills

The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program (TELS) funds 13 different scholarships including HOPE, Tennessee Promise, and dual enrollment. Even as the types of scholarships have expanded, there has been a decline in lottery ticket sales (as sports wagering is on the rise), leading to an $80M lottery deficit. TICUA will be included in discussions with the State over the summer about addressing the lottery deficit.

 

Given current projections, all bills that would have relied on lottery dollars were withdrawn from consideration this session:

 

HB704/SB719sought to add William R. Moore College of Technology as an eligible institution for receipt of the Wilder-Naifeh reconnect grant and technical skills grant.

 

HB1121/SB1409proposed expanding eligibility requirements for Dual Enrollment Grants to high school sophomores.

 

HB1518/SB1577would have granted HOPE scholarship eligibility to transfer students, based on their performance in college, who were initially ineligible out of high school.

 

HB789/SB1151 would have given students with intellectual disabilities more flexibility by removing the 16‑month time limitation to enroll in college after high school for STEP UP scholarship eligibility.

 

SB150/HB75proposed allowing the Classic Learning Test (CLT) score to be used for admission to a public institution of higher education and to meet requirements for HOPE scholarships and grants funded by the state lottery.

 

HB1043/SB912 was a caption bill that was amended to permit high school juniors and seniors to access last-dollar Tennessee Promise scholarship funds to supplement dual enrollment support for up to 60 credit hours.

 

The following bills did not pass:

 

HB998/SB1021would have required private institutions of higher education to report foreign gifts and contracts of $50,000 or more if they are from what the U.S. State Department determines to be countries of particular concern (Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan). Although the bill unanimously passed the Senate, the House sponsor took the bill off notice in the House Education Subcommittee, noting opposition from TICUA institutions. At the federal level, the Trump administration and House of Representatives show a similar interest in tightening foreign gifts reporting. TICUA appreciates the engagement of our members on this legislation and expects this issue to remain an area of ongoing attention and engagement.

 

HB2103/SB2051 would have allowed Western Governors University to qualify for the STRONG Act, permitting National Guard members who attend WGU to be reimbursed for tuition. The reimbursement is funded by the Department of Military, rather than lottery revenue. Although the bill passed both chambers’ education committees, the bill did not pass finance committees.

 

HB1711/SB2108would have required prisons, hospitals, social services and institutions of higher education to report on the number of undocumented persons receiving benefits. Public and private institutions of higher education would be required to report the number of students who receive federal or state financial assistance starting with the 2026–2027 school year. The bill did not pass out of finance committee.

 

HB2181/SB2261would have required non-profit organizations that receive state or federal grants to publicly post the salaries of its employees. The bill failed in Senate Commerce and Labor Committee on March 3.

 

The intent was to provide a temporary solution to address teacher shortages, an issue House Speaker Cameron Sexton spoke about at length during TICUA’s Annual Meeting on February 24. Although the bill passed the House Education Committee, it was never put on notice in the Senate, which meant it could not advance this session.

 

SB2109/HB1888 would have waived the educator licensure requirement for an individual without a bachelor’s degree who has at least ten consecutive years of full-time teaching experience at a private school in the state and who submits extensive documentation. The bill did not pass finance committees.

 

HB1894/SB1899 would have allowed a public institution of higher education to suspend a faculty member, including tenured faculty members, without pay during any investigation or hearings conducted to determine whether adequate cause for the faculty member's termination exists.

 

HB2581/SB1838 sought to prohibit public institutions of higher education from conferring any new tenure after July 1, 2026.

 

HB2025/SB1959 sought to require every public institution of higher education to build a Charlie Kirk Memorial Courtyard for Civil Debate.

 

HB1948/SB1696allows institutions of higher education to provide a benefit to one sex if they also provide something similar to the opposite sex.

 

HB1977/SB2156 would have expanded teacher residency programs and update the Future Teacher Scholarship from $3,500 to $7,500 per academic year plus include non-traditional candidates (post-baccalaureate and job-embedded pathway participants) who commit to teaching in Tennessee. The bill did not pass finance committees.

 

HB1772/SB1833 sought to codify that higher education institutions cannot be held liable for negligence solely on the basis of admitting, enrolling, housing, or otherwise supporting the educational pursuits of an individual with a prior criminal conviction. Although it passed the House, the bill was assigned to General Subcommittee in Senate Judiciary, ending its bid for passage.

HB1789/SB2094 requires public institutions of higher education to provide in-state tuition to the spouse of a service member that has resided in TN for less than a year. The bill did not pass finance committees.

 

HB2617/SB2193 would have required the governor, in consultation with the state Workforce Development Board, to approve all workforce training programs eligible for federal Workforce Pell Grants. The bill also mandated coordination with other state and federal workforce programs to avoid duplicative payments for the same student costs that will be covered by new federal Workforce Pell Grants. The bill did not pass finance committees; however, TICUA has confirmed that this does not prevent the state from moving forward with implementing the new federally designed Workforce Pell program starting July 1, 2026.

 

HB1658/SB1709 enacts the "Tennessee Civics Education Act," which requires persons seeking the first issuance of a practitioner teacher license after July 1, 2027 to achieve a passing score on a United States civics test prepared by the department of education in order to obtain the license. The bill did not pass finance committees.

 

HB291/SB1077 attempted to require institutions of public higher education to require a course on American government and history, developed by the Institute of American Civics at the UT-Knoxville, as part of their bachelor’s degree requirement.

 

HB2167/SB2634 would initially have required every public institution of higher education to implement an academic holiday on general election years but the bill was amended to make it optional for universities.

 

HB1769/SB1830, the Intercollegiate Student-Athlete Protection Act, sought to create a criminal offense of student athlete harassment.

 

HB1768/SB1831 attempted to require sports wagering operators to block mobile sports betting within campus boundaries, including stadiums, on game days, and prohibits access via institutional internet networks.

 

HB1945/SB1662 proposed creating a Public Institution Athletic Program Fund to assist public institutions of higher education with expenses related to recruiting intercollegiate athletes


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Immigration

 

 

After working closely with the Trump administration on immigration reform, House Speaker, Cameron Sexton unveiled a slate of immigration bills at the beginning of session. The General Assembly has passed bills that create new crimes for immigrants who remain the state after deportation orders are issued (SB1779/HB1704); require state and local governments to use the federal E-verify to verify immigration status of employees (SB1922/HB1705); and enhance local law enforcement cooperation with ICE (SB1486/HB2018).

