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Member Spotlight – Walters State Community College

Walters State Community College is the preferred choice for higher education among high school  graduates in Jefferson County. Now, the Tennessee Reconnect initiative makes that same choice easier than ever for adults who have not completed a degree.

Gov. Bill Haslam in May chose Walters State as the backdrop for signing into law his initiative  toward ensuring that every adult in the state can enter  college. The law removes barriers — financial and otherwise — for acquiring new skills, advancing careers and achieving the goal of completing a degree or credential.

 Get started

Reconnect scholarship funding will be available  beginning in the fall 2018 semester. Walters State is reaching out today, however, with programs and support workshops to help adult students plan and prepare to “Reconnect” with higher education. Support workshops from 5:30-7:30 p.m. are scheduled at each of the college’s four campuses:

•  Sevier County Campus — July 10
•  Morristown Campus — July 11
•  Claiborne County Campus — July 12
•  Greeneville/Greene County Campus — July 13

 The workshops will be in an open-house format so that participants may drop by at any time. Financial Aid and admissions representatives will be available for consultation and assistance. Representatives from academic divisions will be available to discuss program requirements.

 Why Reconnect?

Returning to college can seem daunting and  unrealistic to adults already juggling work and family obligations. Tennessee Reconnect programs are designed to provide the flexibility needed for helping busy adults achieve their dreams of attaining a college degree. The program provides a last-dollar scholarship, which is an amount equal to the difference between tuition and fees and any other grants or scholarships a student may receive. By allowing adults to attend a community college tuition-free, the Tennessee Reconnect Act represents another major step toward the 

the governor’s Drive to 55 goal of seeing 55 percent of Tennesseans equipped with a college degree or certificate by 2025.

Similar to the Tennessee Promise scholarship, Tennessee Reconnect commits funds from the Tennessee Lottery toward ensuring that every Tennessean has the opportunity to enter or re-enter public higher education — tuition-free.

 Long-term investment

By helping adults advance their education and job qualifications, Tennessee Reconnect is an investment in the people of Tennessee and its economy. The economic payoff from a more qualified and highly skilled workforce is expected to improve living standards for all Tennesseans for decades to come. Employers will have more access to the skills and credentials they require, and employees will have expanded career opportunities.

Visit ws.edu for more information about TN Reconnect at Walters State.

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Walters State Community College
500 S. Davy Crockett Pkwy
Morristown, TN 37813
Phone: (423) 585-6770
www.ws.edu