Expand the non-traditional Hope scholarship to help meet Tennessee’s workforce needs | Opinion
Tennessee is a state on the rise. As Gov. Bill Lee noted in his State of the State address, we have one of the fastest-growing economies in the United States and an increasing population.
With opportunity knocking, Tennessee should be prepared to answer. The need for qualified workers grows with every business that moves to the state. Our aim is to recruit even more companies and provide Tennesseans with opportunities for well-paying jobs. But the stress on our labor infrastructure is undeniable: Already, we are short 15,700 nurses and have over 1,000 teacher vacancies statewide.
Investing in our residents’ potential is one of the best investments a state can make. To that end, I have introduced House Bill 116: legislation that would allow more low-income Tennesseans to participate in the Non-Traditional HOPE scholarship.
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This scholarship was designed to help adults better the lives of their families through education. Unfortunately, the time demands on this population – often juggling full-time employment and family commitments – often prevent them from pursuing higher education. Last year, only 281 Tennesseans were eligible for this scholarship.
These students need options, specifically an affordable school that will allow students to work on their own time and provide a pathway to a well-paying job. Fortunately, Tennessee has a school doing just this.
Western Governors University Tennessee (WGU Tennessee) was brought to the state 10 years ago and has since graduated almost 10,000 nurses, teachers, IT professionals, and entrepreneurs. Despite being one of our state’s youngest universities, it is now among Tennessee’s largest private institutions. It is nonprofit, fully accredited, and fully online. Most graduates complete their bachelor’s degrees in 2.5 years, making it appealing to working adults. The average age of a WGU Tennessee student is 35.
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Providing more choices to Tennesseans will open doors to educational opportunities that would otherwise remain locked. WGU Tennessee is an excellent, cost-effective complement to our state’s higher education landscape, and our residents deserve the opportunity to pursue the right path for themselves.
Rep. Chris Hurt, R-Halls, represents District 82 (Crockett, Lauderdale and parts of Gibson and Obion counties) in the Tennessee General Assembly.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Expand the Hope scholarship to help meet Tennessee’s workforce needs