 
 
 

 

State House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, center, speaks about the Republican party's legislative package of bills on immigration during a news conference Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Nashville, Tenn.  Photo by George Walker IV/AP Photo

 

Health Care

 

 

Other key issues this session relate to the federal Rural Health Transformation Fund, established in the One Big Beautiful Bill, the Trump administrations’ sweeping reconciliation bill that passed last July. Tennessee could receive up to $1B over the five-year program, but states must make certain policy changes to be eligible to accept the funds, such as repealing Certificate of Need (CON) for health care facilities. The House passed its version of the CON repeal bill on Monday, April 13 (SB1369/HB0819), but the House version contains different deadlines than what the Senate passed earlier in March. The two chambers will have to reconcile their differences before session adjourns. Another health care issue that has generated significant attention has been an effort to regulate vertical integration by prohibiting Pharmacy Benefit Mangers (PBMs) from owning pharmacies (SB2040/HB1959). The bill passed out of the finance committees in each chamber but has not come up for votes on the floor. National pharmacy chain CVS has been a vocal critic of this bill and reportedly spent $4M on ad campaigns advocating again the bill. In addition, there is notable disagreement between the Office of Finance and Administration and the Fiscal Review Committee regarding the bill’s potential impact on the state budget should pharmacy costs increase—given the state’s role in administering TennCare and providing health insurance for tens of thousands of state employees.


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Additional Higher Education Bills

 

 

HB2032/SB2670although private institutions already have the ability to purchase goods and services through state cooperative purchasing contracts, this bill allows them to do so on the same terms and pricing available to public institutions of higher education.The billpassed the House on Monday, April 6 in an 81-3-3 vote. The bill unanimously passed the Senate on February 26 and will go to Governor Lee for signature. TICUA appreciates the work of Representative Torrey Harris and Senator Raumesh Akbari, both of Memphis, for working with LeMoyne-Owen College and TICUA to pass this legislation. TICUA will meet with the state’s Department of General Services after the session concludes and plans to share next steps on how our campuses can benefit from purchasing goods and services through state cooperative purchasing contracts and pricing. 

 

HB2000/SB2318 allows private institutions of higher education, including ones that are religiously affiliated, to establish public charter schools. After passing the House Education Committee last week, the bill was assigned to House Finance, Ways & Means Subcommittee due to a few factors- an indeterminate increase in state and local revenue and a potential shift in funding from traditional public schools to public charter schools. The bill passed the subcommittee and will go to full House Finance committee. The bill passed the full Senate on March 23 in a 25-5 vote.


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Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville).

Martin B. Cherry / Nashville Banner

 

HB2103/SB2051 allows Western Governors University to qualify for the STRONG Act, permitting National Guard members who attend WGU to be reimbursed for tuition. This funding comes from the Department of Military’s budget. There are 53 Tennessee National Guard members currently attending Western Governor’s University. During the hearing, there was robust discussion from members on both sides of the issue. Several members raised concerns about the cost of the proposal and noted that funding is going to an entity that is not domiciled in Tennessee, while others touted the flexibility and low tuition associated with WGU. The bill passed committee 8-7 vote. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on March 11 and was referred to Senate Finance.

 

HB2305/SB2407allows teacher candidates who have started but not completed, the required amount of clinical practice requirements to obtain a temporary clinical permit if the other permit requirements are met. A candidate who receives a temporary clinical permit can combine their clinical hours before and after receiving the permit to meet the EPP requirement. Current policy only allows the State Board of Education to issue a temporary clinical permit at the beginning of the semester. This bill provides flexibility if/when an LEA has a vacancy at other times in the academic year and wants to hire a current student teacher via a temporary clinical permit. The bill unanimously passed the committee and will go to the full House. The bill unanimously passed the Senate on March 5.

 

HB1476/SB1471 The Charlie Kirk Act requires each public institution of higher education to adopt a freedom of expression statement modeled on the University of Chicago’s Free Expression Policy, as well as an institutional-neutrality policy based on the University of Chicago’s Kalven Report. The bill prohibits institutions from refusing to invite a speaker or canceling an appearance due to controversy over the speaker’s viewpoints and prohibits retaliating or discriminating against faculty for the viewpoints they express in scholarly work or any speech protected by the First Amendment. The bill further prohibits retaliation or discrimination against individuals, student groups, or employers based on sincerely held religious beliefs; opposition to abortion, homosexuality, or transgender behavior; or an organization’s refusal to admit or employ individuals whose beliefs or lifestyles conflict with its own. After a contentious debate, the bill passed committee with all Democrats opposed and will go to House Judiciary. The bill passed the Senate 26-6 on March 26.

 

TICUA continues to monitor higher education bills that have advanced out of the education committees as they move through various stages of approval with finance committees and floor votes.  As the session concludes in April, we will provide a comprehensive status report on these bills, along with updates on other major proposals—such as the expansion of K–12 Education Freedom Scholarships and key immigration measures—that have been central to the 114th General Assembly’s work this year.


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TICUA also worked with Sen. Dawn White, Chair of Senate Education, and Rep. Clark Boyd, a House Finance member representing Cumberland University, to sponsor a TSAA budget amendment. While this does not guarantee the increase, it ensures the request receives a meaningful second review when the legislature makes the final decisions on the budget in April.

HB1882/SB1649 changes the start date for terms for public university board of trustees appointed by the Governor from July 1 to February 1 so that their confirmation from the General Assembly takes place before their terms begin. The bill passed committee and will go to the House floor. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee last week and will be voted on in the full Senate.

 

HB1789/SB2094 requires public institutions of higher education to provide in-state tuition to the spouse of a service member that has resided in TN for less than a year. The bill passed the committee and will be heard in the House and Senate Finance Committees next week.

 

HB2167/SB2634 would initially have required every public institution of higher education to implement an academic holiday on general election years but the bill was amended to make it optional for universities. The bill passed committee and will go to the House floor. The bill passed the Senate State and Local Government Committee earlier this week and will go to the Senate floor.

 

HB1888/SB2109, as amended, waives the educator licensure requirement for an individual without a bachelor’s degree who has at least ten consecutive years of full-time teaching experience at a private school in the state and who submits extensive documentation. The Senate sponsor, Chairman Dawn White, shared that the bill was in response to a specific constituent with 25 years of teaching experience and that she worked with the Department of Education to include multiple safeguards to ensure the waiver is not a regular occurrence, including the stipulation that a teacher with this waiver can only be hired when an LEA is unable to secure a qualified teacher with a valid license. The bill passed the committee after a divided vote and will be heard in House Government Operations Committee on March 30. The bill passed the Senate Education Committee on February 18 and was sent to Senate Finance, Ways & Means Committee.


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TICUA Annual Meeting

TICUA looks forward to seeing many of you next week at the 70th Annual Meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 24 and 25, 2026 in Nashville. This year’s agenda features conversations with many legislative and policy leaders of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Confirmed guests include Governor Lee, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Senate Education Chair Dawn White, House Education Chair Mark White, Higher Education Attorneys from Holland & Knight, and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile.


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TICUA Annual Meeting

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the upcoming 70th TICUA Annual Meeting to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 24 and 25, 2026 in Nashville.

