MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WMOT) -- Tennessee’s two systems of higher education, and a number of private schools, are partnering to make it easier for students to earn a college degree.
Wednesday morning the Tennessee Board of Regents and University of Tennessee affiliated schools announced a new credentialing process they’re calling “reverse transfer.”
The new system will automatically award an associate’s degree to community college students who earn the required credits, even if those students transfer to one of the state’s four year schools with the intention of earning a bachelor’s degree.
Board of Regents Chancellor John Morgan says the new initiative is a way for the TBR and UT systems to support Governor Bill Haslam’s goal of building a better qualified workforce in Tennessee.
“The reason for doing it is that it gives Tennesseans the credentials they’ve earned, and it’s a way that we can help contribute to meet the state’s need for a better educated workforce.”
The Tennessee Legislature recently changed the way the state funds higher education to emphasize student retention and graduation. Awarding more earned associate degrees will likely help Tennessee schools retain more state funding.