Latest news with #tnAchieves
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
tnAchieves hits major milestone as 50,000+ recipients graduate from college
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The nonprofit, tnAchieves, is celebrating a major milestone in the program's history. According to the group's annual report, 53,168 students who have received support from tnAchieves have graduated from college. In addition, tnAchieves found that every graduation metric included in the report saw an annual increase. The three-year graduation rate jumped five percentage points, which tnAchieves said is a historic increase in college completion. The report added that 84.7% of graduates are living and working right here in the state. Sweetwater residents supporting each other after tornado in Loudon County According to the nonprofit, the increases are being driven by the COMPLETE and Knox Promise Programs. In addition, tnAchieves said Knox Promise's 49.3% three-year graduation rate would place the program third in the country when compared to national graduation rates. To read the full report, click here. 'tnAchieves is dedicated to taking a human approach to building Tennessee's future workforce,' said tnAchieves President and CEO Krissy DeAlejandro. 'There is power in supporting a student in not only going to college but encouraging them through meaningful degree completion and into the workforce. Today these 50,000 grads are more educated, more skilled and more prepared than ever to live and work in Tennessee.' KCDC honored in D.C. for veterans housing development in Knoxville The nonprofit's mission is to support Tennessee students and keep these numbers on the rise by offering educational resources like mentors, tutors and scholarships, including the TN Promise scholarship program. With these resources, tnAchieves hopes to ensure Tennessee students are as prepared to enter the workforce as they can be while also increasing their chances of graduating. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Kelsea Ballerini pairs with CMA Fest partner SoFi for college student-aimed financial program
Official CMA Fest partner SoFi is already uniquely doubling down on its active engagement in country's mainstream marketplace. The 14-year-old personal finance and financial technology company has announced a partnership with Grammy-nominated Academy of Country Music and Country Music Association Award-winner Kelsea Ballerini and tnAchieves, a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to college access and success, to launch the Rising Stars Program. The $2 million initiative will provide Tennessee-based college students over $500,000 in grants to expand its COMPLETE program aimed at helping college students quickly gain financial independence in their post-graduation years. "I'm incredibly proud to be working with SoFi to give students in Tennessee the financial tools and education they need to succeed. Investing even small amounts of money in your 20s will go further than larger amounts invested later in life. Building true financial independence starts by investing in your future early," offered Ballerini via a press statement. SoFi's contributions will fund students' 1:1 coaching and financial support as they prepare for a high-skill, high-wage career, plus a specialized financial readiness curriculum for the 60,000 students across their programs. Financial assistance for food, housing, laptops, textbooks, and emergency funds, plus a financial planning curriculum covering topics like budgeting, investing, and saving for future life milestones. In addition, SoFi is offering every Tennessee resident between 18-24 the opportunity to receive a minimum of $5 in free stock of their choosing, with a chance to win up to $1,000 in stock – all with no minimum deposit or fees required. 'tnAchieves could not be more excited to partner with SoFi to bring financial literacy resources to our students and families, helping more Tennesseans achieve their ambitions of going to college and earning a high-quality degree,' said Krissy DeAlejandro, President/CEO of tnAchieves. 'The Rising Stars Program will provide our students with the critical support and mentorship they need to get into college, pursue meaningful careers, and build generational wealth. We are grateful for their support as tnAchieves executes programs designed to build Tennessee's future workforce by meeting each student where they are — at scale.' To participate in the Rising Stars program, college students can register for an Active SoFi Invest brokerage account, with no minimum deposit required. Once their account is set up, they will be directed to a promotion where they can reveal a $5, $10, $50, $100, or $1,000 prize and select their chosen stock(s). This offer is available to Tennessee residents aged 18-24 who do not have an Active Investing brokerage account with SoFi. Registration is open from June 6 until July 31, 2025. The Rising Stars Program is part of the SoFi Generational Wealth Fund, which has contributed millions of dollars across multiple initiatives to help underserved communities build wealth for the next generation. A press statement notes that SoFi's programs have helped low-income families purchase their first home, funded high school athletic programs, provided financial aid for family planning and empowered women's economic independence. "Patterns" vocalist Ballerini joins SoFi's iGenerational Wealth Fund partners, including NBA All-Star and Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, tennis champion and best-selling author Venus Williams, Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, and Los Angeles Sparks forward and WNBA star Cameron Brink. Visit for more information. Via a SoFi Plus membership, as the presenting partner of June 5-8, 2025's CMA Fest, personal finance company SoFi is offering attendees exclusive event perks. From VIP access to money-back rewards, SoFi Plus members could receive the following at CMA Fest: 25% Cash Back Rewards: Earn 25% cash back on up to $200 of eligible food, drinks, and merch purchases at CMA Fest when they use their SoFi credit or debit card SoFi Plus Lounge Access: Get exclusive access to the SoFi Plus Lounge, located inside Riverfront Station at the end of Broadway. There, members (and a plus one) can cool down with drinks, custom swag, ACs, indoor restrooms, and surprise perks daily Last-Minute Ticket Drops: SoFi Plus members will have first access to a limited number of last-minute CMA Fest tickets – available exclusively to subscribers on a first-come, first-served basis SoFi will provide fans music, rewards, and comfort, with access to over $1,000 in annual value for SoFi Plus members who engage in qualifying activities across banking, investing, and spending. To learn more or join SoFi Plus, visit This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Kelsea Ballerini, SoFi team up for college student financial program
Yahoo
02-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ten years ago, we set out to build future TN workforce. It's been a big success.