 

 

This year’s agenda features conversations with many legislative and policy leaders of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Confirmed guests include Governor Lee, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Senate Education Chair Dawn White, Higher Education Attorneys from Holland & Knight, and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile.  We look forward to seeing member presidents in February!


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͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

TICUA Annual Meeting

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the upcoming 70th TICUA Annual Meeting to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 24 and 25, 2026 in Nashville.

 

This year’s agenda features conversations with many legislative and policy leaders of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Confirmed guests include Governor Lee, Lieutenant Governor McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Senate Education Chair Dawn White, Higher Education Attorneys from Holland & Knight, and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile.  We look forward to seeing member presidents in February!
]]> Fri, 6 Feb 2026 21:24:00 GMT Policy Update | Jan 23, 2026 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=719829 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=719829 Policy Update | April 25, 2025
͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

TICUA Annual Meeting

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the upcoming 70th TICUA Annual Meeting to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 24 and 25, 2026 in Nashville.

 

This year’s agenda features conversations with many legislative and policy leaders of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Confirmed guests include Governor Lee, Lieutenant Governor McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Senate Education Chair Dawn White, Higher Education Attorneys from Holland & Knight, and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile.  We look forward to seeing member presidents in February!
]]> Fri, 23 Jan 2026 21:37:00 GMT Policy Update | April 25, 2025 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706775 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706775

HB0408/SB0689, as amended, dissolves the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) governing board and transfers its responsibilities to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) Board. By statute, the TICUA chief executive officer is a member of the TSAC Board. To ensure that the private higher education sector maintains a voice and advisory role in the state’s higher education priorities and financial aid programs, the amendment also adds the president of TICUA as a member of a currently existing review committee charged with the development and revision of the higher education master plan and state financial aid. The TICUA president will join the review committee currently comprised of the THEC executive director, the chancellor of the board of regents, the president of the University of Tennessee system, each president of a locally-governed state university, and select members of the legislative and executive branches of state government.

 

HB0064/SB0472 requires all residential educational programs in this state, regardless of type or duration, that allow minors to participate or to access residential facilities to segregate multiuse restrooms, changing areas, and showers by immutable biological sex. The higher education community worked with the sponsor to add an amendment to edit the original language to more precisely narrow the focus of the bill to overnight camps and programming for minors on college campuses.

 

House Joint Resolution HJR0175 urges Tennessee universities to adopt principles of institutional neutrality, free expression and civil discourse, and the preservation of a safe and respectful campus.

 

HB0995/SB0940 furthers current Good Samaritan laws to encourage citizens to call for medical care by expanding the immunity from prosecution when seeking medical assistance for a person experiencing, or believed to be experiencing, an overdose to include alcohol-related offenses, in addition to drug overdose. It also extends limited immunity to those reporting underage drinking.

Education Bills Impacting Public Higher Education

HB1188/SB1209 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status against a student or an employee in a public institution of education; requires public institutions of education to treat harassment or discrimination against students or employees, or resulting from institutional policies or programs on their campuses, motivated by or including antisemitic intent in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race; requires Title VI coordinators to be designated to monitor antisemitic discrimination and harassment at K-12 schools and institutions of higher education.

SB0937/HB1270 specifies that students, employees, faculty members and contractors of public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education are not required to use another's preferred name or pronoun, if the preferred name or pronoun is not consistent with the individual's legal name or sex.

 

HB1056/SB0989, as  amended, provides a 25% tuition discount at the state’s public colleges and universities for children of all public school employees. The current code provides this benefit exclusively to teachers.

 

HB0919/SB0933 modifies the appointing authority of the governor, the speaker of the Senate, and the speaker of the House of Representatives to state college and university boards. The bill adds two additional appointments to the boards of public colleges and universities and gives the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor authority to appoint two members each to each board, in addition to the board members currently appointed by the governor.  The bill also allows a limited number of board members to be nonresidents of TN.

 

HB1036/SB1024, as amended allows state college and universities boards to conduct limited business privately, without the public present. Examples included contract negotiations and senior leadership performance reviews.

 

HB1344/SB1359, amended, focuses on releasing previously allocated state funds (approximately $90M) for Tennessee State University to use for operational expenses rather than capital, as previously approved.

Measures Which Failed

Behind the Budget

HB0007/SB0172 establishes the hunger-free campus grant program that could provide grants to higher education institutions to address student hunger.

 

HB0148/SB0686makes the four-year pilot Tennessee Promise completion grant program established by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission a permanent program.

 

HB1324/SB1312 changed the name of the "Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant" to "TennesseeWORKS scholarship," as proposed in the Governor’s State of the State address. The retitled scholarship would cover all the required equipment and supplies, in addition to tuition and fees, for all the TCATs.


]]> Fri, 25 Apr 2025 18:42:00 GMT Policy Update | April 4, 2025 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706773 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706773

Education Bills Impacting Public Higher Education

HB1344/SB1359 is a caption bill. The amendment focuses on releasing previously allocated state funds (approximately $90M) for Tennessee State University to use for operational expenses rather than capital, as previously approved. The bill passed.

 

HB1036/SB1024, as amended allows state college and universities boards to conduct limited business privately, without the public present. Examples included contract negotiations and senior leadership performance reviews. Decisions and votes will still happen in public. The bill passed.

 

SB0937/HB1270 specifies that students, employees, faculty members and contractors of public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education are not required to use another's preferred name or pronoun, if the preferred name or pronoun is not consistent with the individual's legal name or sex. This bill passed.

 

HB1147/SB0603 is a caption bill. The amendment provides a waiver for tuition and fees to a public university for dependents of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty. The bill passed.

K-12 Education Bills of Note


]]> Fri, 4 Apr 2025 18:37:00 GMT Policy Update | March 28, 2025 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706772 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706772

House Higher Education Subcommittee

HB1147/SB0603 is a caption bill. The amendment provides a waiver for tuition and fees to a public university for dependents of law enforcement officers and firefighters killed in the line of duty.

Five of the bills on the agenda were included on the “lottery calendar.” Given that there is a projected deficit for the lottery in the current fiscal year, the subcommittee approved a motion to move all five to next year’s lottery calendar. The bills postponed till 2026 include: HB1121/SB1409 (high school sophomores eligible dual enrollment student); HB0704/SB0719 (Moore Tech eligible for Wilder-Naifeh grants); HB 0789/SB1151 (extended eligibility for Tennessee STEP UP scholarship); HB0777/SB1085 (extends lottery scholarship eligibility to institutions with SACSCOC candidate status); HB0738/SB0803 (extends TN Promise eligibility to TN institutions accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences).

