Roane State Community College Students Can Dual Enroll At Tennessee Tech

The first graduates of the Roane to Tech Program walked this year.

The program allows students to dual enroll at both Tennessee Tech and Roane State Community College.

Roane State President Chris Whaley said the program began because more students transfer to Tennessee Tech from Roane State from any community college in the state. He said people from both schools wanted to start a program to make the transition easier and even more successful.

“With Roane to Tech our folks and Tennessee Tech’s folks have come up with a new model where there really is no transition,” Whaley said. “Because students start day one being advised and being guided by both employees at Roane State as well as advisors and others at the University.”

Whaley said students will be assigned advisors from Tennessee Tech to help ensure they are taking the appropriate courses as part of their dual enrollment. Whaley said the majors involved with Roane to Tech are Accounting, Agriculture, Biology, Business, Psychology, and Sociology, but there are plans to expand to other fields of study in the future.

“In one of these six approved programs you enroll at Roane State but you get guaranteed admission to Tennessee Tech in these programs,” Whaley said. “So we are just really excited about the opportunity to offer this, as well as students who apply to Tech by the current admission deadline will receive a guaranteed Tech Transfer Pride Scholarship.”

Whaley said Roane State plans to expand the program in the future by adding more areas of study, and eventually starting similar programs at other schools.

“We see this as a model to reach out to other four-year institutions and maybe have Roane to other universities in the future,” Whaley said. “We started with Tech and we’ve got such a strong relationship and partnership with Tech that this was the natural place to begin it. It will grow there but then we’re going to look for other opportunities with some other university partners.”

Whaley said students can contact their Roane State Success Coach to apply for the program. He said there are no additional costs to students and Tennessee Tech will waive their application fees.