In 2014, Tennessee became the first state in the nation to offer free community and technical college to its graduating high school seniors through the TN Promise program. After 10 years, we are celebrating a milestone of 53,000 college graduates! In partnership with the nonprofit, tnAchieves, Tennessee students are now more skilled and prepared than ever before. Not only that, but 85% of tnAchieves graduates remain in Tennessee to live, work and raise their families. Through TN Promise, Tennessee is investing in students who, in return, are investing back into the state. When we launched as a local effort in Knox County in 2008, our goal was to create a path to a high-quality credential after high school with a focus on technical and community college graduates. We also hoped to construct a more seamless springboard to four-year colleges and universities – all in the name of workforce development. It worked so well that we were able to expand and scale statewide. tnAchieves believes in a big tent around the word college (community college, public and private four-year universities and technical colleges) which allows students to explore post-secondary options that will increase their lifelong earning potential. 89 percent of tnAchieves students represent a vulnerable student population. The objective is to reach those who previously did not believe post-secondary education was an attainable goal. This often means we are working to not only bring a new student into the college pipeline but are also tasked with building programs to ensure they earn a credential and find meaningful employment on the other side of their college experience. It's working – at scale. tnAchieves college completion numbers are at an all-time high thanks to intentional efforts like volunteer mentors, college coaching and emergency aid grants to help students beyond college tuition costs covered by TN Promise. tnAchieves provides wraparound supports so that students who go to college also remain in college and graduate. In fact, tnAchieves students are nearly four times more likely to graduate college than their peers, meaning our investment in students and their futures is creating a thriving Tennessee economy for today and into the future. Business and industry leaders across our state are opening doors for students to access job shadowing. Understanding that exposure to possible career opportunities increases a student's interest and likelihood of success, tnAchieves students are learning about medical fields at the University of Tennessee Medical Center and Maury Regional Health, hearing about career options at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Hilton Hotels and Resorts and gaining real insight at Toyota and Nissan about jobs of the future. These household name brands are partnering hand in hand with tnAchieves to make sure they have a prepared workforce. When we and our partners move, the state moves, and Tennessee's economy thrives. When we began as knoxAchieves in 2008, we hoped that one day we might send 10,000 students to college. We never dreamed that we would send more than 15,000 students annually and have more than 53,000 graduates. TN Promise was a first-of-its-kind program and now serves as a national model. tnAchieves is currently the largest and most successful college access and success program in the country. At just $83 per student, tnAchieves is the best return on investment our state has made. And we're not done! tnAchieves is already building towards the next 50,000 graduates. The impact of these programs will change the trajectory of the lives of countless Tennesseans and provide our state with a qualified workforce for generations to come. Bill Haslam served as the 49th Governor of Tennessee and is a founding board member of tnAchieves Randy Boyd serves as the president of the University of Tennessee and is the founding and current chairman of the board for tnAchieves tnAchieves is highlighting 10 years of TN Promise in this and future guest opinion column submissions. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: TN Promise has prepared tens of thousands of college grads | Opinion