Senate Education Committee

SB0376/HB0377 prohibits the exclusion of persons from participating in, being denied the benefits of, or being subject to discrimination by a four-year public or private institution of higher education in this state on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, and national origin; prohibits such institutions from using race, color, ethnicity, or national origin in determining whether a prospective student qualifies for admission into the institution, or receives scholarships or financial aid; creates a private cause of action against an institution and its officers, employees, and agents for such unlawful practices. An amendment was added in consultation with higher education constituents to limit the liability if an admissions or financial aid staff member views student racial information in data systems and requires training about this new law to those employees once the bill becomes law.  The bill has now passed the House Higher Education Subcommittee and Senate Education and should be heard in the House Education Committee in the coming week or two.

SB0937/HB1270 specifies that students, employees, faculty members and contractors of public K-12 schools and institutions of higher education are not required to use another's preferred name or pronoun, if the preferred name or pronoun is not consistent with the individual's legal name or sex. This bill is also on the agenda to be heard at the full House Education Committee next.

SB1209 by RHB1188 prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status against a student or an employee in a public institution of education; requires public institutions of education to treat harassment or discrimination against students or employees, or resulting from institutional policies or programs on their campuses, motivated by or including antisemitic intent in an identical manner to discrimination motivated by race; requires Title VI coordinators to be designated to monitor antisemitic discrimination and harassment at K-12 schools and public institutions of higher education. This bill is also on the agenda to be heard at the full House Education Committee next.


]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2025 16:58:00 GMT Policy Update | March 21, 2025 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706771 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706771

House Higher Education Subcommittee

HB1324/SB1312 changes the name of the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant to TennesseeWORKS Scholarship, as proposed in the Governor’s State of the State address. The retitled scholarship would cover all the required equipment and supplies, in addition to tuition and fees, for all the TCATs. The bill was approved to move to the full House Education Committee, but leader Lamberth noted that the bill has a $12M fiscal note and will advance based on budget availability.

HB0408/SB0689 is a caption bill that was amended to dissolve the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) governing board and transfer its responsibilities to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) Board. By statute, the TICUA chief executive officer is a member of the TSAC Board. To ensure that the private higher education sector maintains a voice and advisory role in the state’s higher education priorities and financial aid programs, the amendment also adds the president of TICUA as a member of a currently existing review committee charged with the development and revision of the higher education master plan and state financial aid. The TICUA president will join the review committee currently comprised of the THEC executive director, the chancellor of the board of regents, the president of the University of Tennessee system, each president of a board of regents state university, and select members of the legislative and executive branches of state government. The amendment also terminates the Tennessee Teaching Scholars Program and the Minority Teaching Fellows Program, which have already been phased out since 2023.

HB0194/SB0536 is also a caption bill. The amendment added in committee focuses on updating the state’s Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws for student athletes and universities. The bill allows institutions to directly pay student athletes, adds multiple provisions to protect students’ confidentiality, and ensures the NCAA’s liability cannot be transferred to the state.

HB0007/SB0172 establishes the hunger-free campus grant program that could provide grants to higher education institutions to address student hunger. Although it has a small fiscal note ($300,000), THEC has explained that they are hoping to establish the program in code rather than seek appropriations this session. Once created, the program could accept donations from private partners as well as allocations from the state budget. Private universities are included as eligible for the program. The bill previously passed in Senate Education Committee.

HB1036/SB1024has been significantly amended, though the revised text is not yet publicly available online. As amended, the bill allows state college and university boards to conduct certain business privately, without public access. Examples include contract negotiations and senior leadership performance reviews.

Chairman Baum announced that the House Higher Education Subcommittee will hear its final calendar, which will include all bills that affect lottery scholarship funds, next week.  

Senate Education Committee

Also, on Wednesday afternoon the Senate Education Committee began hearing its final calendar. The meeting began with confirmations for University of TN Advisory Board members, followed by discussion of over 30 bills. The higher education bills are highlighted below.

SB1085/*HB0777 allows a private postsecondary institution that is a candidate for accreditation by a regional accrediting association and that has its primary campus domiciled in this state to serve as an institution at which a student may be enrolled for purposes of receiving financial aid funded using net proceeds of the state lottery. The bill passed, and if approved through the House as well, will allow Williamson College, TICUA associate member, to begin receiving Hope Scholarships after their SACSCOC candidacy approval-hopefully sometime in 2025.

SB0933/*HB0919 modifies the appointing authority of the governor, the speaker of the senate, and the speaker of the house of representatives to state college and university boards. The amendment adds two additional appointments to the boards of the Tennessee Board of Regents (Community Colleges and TCATS), locally-governed state universities, and the University of Tennessee System. The bill gives the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor authority to appoint two members each to each board, in addition to the board members currently appointed by the governor. The bill passed.

SB1151/HB0789 removes the requirement that a student with a documented intellectual disability be admitted to, and enrolled in, an eligible postsecondary institution in an eligible postsecondary program no later than 16 months after completing high school in order to be eligible to receive a Tennessee STEP UP scholarship. The bill passed but is still pending in the House Higher Education Subcommittee because it is funded by the lottery.

SB0686/HB0148 creates the Tennessee Promise completion grant special account in the state treasury for purposes of awarding completion grants to certain Tennessee Promise scholarship students; makes the four-year pilot program established by the commission to award completion grants to certain Tennessee Promise scholarship students a permanent program. This bill passed and is awaiting a vote from the House Education Committee.

House Joint Resolution HJR0175, which has already passed on the House floor, urges Tennessee universities to adopt principles of institutional neutrality, free expression and civil discourse, and the preservation of a safe and respectful campus. The committee passed it, and it heads to the Senate floor next.

SB0950/HB0958, as amended, creates a Federal Education Deregulation Cooperation Task Force to prepare this state for the potential of deregulation of federal laws, regulations, requirements, and guidance for kindergarten through grade twelve (K-12) education. Requires the appointing authorities to make appointments to the Task Force by July 1, 2025, and the Chair of the Senate Education Committee to convene the Task Force for its first meeting by August 1, 2025. The bill passed and heads to the House committees next week.


]]> Fri, 21 Mar 2025 19:44:00 GMT Policy Update | March 7, 2025 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706769 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706769

THEC’s Chief of External Relations, Lou Hanemann, testified about the current TSAA budget, from which the Ben Atchley Grant is funded. Last year the funding covered approximately 80% of the eligible students. After several questions about the fiscal note and how expanding WGU’s eligibility could impact students on other campuses (i.e., it could reduce availability for other students), the bill passed, but subcommittee members commented that they would like additional information about the impact of this bill prior to the full House Education Committee vote next week.

 

TICUA is actively engaging with all House Education Committee members to provide data about public and private recipients of the TSAA and Ben Atchley grants. Our objective is to make sure all members have accurate information about what they are voting for: giving a double portion of the need-based grant to an already low-cost, online institution, not domiciled in Tennessee. The bill has not been put on the calendar for the Senate Education Committee yet.

