At age 46, Allen Hunter decided to enroll at Chattanooga State Community College, determined to earn a degree.
“The first thing I’ve got to do is set expectations for my children,” he said last week. “I went back to school to set an example for them.”
Returning to school full time was a culture shock, Hunter said, but he recently earned computer support technician certification and is now working toward a two-year media technology degree. The hard work and long days at school are worth it, he added, because a degree will qualify him for a glut of jobs.
Hunter is one of more than 46,400 Hamilton County working-age residents who have earned some college credit but no degree and are now eligible to return to school for free thanks to Tennessee Reconnect.
“Economics have been an obstacle for people in the past,” Hunter said. “Now there are no barriers.”