10 Years In, Cohen Celebrates Success of Tennessee Lottery Scholarship Program
Congressman calls for scholarships to be fully funded and for Pell Grants to be increased
[WASHINGTON, DC] – With the ten year anniversary of the establishment of the Tennessee Education Lottery on January 20th fast approaching, Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09) today celebrated the success of a program that has now sent more than $2.8 billion to Tennessee college students. Video of the Congressman highlighting the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program on the floor of the United States House of Representatives is available here.
“For twenty years as a Tennessee State Senator, I worked to create the Tennessee Education Lottery and provide an opportunity for my state’s students to graduate from college without mountains of debt,” said Congressman Cohen. “It took two decades, but the lottery to fund the scholarship program was finally established in January of 2004. Ten years later, the lottery has raised over $2.8 billion for Tennessee students and has proven itself an absolute success.”
“This funding has been critical to helping students attend and complete college, but with education costs skyrocketing, it is still not enough,” continued the Congressman. Congress must increase Pell Grants to provide meaningful support to students pursuing higher education today, and we must make sure that those grants go to students at schools that provide high-quality educations and help them achieve gainful employment. The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program should also be fully funded moving forward."
Congressman Cohen concluded, “The ladders of opportunity are built upon education, and the Tennessee Education Lottery can help students climb the rungs. I will continue my work in Congress to support Pell Grants and to ensure that taxpayer monies are efficiently channeled to give students more opportunities to improve their lives.”