HB1227 amends code around the Tennessee Higher Education Commission by adding the executive director of THEC to the statutorily prescribed selection process for chief executive officers of public institutions of higher education; revising various reporting and other duties of the commission; and expanding the non-degree credentials for which a student may receive the Wilder-Naifeh technical skills grant. This bill passed and will move to the House Education Committee next.

The Senate Education Committee also had a full calendar of committee confirmations as well as budget hearings from Austin Peay State University, Tennessee Tech, and Tennessee State University on Wednesday afternoon. Only one bill on their agenda had implications for higher education.

 

SB0172 establishes the hunger-free campus grant program that could provide grants to higher education institutions to address student hunger. Although it has a small fiscal note ($300,000), THEC has explained that they are hoping to establish the program in code rather than seek appropriations this session. Once created, the program could accept donations from private partners as well as allocations from the state budget. Private universities are included as eligible for the program. The bill passed in Senate Education but will also need to pass through the House before coming to the floor. TICUA is very supportive of this measure, which could provide supplemental funds to campuses who have food pantries and other programs to address students’ food insecurity.


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HB0738/SB0803 adds institutions accredited by the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS) that have their campuses domiciled in this state as eligible institutions for the Tennessee Promise scholarship. The bill limits the availability of the scholarship at such an institution on the condition that there are no available enrollment slots in a Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) in the student's county of residence for the student's desired program of study.

 

This bill would expand TN Promise funding to 27 additional cosmetology and barber schools across the state. After four educators from representative NACCAS colleges provided testimony on how this would help their students, Representative Parkinson asked the committee to roll the bill for another week so he could refine a pending amendment. The amendment would further narrow the eligibility of the students who could use the TN Promise grant at NACCAS schools to only those TN high school graduates who had participated in dual enrollment courses in cosmetology/barbering in high school and began earning practice hours toward a Cosmetology/Barber License. The sponsor explained that if there is no availability at a TCAT upon high school graduation, those students are in danger of their practice hours expiring before a seat becomes available. Students are required to complete 1500 hours of practice to be licensed. This bill is on the subcommittee calendar again for next week.

 

Meanwhile, the Senate Education Committee had a full calendar of committee confirmations as well as budget hearings from ETSU, MTSU, and THEC on Wednesday afternoon. Only one bill on their agenda had implications for higher education.

 

SB0802/HB0841 proposed using lottery revenue (currently designated for higher education) to establish the promising futures early learning scholarship program to provide scholarships for high-quality early learning programs. After presenting the bill, Senator Massey explained that she would assign the bill to general subcommittee, meaning it would no longer be considered this session, due to other investments the Governor has pledged for early childhood funding in his FY25 budget.

 


]]> Fri, 28 Feb 2025 19:28:00 GMT Policy Update | February 21, 2025 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706766 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706766

PHOTOGRAPHY: HBCU leaders and elected officials at Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Day on the Hill. Courtesy of The Hunt Institute

Tennessee General Assembly committees are off and running this week despite the snow. State offices closed Wednesday, but the legislators moved forward with only a delayed start. On Tuesday this week, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) hosted a “HBCU Day on the Hill,” where representatives from LeMoyne-Owen College, Fisk University, Lane College, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University, and Knoxville College tabled in the hallways of Cordell Hull, participated in a panel discussion with state-wide stakeholders about the value of HBCUs, and attended a dinner where numerous state representatives and senators broke bread together and strategized on how to increase support and funding for HBCUs in Tennessee.

 

The full House Education Committee met Tuesday and heard two higher education bills that had passed through subcommittees. Both bills passed and will move forward to the Calendar and Rules Committee to be scheduled for a floor vote in the House.

The House Higher Education Subcommittee convened Wednesday to hear two bills, both of which TICUA supports and were passed with little discussion. Additionally, a House Joint Resolution (HJR0175) unanimously passed that urges Tennessee universities to adopt principles of institutional neutrality, free expression and civil discourse, and the preservation of a safe and respectful campus.

 

HB0504/SB0682 makes various positive changes and improvements to the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023. TICUA has actively been working with house sponsors, SCORE, and many of our campus education faculty members to make this scholarship more accessible to our students. Since implementation of the pilot program 3 years ago, only 9 students have been able to take advantage of it. Changes include reducing the time commitment for teaching in a target area and/or high demand specialty from four years down to two years; changing the scholarship from last dollar to a flat $5,000 per year for two years, and expanding eligibility to most all Tennessee residents who are enrolled in a teacher preparation program, not only current HOPE recipients.

 

HB1006/SB0913 As introduced, expands the list of those who are prohibited from serving on a state university board to include those who hold the position of a member of a governing body for another institution of higher education, not just public institutions of higher education. TICUA and other higher education lobbyists have been meeting with committee members and sponsors to understand the intent of this bill, which could force TICUA board members to choose between service on one of our boards and service on a TN public institution board. Chairman Baum was receptive to TICUA’s concerns and questioned the bill’s sponsor, Representative Hawk out of Greene county, during the committee meeting. The bill, however, did pass subcommittee. Since Wednesday, TICUA presidents, board members, and other higher education lobbyist have continued to ask questions about the unintended consequences of this bill, and it appears the bill may slow down and or be amended before moving forward to the full education committee and/or the Senate. TICUA is actively working this bill. We believe Tennessee to be a very collaborative state. Many stakeholders have a vested interest in seeing all institutions across sectors succeed, and we do not see a reason to limit a board member’s engagement across sectors.

 

Meanwhile, the Senate Education Committee had a full calendar of budget hearings and bills on Wednesday afternoon. The only higher education bill that was voted on and passed was SB0682/HB0504, as explained above, which amends the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship Act of 2023. This bill should go to the Calendar Committee next and may be the first higher education bill to make it to a floor vote this session.

TICUA Annual Meeting

TICUA’s 69th TICUA Annual Meeting is on Tuesday. This year’s agenda features conversations with many legislative and policy leaders of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Confirmed guests include Governor Lee, TN Commissioner of Finance and Administration Jim Bryson, Lt. Governor Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Senate Education Chair Dawn White, House Education Chair Mark White, Higher Education Attorneys from Holland & Knight, and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile. We look forward to seeing member presidents soon!


]]> Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:35:00 GMT Policy Update | January 31st, 2025 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706764 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706764

All seven bills passed, six of which with little amendments and mostly along party lines. The Education Freedom Act of 2025 (HB 6004/SB 6001), not surprisingly, was the center of much debate and activity on the hill during the week. The capitol was host to hundreds of activists for school safety (in the wake of the Antioch High School student shooting the previous week) along with passionate constituent groups for and against school choice. The bill had little trouble getting through committees. When it came for votes on the House floor Thursday, a 4-hour session that included over two dozen amendments and impassioned debate and testimonies from legislators, the bill was passed in the House with 53 votes and later in the Senate with 20 votes. While the Democrats uniformly opposed the bill, the Republican caucus was split, as many, particularly rural, communities and school boards have spoken out against the private school scholarship program.

