President's Update - June 24, 2020

Dear Chattanooga State Community,
I am pleased to share that during the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) meeting last week, the board approved no tuition increases for the upcoming academic year. This means that  students can continue to take classes at Chattanooga State for a very affordable price. With TN Promise and TN Reconnect, many of our students can attend with no tuition charges. It is a great time to be a college student in Tennessee. Students, I encourage you to register now for the fall 2020 semester.

Fall 2020 Registration Reminder

Registration can seem complex and challenging, but we are here to assist you and help simplify the process for you. We encourage you to register early in order to get the best course selections. We have several options for Registration Assistance, including:

  • In-person, on-campus (by appointment): Monday through Thursday. Contact Kelli Yates to schedule an appointment at 423-697-2456 or kelli.yates@chattanoogastate.edu.
  • Chat with us live via our Virtual Office, Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
  • Virtual Registration Assistance via WebEx is available every Tuesday from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. and every Wednesday from 10:00 a.m. - Noon. These meetings are “drop in” format and can be accessed from your TigerWeb account. Please note that you must have an Education Plan and Pin before joining these sessions.
  • Contact your advisor for registration assistance or if you do not know who your faculty advisor is, contact the appropriate academic division office as listed below:
  • Business - 423-697-4441
  • Engineering - 423-697-4434
  • Humanities - 423-697-2441
  • Math & Science - 423-697-2558
  • Nursing & Allied Health - 423-697-4450
  • Social & Behavioral Sciences - 423-697-3127

Below are a few helpful videos to assist students with the registration process, as well as with viewing their schedule once they are registered.

For the fall, we have made the decision to move to a blend of hybrid, virtual and online instructional delivery methods which will allow for flexibility and contingency planning in the fall, as well as help reduce the number of people on campus and allow for social distancing. The type of instruction will vary from class to class as some subject matter areas require specific modes of delivery. Your faculty are working over the summer to determine the best course of action for each class. We will be sending out additional information about fall instructional delivery methods later this week, as well as providing updates throughout the summer so please be sure to continue to check your Chattanooga State emails.

TCAT Registration Information

TCAT students should email TCATSS@ChattanoogaState.edu or call 423-697-4433 for assistance with TCAT program registration. TCAT students are not required to have a PIN for registration. TCAT students can also connect with advisors in their virtual office.

Financial Aid Update for 2020-2021 Academic Year

Last week, the Office of Financial Aid began the awarding process for the 2020-2021 year. This process will take place throughout the summer, so you may receive multiple automated email notifications as scholarships, grants, and loans are added to your account, or as your eligibility information is updated. Keep in mind that awards are always awarded with the expectation of full-time enrollment (12 or more credit hours), so the actual award amounts you receive may be lower if you enroll less than full-time. NOTE: The actual award amounts for the TN Promise scholarship and the TN Reconnect Grant will be calculated once tuition and fees are assessed to student accounts in July, and other gift aid is awarded, since these are both “last dollar” scholarships. Your beginning award amount may be $0.

Your financial aid eligibility or awards could change if:

  • You are no longer meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress guidelines.
  • Your FAFSA is selected for verification by the Department of Education.
  • You received federal financial aid, such as Pell Grant or Direct Loans, at another school.
  • You receive outside assistance, such as private scholarships, tuition discounts, or fee waivers.
  • Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA, financial need, or cost of attendance changes.
  • You are no longer meeting the requirements for state scholarships, such as HOPE, TN Promise, or TN Reconnect.
  • Your enrollment changes, or you withdraw from all classes.

The federal Pell Grant will automatically be calculated based on eligibility information from the 2020-2021 FAFSA. State grants and scholarships will be posted as eligibility information from the TN Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) is received, so you may need to update your school choice information in the TSAC Student Portal if you are transferring to Chattanooga State from another school. Institutional scholarships will be awarded based on committee review of the Chattanooga State scholarship application. Federal Direct Loans will be awarded based on eligibility and your cost of attendance, or budget, and you will have the opportunity to accept or decline all of your federal student loans by August 2020.

In the News

  • Last week, the Tennessee Board of Regents unanimously approved recommendations of TBR staff and the Board’s Finance and Business Operations Committee for no tuition or student fee increase for the 2020/2021 academic year – for both in-state and out-of-state students – in recognition of the economic conditions prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic. It is the first year without a tuition increase at Tennessee’s 13 community colleges since 1991 and the first at the 27 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology since 2013.

Support Services for Students

If you are in need of assistance, please let us know. We are here to help you.

  • The Helping Hands Fund provides emergency aid for students in need. Submit a Helping Hands Request here.
  • The Tiger Cupboard provides supplemental food and other necessities for students in need. Although the campus is closed, we will fulfill requests for food from the Cupboard. Visit https://www.chattanoogastate.edu/tiger-cupboard for more information. 
  • Chattanooga State is dedicated to delivering support services and resources to assist our students. Learn more about the services available through our Student Support Center here.

Remember, when you are on campus or anywhere that you are around other people, please wear your facemask and practice social distancing. Wearing a face mask can reduce the spread of respiratory illnesses like COVID-19 by one-third or more. We all have a role to play in promoting the health and safety of our community. Let’s do our part! We are resilient. We are innovative. We are united. We are ChattState.

Sincerely,
Rebecca Ashford, Ed.D.
President