COOKEVILLE – Volunteer State Community College is expanding into Putnam County this year, part of a collaborative effort to expand education opportunities in the Upper Cumberland.
Vol State President Dr. Jerry Faulkner says the school will be offering classes at the Cookeville Higher Education Campus on July 1, the same date the campus, located at 1000 Neal St., the site of Nashville State’s Cookeville campus, is scheduled to become an official Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) college and training center.
In order to promote the new campus, Vol State is offering a $200 book scholarship to new full-time students who enroll by June 30.
It’s the goal of the Cookeville Higher Education Campus, a new higher education center in Cookeville, to make it easier for students to earn job training and college degrees in the Upper Cumberland. It’s an unprecedented partnership between Tennessee Tech University, Nashville State Community College, and Vol State. It will also provide more opportunities for students in the region to take advantage of the Tennessee Promise, a last-dollar scholarship available to Tennessee high school graduates to cover the cost of tuition at a community or technical college or other eligible institution offering an associate degree program.
Offerings at the center will include courses and programs by Vol State and TTU, and Tennessee College of Applied Technology programs may be added later.
“The demand is here for a broader range of options, and we are fortunate to have several excellent institutions eager to serve the needs of this community,” TBR Chancellor John Morgan said in a recent release. “This collaborative arrangement allows us to be flexible and responsive to the citizens and employers of the region, to help students reach their post-secondary education goals, and to enhance the skilled workforce available.”
The institutions will work together at the site to provide a higher education center for learning that includes academic programs that meet the needs of the community, Morgan added. The center can help move students from K-12 through a two-year program, four-year degree, and on to graduate level work. The cooperative effort will allow for efficient management, shared resources and a mutually beneficial arrangement.
“The Tennessee Board of Regents is uniquely situated to facilitate this type of center for the people of our Upper Cumberland region,” said Johnny Stites, a member of the Board of Regents and former CEO of J&S Construction in Cookeville. “I’m pleased that it will help address student demand and at the same time provide support for the workforce needs of our local businesses and industries and more opportunities for local students to take advantage of the Tennessee Promise.”
More information about the list of programs and courses offered will be provided at a later date.