 

Of note to TICUA: the bill’s provision in Section 5 to redirect sports wagering funds from higher education scholarships to K-12 construction projects was successfully amended slightly. Although the funds will continue to be redirected to K-12, a provision was added stating, “In any year, if the net lottery proceeds deposited in the lottery for education account. . .are not sufficient to meet the amount appropriated for educational program and purposes” then funds in the amount of the deficiency will be taken from this new K-12 construction fund and be moved over to the lottery for education account.

 

TICUA, in agreement with THEC, has several proposals about how to continue to expand the HOPE scholarship to meet more of the needs of Tennessee college students, so we hope this reallocation will not hamper legislators’ willingness to grow HOPE programs and other higher education funding to keep up with inflation as our Tennessee universities’ enrollment continues to grow in the coming years.

Federal Updates

The first 10 days of the Trump administration have been a flurry of executive orders and activity. This Tuesday’s (thankfully short-lived) pause of federal grants made for a stressful day on most college campuses and a flurry of action by our higher education advocates in Washington, D.C. The clarification that federal financial aid was not included was welcomed news, but many TICUA campuses have thriving TRIO and other grant programs that seemed to still be in limbo. Although the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) rescinded the pause the following day, the interruptions at the NSF and NIH will continue to disrupt higher education institutions that are involved in federally-funded research for an indeterminate amount of time.

A delegation of seven TICUA presidents, along with TICUA Vice President Laura Cornick and myself head to Washington, D.C. Sunday for NAICU’s annual meeting. We look forward to hearing from the new Senate Majority Leader John Thorne and the new House Committee on Education & Workforce Chair Tim Walberg.

 

We have plans to visit both Tennessee senators and at least six of our representatives on Tuesday to speak with them about pressing concerns from our sector of higher education, most notably the federal government's persisting desire to begin collecting a de facto tax on private institutions due to an ill-conceived cost-to-earnings ratio that explicitly favors public higher education.

TICUA Annual Meeting

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the upcoming 69th TICUA Annual Meeting to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 25 and 26, 2025 in Nashville. This year’s agenda features conversations with many legislative and policy leaders of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Confirmed guests include Governor Lee, TN Commissioner of Finance and Administration Jim Bryson, Lt. Governor Randy McNally, House Education Chair Mark White, Higher Education Attorneys from Holland & Knight, and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile.  We look forward to seeing member presidents in February!


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The session started off with the adoption of rules, and Governor Lee announced a special session for the week of January 27th to focus on his voucher bill, disaster relief, and immigration. Although TICUA generally abstains from issues focused on K-12 education, the current voucher bill (HB0001/SB0001) filed in the House and Senate has a provision in Section 5 to redirect sports wagering funds from higher education scholarships to K-12 construction projects. TICUA will continue to monitor and seek compromise through amendment on this section as appropriate.

 

TICUA is in support of the THEC/TSAC budget improvement request for the Tennessee Student Assistance Award. The $12 million recurring improvement is designed to support financially needy students impacted by the federal changes to the FAFSA. More will be known about this expansion when Governor Lee presents his budget request during the State of the State address in early February.  

 

TICUA Annual Meeting

REGISTRATION IS OPEN for the upcoming 69th TICUA Annual Meeting to be held on Tuesday and Wednesday, February 25 and 26, 2025 in Nashville. This year’s agenda features conversations with many legislative and policy leaders of the 114th Tennessee General Assembly. Confirmed guests include Governor Lee, TN Commissioner of Finance and Administration Jim Bryson, Lt. Governor Randy McNally, House Education Chair Mark White, Higher Education Attorneys from Holland & Knight, and THEC Executive Director Dr. Steven Gentile.  We look forward to seeing member presidents in February!


]]> Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:30:00 GMT Policy Update | Summary of the Second Session of the 113th TN General Assembly https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706746 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706746

April 24, 2024

 

TICUA Policy Summary of the Second Session of the 113th TN General Assembly

Gov. Bill Lee delivers his State of the State address to the Tennessee General Assembly in the House chamber of the Capitol in Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Feb. 5, 2024. | Nicole Hestser / The Tennessean

From the beginning of the Second Session of the 113th Tennessee General Assembly, the focus was on Governor Bill Lee’s school choice initiative. Lee’s intent was to expand his current voucher program beyond the few counties where it currently exists. The House and Senate, however, disagreed on school eligibility criteria and accountability measures. The differences persisted through the entire legislative session and were ultimately too insurmountable to be overcome. While acknowledging the measure was dead, Lee let his intentions be known that the proposal will be back for the 114th General Assembly to consider.

 

During the opening days of the legislative session, the House and Senate Finance Ways and Means Committees received tax revenue briefings from Jim Bryson, Commissioner of Finance and Administration. Bryson indicated that the tax revenues have been leveling off with a possible overall decrease of just under 3%. As well, there appears to be a legal risk to the current franchise tax assessment on property. As a result, proposed legislation was passed that removes the property measure and authorizes the Department to issue refunds to taxpayers who have paid property-based franchise taxes. The legislature included sufficient funds in their budget to accommodate the tax refund proposal.

 

Bryson indicated that the base budget would not be reduced but it may impact any proposed increases. TICUA made a visit to Governor Lee’s office in December of 2023 to support the THEC/TSAC budget improvement request for the Tennessee Student Assistance Award. The $35 million recurring improvement was designed to support financially needy students impacted by the federal changes to the FAFSA. The tax revenue forecast, however, scuttled any possibility of an improvement this year.

 

Without the possibility of additional funds for the state’s need-based student aid program, TICUA took a largely defensive posture when monitoring legislation. TICUA closely scrutinized bills seeking to alter student aid programs, reorganize THEC, expand firearm carry, and more.  

 

Below is a summary of select measures followed by TICUA. The summary is broken down between those proposals which passed the General Assembly and those which failed.

Measures Passed by the General Assembly

NC-SARA Fee Bill

HB2393/SB2826, as drafted, de-couples the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s fees from the  NC-SARA fee structure. It allows THEC to not increase the state fee of participating in NC-SARA when the national fees increase. Today, THEC’s fee is directly tied to the NC-SARA structure which has only increased over time.

 

When the decision was made for THEC to serve as Tennessee’s NC-SARA portal, it was agreed that the state fees would be tied to the direct operating expenses of the portal.  TICUA supported this proposal which will reduce the financial burden on campuses.

 

Tennessee Future Teacher Scholars

HB2180/SB2659, expands the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship pilot program to include Western Governors University. The aid program provides last dollar funding for students during the final two years of their teacher training. Student recipients must commit to serving in a high-need area of the state. Next fall will be year two of a five-year pilot and currently only one student has signed up for the program.

