October 2023 News

In 2022, the Tennessee General Assembly passed a new law to establish the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement funding formula, otherwise known as TISA. One of the requirements of this law is that districts will create accountability plans to ensure that planned expenditures with our funds align with our goals for improving student achievement as a District. Please click here to review the District’s plan and provide your feedback on this plan.

During the October board meeting, the CMCSS School Board presented several Point of Pride awards.
Coda Johns, from Clarksville High School, and Saanvi Burle and Justin Zheng, from Rossview High School, have been named 2024 National Merit Scholarship Semifinalists. The students recognized tonight are three of approximately 16,000 semifinalists nationwide who have earned this recognition. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for around 7,000 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $30 million that will be offered next spring. To be considered for a Merit Scholarship® award, Semifinalists must fulfill several requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition.

Next, Middle College at Austin Peay State University faculty and staff were awarded as a 2023 National Blue Ribbon School. The National Blue Ribbon Schools Program recognizes schools based on their overall academic excellence or their progress in closing achievement gaps among student subgroups. Every year, the U. S. Department of Education seeks out and celebrates great American schools, demonstrating that all students can achieve to high levels. For context, out of approximately 1,700 public schools in the state of Tennessee, this year, only 6 schools received this honor, and Middle College was the only high school awarded.

Finally, Cadet Lieutenant Colonel Kalena Towe from Montgomery Central High School was recognized as the national Legion of Valor Award for scholastic and leadership excellence. Cadet Towe was one of around 65 Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine JROTC Cadets to receive the prestigious Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement award out of over 500,000 Cadets nationwide. She received this award due to her outstanding academic performance and incredible leadership ability. Cadet Towe is the Cadet leader of the Indian Battalion and has maintained a 4.0 GPA and an academic average that is over 100%. She also serves as the Drill Captain of the reigning 7th Brigade Drill Team Champions and was a member of the National level JROTC Leadership and Academic Bowl team last year!

STOP. DROP. FAFSA Event – January 29 – February 2
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

All CMCSS high schools will host a Stop, Drop, FAFSA event between January 29 – February 2, 2024. School leaders will help students understand the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process, answer questions regarding the application, and assist with the next steps.

Confusion surrounding the FAFSA application process is one of the most common reasons students do not fill out the forms. School leaders encourage all CMCSS Seniors to complete the application to know of any available aid. Many colleges, universities, and technical schools require completion of the FAFSA as part of the admission process, whether students qualify or not. The TN Promise requires completion of the application by April 15, 2024.

For families who may have questions or need additional assistance understanding the application process, CMCSS has several helpful resources.

There are major changes and improvements to the 2024-2025 FAFSA form. Families can find information from studentaid.gov concerning the new 2024-2025 FAFSA.

For families who may have questions or need additional assistance understanding the application process, CMCSS has several helpful resources.

Help for Families

Phone Helpline: Students can call and speak with a live person who can provide assistance regarding the application process. Live support is available by calling 931-553-1189 from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm on the following days: January 31, February 1, 2, 2024.

Email Helpline: Parents and students can email [email protected] where they will be connected with Becky Padgett, Leslie Parreco, and Chris Pugh for help and guidance.

Text Helpline: Students and parents can text FAFSA to 335577 to receive mobile support from “Get Schooled.” The mobile program assists students with a variety of services.

NSCC FAFSA Parent Night Info

Video Tutorials: Assistance is available from collegefortn.org with a video instructional series.

Prior to Filling out the FAFSA: How to Create an FSA ID

Antes de completar la FAFSA 2024-2025: Cómo crear una FAFSA ID

Part 1: Introduction to the 2024-2025 FAFSA Student Application

Part 2: Student Personal Circumstances

Part 3: Student Demographics

Part 4: Student Financials & Colleges

Part 5: Parent Application

Part 6: Parent Demographics

Family Webinars: Family webinars are offered every Monday night at 6:30 (CST) from January 8 to March 25, 2024. Access the webinar link here. The THEC/TSAC Outreach team will conduct a live demonstration of the 2024–25 FAFSA. If you have questions about completing the FAFSA or simply want to watch a demonstration of completing the FAFSA before tackling it yourself, please register for the Monday night that works best with your schedule.

Email Support: Families can receive support from the state FAFSA support team ([email protected]) or the CMCSS FAFSA support team ([email protected].)

TN Promise

CMCSS Seniors may be eligible to apply for the TN Promise. As explained by the TN Higher Education Commission & Student Assistance Corporation, “Tennessee resident/U.S. citizen/eligible non-citizen/students who graduate from an eligible high school, homeschool, or earn a GED/HISET (prior to 19th birthday) can receive an award at an eligible postsecondary institution toward tuition and mandatory fees after all other gift aid has been first applied.”

Several eligibility requirements apply, including:

• Students must attend mandatory meetings and participate in a mentoring program.
• College students must attend full-time and continue participating in the mentoring program.
• Students must perform 8 hours of community service prior to each term the award is received.

Learn more about eligibility requirements here.

To access the TN Promise application, click here. The deadline for seniors to apply for the TN Promise is November 1, 2023.

Resources for parents and guardians.

Student Portal