TENNESSEE'S PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES JOIN FORCES TO LAUNCH VALUE OF HIGHER-ED CAMPAIGN

For the first time in state history, 10 public universities in Tennessee are coming together to launch a campaign aimed to increase public awareness of the value of a four-year university degree in Tennessee.

The “Four the Future” campaign is a multiyear, coordinated effort that will engage community and business leaders, prospective students, and Tennesseans in all 95 counties around the value of higher education from a public university.

Participating schools include: Austin Peay State University (Clarksville) , East Tennessee State University (Johnson City), Middle Tennessee State University (Murfreesboro), Tennessee State University (Nashville), Tennessee Technological University (Cookeville), University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, Univ. of Tennessee Health Science Center (Memphis), University of Tennessee, Knoxville, University of Tennessee, Martin University of Tennessee, Southern (Pulaski).

“From Memphis to Mountain City, one of the hallmarks of Tennessee has always been our strong higher-education system, and this is an investment in our state,” said Randy Boyd, UT System president. “The goal of this alliance is to share that strength with everyone in the Volunteer State. From business owners to young adults, we want people to know the value of a degree from a public university in Tennessee.”

Dr. Sidney A. McPhee, president of Middle Tennessee State University, agrees: “A bachelor’s degree increases the life trajectory of not only those who earn them, but also their families. That is why we are proud to be part of this unprecedented message, delivered loud and clear by our state’s leading public universities, of the great value, tremendous worth and tangible benefits of a four-year college degree.”

Among the key messages to Tennesseans is that a four-year degree at a public university in Tennessee isn’t just good for prospective students. It’s good for all Tennesseans:

Workforce development: Public universities educate students in areas of need in Tennessee, including nurses, doctors, engineers, educators and other professionals. (Association of Public and Land Grant Universities)

Training: More than 70% of Tennessee business leaders agree there is an insufficient supply of appropriately trained workers. (Boyd Center)

Economic growth: If the U.S. had increased its bachelor’s degree attainment during the 2010s by just 1 percentage point, this would have added $130.5 billion to the nation’s economic growth. (American Action Forum)

Investing in all of us: People with a bachelor’s degree contribute $381,000 more in taxes than they use in government services and programs. (Association of Public and Land Grant Universities)

Among the key messages to prospective students is that graduates of four-year public universities in Tennessee typically earn bigger salaries and enjoy better health outcomes:

Wealthier: On an annual basis, median earnings for bachelor’s degree holders are $36,000 or 84 percent higher than those whose highest degree is a high school diploma. (APLU) A bachelor’s degree recipient is expected to earn $1.4 million more than a high school graduate over their career. (Boyd Center)

Healthier: Public college graduates enjoy better-paying jobs, with fewer safety hazards, increased ability to accrue material resources and higher social status. They are more likely to exercise and less likely to report heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, anxiety and depression. (HHS)

Connected: More than any other postsecondary path, college delivers connections. Connections to career paths, but also connections to each other. It’s about the network you build and the people you meet, not just the certificate you earn. Public universities bring people together through campus life, clubs, intramurals, sporting events, volunteer opportunities and many other connection points.

Economic mobility: Excepting UT Southern, which joined the UT System two years ago, all the other nine four-year public universities in Tennessee rank among the top two tiers of the five-tier economy mobility scale for graduates. (Third Way)

Financial aid: Tennessee offers a statewide, free college tuition program, through Tennessee HOPE. Nearly half of Tennessee public university students graduate without debt.

The Four the Future campaign will include a mix of advertising, digital media, earned media and community meetings throughout the state to raise awareness about the positive impact of a four-year degree from a public college in Tennessee, both for individuals and for Tennessee communities.

Four the Future launches amid declining college enrollment throughout the country; but Tennessee’s college-going rate (54.3%) for the class of ’22 improved by 1.5 percentage points over the previous year, according to Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) data released in June. Fall 2023 enrollment at Tennessee’s public universities increased 1.8 percent, THEC announced in September. THEC has set a goal to increase the college-going rate for the high school class of 2023 to at least 60%.