 

Early Use of Tennessee Promise

HB1803/SB2061, changes the start time for students to enroll in the Tennessee Promise Scholarship program from the following fall after high school graduation to no later than the semester following graduation. Essentially, this allows students to receive Tennessee Promise funds immediately following graduation. Some students complete high school early, and this allows them to take advantage of the program upon graduation rather than waiting until the subsequent fall.

 

Pepper Spray and Tasers on Campus

HB1909/SB1868, as introduced, specifies that it is not a criminal offense for an adult person to carry or possess pepper spray, a taser, or another similar device for purposes of self-defense when on property owned, operated, or in use by any college or university. An amendment by the House sponsor, Rep. Gino Bulso, removes TICUA member institutions from the bill. Generally, TICUA campuses allow pepper spray but do not allow tasers or any similar devices on campus. The amendment allows TICUA members to remain self-determinant on how to best address security issues on campus.

 

Bill Addressing Accreditation

HB2625/SB2528, as originally introduced, causes public colleges and universities to regularly evaluate their accrediting affiliations and determine if they best align with the programs offered by the campuses. The bill also indicates that accreditors may not compel public colleges and universities to violate state law. The measure allows the campus the right of action against an accreditor if it does so and instructs the institution to seek a new accreditor during the next accreditation cycle.

 

The bill went through various iterations that, at times, included TICUA member institutions.  TICUA expressed concern about the measure as originally drafted. House and Senate sponsors placed amendments on the proposed legislation removing TICUA members from the bill. As amended, the bill affirms the ability of public colleges and universities to change institutional accreditors and grants them a cause of action against an accreditor if the agency causes the institutions to violate state law.

Measures Which Failed

Unsuccessful Student Aid Bills

HB0869/SB0833, among other things, sought to clarify that a student receiving a Dual Enrollment Grant must make a cumulative 2.0 GPA to take any additional dual enrollment courses. Failure to maintain a 2.0 GPA results in “permanent disqualification” from receiving Dual Enrollment grants.

 

HB1912/SB2670, would have allowed Tennessee HOPE scholarship students who earned their first baccalaureate degree in less than five years from initial enrollment and graduated between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, to continue to receive the scholarship for graduate studies. The student needed to have reenrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution, be in pursuit of an advanced degree, and continue to meet all other applicable eligibility requirements.

 

HB1809/SB1752, extended eligibility for the Tennessee Promise scholarship to students who are enrolled full-time in a private, for-profit trade school. The school must have been approved by the Tennessee State Board of Cosmetology and Barber Examiners. This provision specifically addressed the Knoxville location of AVEDA Institutes. This is a national for-profit chain headquartered in Minnesota. TICUA opposes the inclusion of any educational program into lottery scholarship funds which is not domiciled in Tennessee.

 

HB2179/SB2327, provided for dual enrollment participation for qualified high school freshmen. The bill required high school students to complete the eighth grade and be admitted to an eligible postsecondary institution as a dual enrollment student to qualify for a dual enrollment grant.

 

HB2132/SB1672, reduced, from 23 to 21, the minimum age required for a student to be eligible for the Tennessee Reconnect grant. The bill attempted to close the age gap for Reconnect but failed to anticipate the impact on the Hope Scholarship usage. Reconnect does not carry the same rigorous renewal criteria as Hope and there was concern that students failing to meet the Hope criteria may drop out of college in order to re-enter under the Reconnect program.

 

HB2184/SB1783, as introduced, reallocated 5 percent of the privilege tax collected from licensees that offer sports wagering to be placed in a new Tennessee Promise completion grant special account. The funds were to be designated to assist the Higher Education Commission in awarding completion grants to certain Tennessee Promise scholarship students. This measure would have made the Tennessee Promise Completion Grant pilot project permanent.

 

No Action Taken on Future Workforce Commission Bill

SB461/HB902, sought to create a Future Workforce Commission to govern the utilization of the P20-TN statewide data system. TICUA is currently a contributing agency to the data system and expressed concern about the proposal. The bill, brought by SCORE, sought to make aggregated data sets more readily available to the public. Too, the bill sought to codify the governing committee, the Office of Evidence Impact (OEI), and establish a series of required annual reports.

 

The bill was filed during the first Session of the General Assembly but was deferred to the second Session due to a lack of consensus on the wording of the bill. Over the past few months, OEI began to publish data dashboards from the P20-TN data which seemed to satisfy the bill sponsors leading to no action taken on the bill.

 

Discrimination and Higher Education Bill Defeated

HB1660/SB2351, as introduced, prohibited higher education institutions from defining discriminatory practices in their anti-discrimination policies in a manner inconsistent with the definition of discriminatory practices in state law as described in TCA § 4-21-102. The language of the bill could have been interpreted to include TICUA member institutions.

 

TICUA communicated with House sponsor, Rep. John Ragan, indicating our opposition to the bill as drafted. TICUA offered some compromise language to which the sponsor first agreed. Less than an hour later, he rescinded his agreement with TICUA and attempted to push the bill through unamended. The bill was voted down in the House Higher Education Subcommittee.

 

Hunger Free Campus Grant Program Fails

HB1914/SB1977 created a hunger-free campus grant program, to be administered by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). The measure would have provided grants to the higher education community to be used to address hunger on the institutions' campuses. As used in this bill, a "higher education institution" means an institution operated by the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee; the board of regents of the state university and community college system; or a local governing board of trustees of a state university; or a private postsecondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting association that has its primary campus domiciled in this state.

 

Firearm Bills Impacting Higher Education Defeated

HB1904/SB2180 exempted persons who are authorized to carry a firearm from criminal offense if they possessed a handgun on a college or university property that is properly posted prohibiting weapons on campus. The person with the handgun must have either a handgun permit or an enhanced handgun carry permit. The weapon must have also been possessed in a concealed manner. If passed, the bill would have overridden punitive actions for carrying handguns on campus.

 

HB2082/SB2502 as amended, allowed juveniles to lawfully open-carry firearms without penalty. The measure sought to lower the age of lawful carry from 21 years to 18 years. Violation by the juvenile would have only occurred if the juvenile carried the weapon with the intention of using it in an unlawful manner.  


]]> Wed, 24 Apr 2024 18:20:00 GMT Policy Update | Legislature Moving Toward Adjournment https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706743 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706743

April 19, 2024

 

Legislature Moving Toward Adjournment

Photo Courtesy of the Nashville Banner | Senate Standing Committee of Finance, Ways and Means met on Tuesday at the Cordell Hull State Office Building. Banner Photo/Martin B. Cherry

Both chambers were able to pass the State’s $52.8 billion budget this week. This is the first step toward bringing the 113th Tennessee General Assembly to a close. $1.5 billion has been set aside in the budget to address Governor Bill Lee’s school choice bill and settle the issue around the business franchise tax refunds.

