House Bill 83 and Senate Bill 755 have passed the Tennessee General Assembly.

In 2007 the STRONG Act was passed which allowed currently serving members of the Tennessee National Guard to pursue their first baccalaureate degree tuition free.

House Bill 83 and Senate Bill 755 will extend and expand those provisions. The bills do the following:

1. Extends the STRONG Act authorization to June 2025. Current authority to spend funds was scheduled to stop in June 2021;

2. Broadens the use of the funds to include certification programs from Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology (TCAT) institutions. Many of the soldiers and airmen are looking at vocational careers;

3. Broadens the use of the funds to include enrollment in Master Degree producing programs of study. The original STRONG Act only covered Bachelor degree.

“This is a great win for the state! Tennessee is one of the few states that offered tuition free baccalaureate degrees and now with the inclusion of the Master degree program, this truly lets Tennessee lead the nation in what it provides its guardsmen,” said Todd A. Wiles, Colonel, TNANG. Wiles continues by saying, “Please tell your friends, associates in your hometowns, parents of military-age students, etc and spread the word about this great educational opportunity for those already serving or who may be interested in joining the Tennessee National Guard.”