NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — College students have a lot on their plate already – add the pandemic on top of that, and it makes for a stressful year. Tennessee State University is hoping to alleviate some of that stress for returning students by wiping the slate clean and paying off student account balances.
For the new school year, it's going to take some of that financial burden off students so they can focus on more important things.
School officials say they made the decision because they want students to return to campus with their full attention on academics and life on campus. During a normal school year, they'd see students in the financial aid office trying to find money to cover previous school debt. Now this year, they won't be seeing that.
This covers students who were enrolled from Spring 2020 until Summer 2021. The money used to pay off the balances comes from the federal CARES fund.
More than 20 historically Black colleges and universities across the country have done something similar, and that's cleared more than$ 25 million in student debt.