 

The House and Senate are quite a distance apart on the school voucher bill. If no agreement can be struck this next week it is likely the measure will not be passed this year. This will be the key policy focus this next week.

Senate Re-refers THEC/TSAC Bill

The House and Senate toggled the THEC/TSAC bill back and forth between chambers this past week but could not reach a compromise on the measure. The Senate’s final move was to re-refer the bill back to the Senate Calendar Committee, essentially killing the measure. Consequently, there will be no immediate changes to the structure or authority of THEC and TSAC will remain a separate corporation governed by its current Board of Directors.

 

As earlier described, HB2676/SB2713, sought to abolish the governing board of directors for the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) and designate the corporation as a division of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC).  

Student Aid Bills Not Likely to be Funded

Most bills addressing student aid bills has been stalled in the Senate Finance Committee. None of the measures were included in the Governor’s budget which made it unlikely that they would pass during this legislative session. The following bills are unlikely to move forward this year:

 

HB1912/SB2670, allows Tennessee HOPE scholarship students who earned their first baccalaureate degree in less than five years from initial enrollment and graduated between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, to continue to receive the scholarship for graduate studies.

HB2180/SB2659, expands the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship pilot program to include Western Governors University.  

HB2179/SB2327, provides for dual enrollment participation for qualified high school freshmen.  

 

HB2132/SB1672, reduces, from 23 to 21, the minimum age required for a student to be eligible for the Tennessee Reconnect grant.

 

HB2184/SB1783, as amended, provides $5 million to be placed in a Tennessee Promise completion grant special account.


]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2024 19:12:00 GMT Policy Update | Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706741 https://ticua.org/news/news.asp?id=706741

April 5, 2024

 

Hunger-Free Campus Grant Program

HB1914/SB1977 creates a hunger-free campus grant program, administered by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). The measure provides grants to higher education institutions to be used to address hunger on the institutions' campuses. As used in this bill, a "higher education institution" means an institution operated by the board of trustees of the University of Tennessee; the board of regents of the state university and community college system; or a local governing board of trustees of a state university; or a private postsecondary institution accredited by a regional accrediting association that has its primary campus domiciled in this state.

 

To be eligible for a hunger-free campus grant, a higher education institution must:

 

(1) Submit an application to THEC on a form prescribed by the Commission, along with any supporting documentation required by the Commission;

 

(2) Have or establish a physical food pantry that is accessible to students; or partner with a food pantry that is accessible to students and located in the same community as the higher education institution; and

 

(3) Establish a hunger task force that includes at least two members of the institution's student body to examine the needs and best practices of food insecurity on campus.

 

The companion bills have moved through the Education Committees and now await action in both Finance Committees.

 

Bill Addressing Accreditation Passes

HB2625/SB2528, as originally introduced, causes public colleges and universities to regularly evaluate their accrediting affiliations and determine if they best align with the programs offered by the campuses. Accreditors may not compel public colleges and universities to violate state law. The measure allows the campus the right of action against an accreditor if it does so and instructs the institution to seek a new accreditor during the next accreditation cycle.

 

The bill has gone through various iterations that have, at times, included TICUA member institutions. TICUA expressed concern about the measure as originally drafted. House and Senate sponsors placed amendments to the proposed legislation removing TICUA members from the bill. As amended, the bill affirms the ability of public colleges and universities to change institutional accreditors and grants them a cause of action against an accreditor if the agency causes the institutions to violate state law.

 

The bill passed, as amended, the Senate Education Committee in late March. On Wednesday, the House Education Administration Committee passed the bill on to Government Operations.

House Education Committee Acts on Several Bills

The House Education Administration Committee took action on several bills this week. Only seven bills remain for consideration on their final calendar. Below are the actions taken this week.

 

  • HB0869/SB0833 among other things, seeks to clarify that a student receiving a Dual Enrollment Grant must make a cumulative 2.0 GPA to take any additional dual enrollment courses. Failure to maintain a 2.0 GPA results in “permanent disqualification” from receiving Dual Enrollment grants. The bill has passed the Senate chamber and has been moved to the House Finance Committee for further consideration.

  • HB2184/SB1783, as amended, provides $5 million to be placed in a Tennessee Promise completion grant special account. The funds are designated to assist the Higher Education Commission in awarding completion grants to certain Tennessee Promise scholarship students who demonstrate need. Grants can be used for purchasing food, books, course supplies, childcare, and meeting other needs.  This measure will make the Completion Grant pilot project permanent. The bill has moved through the Senate and House Education Committees and awaits action in the Finance Committees.  

  • HB1912/SB2670, allows Tennessee HOPE scholarship students who earned their first baccalaureate degree in less than five years from initial enrollment and graduated between July 1, 2022, and July 1, 2023, to continue to receive the scholarship for graduate studies. The student must reenroll at an eligible postsecondary institution, be in pursuit of an advanced degree, and continue to meet all other applicable eligibility requirements. The bill was passed on to the House Finance Committee.

  • HB2180/SB2659, expands the Tennessee Future Teacher Scholarship pilot program to include Western Governors University. The aid program provides last-dollar funding for students during their final two years of their teacher training. Student recipients must commit to serving in a high-need area of the state. This is year one of a five-year pilot and currently, only one student has signed up for the program. The bill passed and has moved to the House Finance Committee.

  • HB2179/SB2327, provides for dual enrollment participation for qualified high school freshmen. The bill requires high school students to complete the eighth grade and be admitted to an eligible postsecondary institution as a dual enrollment student to qualify for a dual enrollment grant. The bill was passed and sent to the House Finance Committee.

House Fails to Adopt Senate Amendment on THEC/TSAC Bill

HB2676/SB2713, abolishes the governing board of directors for the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) and designates the corporation as a division of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). Currently, TSAC and THEC have separate Boards governing the two separate corporations even though the Executive Director of THEC oversees both. TICUA’s president is secured a voting position on the TSAC Board by statute. If the bill passes as drafted, TICUA will no longer have a place at the table. The bulk of the bill seeks to redefine the role of THEC among public colleges and universities by vesting the universities with more power and reconstituting the nominees to the Commission.

 

The House version of the bill, which vests public institutions with more power, was passed by the House chamber and was sent over to the Senate for consideration. The Senate version continues to vest THEC with its current responsibilities and creates an advisory board to the TSAC division. TICUA is specifically mentioned in the Senate amendment securing the Association a place on the TSAC Advisory Board. The Senate Chamber passed their version of the bill and sent it to the House for consideration.  

 

This Thursday, the House refused to adopt the Senate amendment without seeking compromise through a conference committee. Consequently, the Senate will have an opportunity next week to reverse their action but, according to the bill’s Senate sponsor, Jon Lundberg, this is unlikely to occur. If all things remain the same, it appears that the measure will not survive the back and forth between chambers which will leave THEC and TSAC unaffected.


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