Haslam seeks mentors to answer Tennessee Promise demand

photo Gov. BIll Haslam, left, leads a discussion in Nashville in this file photo.

BY THE NUMBERS23,000: Initial estimate of sign-ups for Tennessee Promise by high school seniors47,000: Actual number of sign-ups7,400: Number of mentors recruited9,400: Number of mentors neededSource: Gov. Bill Haslam

Applications for Tennessee Promise are piling in faster and higher than expected, and Gov. Bill Haslam is calling for mentors to cover all the prospective students.

The state has received more than 47,000 applications for the program, which aims to offer Tennessee high school seniors a no-cost two-year degree. That's double the original 23,000 estimate. And the program also promises one adult mentor for every five students.

As of Tuesday, Haslam said the program is about 2,000 mentors short of the 9,400 needed to cover current applications. And the student enrollment period is still open.

"We've got 7,400 mentors signed up now. The deadline to apply is Nov. 1 for the students, but for the mentors, we have a bit more time," Haslam said.

Mentors will undergo eight hours of training and will be asked to volunteer 10 to 15 hours a year guiding students through the college admissions process.

But depending on how many students actually enter the program, the need for mentors might be less.

Expectations are that enrollment will match numbers from Tennessee Achieves, a smaller program on which Tennessee Promise is based. In that program, about 16 percent of students who applied actually enrolled.

Haslam made his pitch as keynote speaker to the Chattanooga Urban League at its annual Equal Opportunity Day breakfast. He stressed the importance of having a work-ready workforce in Chattanooga.

"In the future, businesses are going to need fewer employees, but employees who are better trained," Haslam said. "If we don't provide that opportunity, we as a state will be left behind."

The message was well received by league members.

Urban League President and CEO Warren Logan said Haslam's leadership has been a boon to the state.

"It goes without saying that Gov. Haslam has made an indelible mark on education in the state of Tennessee," Logan said.

It was Haslam's third appearance in Chattanooga in two days.

On Monday, he spoke with the Tennessee Association of Manufacturers and Young Life Chattanooga, touting the state scholarship program.

But not everyone is a fan of the program, which is expected to cost $15 million the first year, rising to $34 million in future years.

Democratic U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen, of Memphis, has called the program "a death sentence" for the HOPE scholarship in Tennessee, because Tennessee Promise draws from the state's lottery surplus funds, which were initially slated to fund the HOPE.

Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com, @glbrogdoniv on Twitter or at 423-757-6481.

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