Now That Community And Technical Colleges Are Free, What's Stopping Tennesseans From Enrolling?

[GaYellowDawg]

3. I teach at a TN community college

I teach most of my classes in the late afternoon and evenings, including in the summer.

You are right about many students having full-time jobs. Many also have to find child care. I think the main financial burden, though, is textbooks. They are hideously expensive. For my 2-class sequence, the book package runs $400. That's almost half a month's paycheck for many of my students. And I can't do a thing about it.

I donate a portion of my paycheck every month to a fund our college has for temporary emergencies like transportation. So do many of my colleagues.