Board of Regents receives updates on two major initiatives to benefit students: Direct Admissions and TBR CRED

The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) heard updates on the successful launches of its student digital credential record initiative and the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s Direct Admissions project during its March quarterly meeting. The board governs the College System of Tennessee – the state’s public community colleges and colleges of applied technology.

In the Direct Admissions project, approximately 40,000 high school students in the Class of 2026 at 255 high schools randomly selected to participate in the first-year pilot received a Tennessee Direct Admissions letter showing which of more than 50 participating Tennessee universities, colleges, and TCATs have already admitted them – no applications or fees required. Some students also received estimated financial aid information, making it easier to see all their options at once.

When they decide where to attend, students can scan the QR code on their letter and select the college of their choice. Their information is sent to the college as their completed application and the institution confirms acceptance and welcomes the student.

All 13 community colleges and 23 TCATs in the TBR System are participating. The status report to the Board of Regents during the March 4, 2026, meeting indicated that as of two weeks ago, there were 5,096 submissions to attend a community college and 3,533 submissions to attend a TCAT.

“We need to make the higher education application process easier and to remove barriers to getting there,” said Regent Steven Gentile, executive director of the Higher Education Commission.

Information gleaned from the first-year pilot will be used to scale up the program.

The digital credential record system is a benefit for students, employers and the colleges launched by the College System last year as the first statewide system deployment in the nation. Called “TBR Cred,” it makes available to students a verifiable, much broader record of their courses, credentials earned, work experiences, internships, co- and extra-curricular activities (including study abroad programs), leadership experience, achievements and more than traditional transcripts of grades.

Students opt in to receiving the digital records and may incorporate them into digital wallets, add them into their resumés and job applications, share them with potential employers as a validated portfolio, use them during college transfers, and use them as a basis to talk through their skills more confidently in job interviews.

Employers gain a more authentic view of a candidate’s competencies, work ethic, and real-world experiences. And the colleges are able to highlight student learning outcomes and help learners better articulate their skills for future success.

TBR Cred was made available on a pilot basis starting last summer, expanded to more Fall 2025 graduates and will be available to all graduates this spring.

In other action during the quarterly meeting, the Board of Regents received updates on state legislation affecting the system; reviewed of the Fiscal Year 2024-25 financial report which indicated are TBR colleges are in good financial health, and approved faculty emeritus designations for two recently retired college professors and revisions to three TBR policies.

Based on the recommendations of their college presidents, the board approved Faculty Emeritus status to Michael Brooks, a retired professor of criminal justice at Dyersburg State Community College and Lisa Hadley, a retired professor of business at Southwest Tennessee Community College.

The policy revisions are for TBR policies regarding Family, Medical, Hospice, and Service Member Leave, Motor Vehicles, and Emergency Management Planning.

The board meeting was livestreamed and is archived on the TBR website for viewing anytime (at https://www.tbr.edu/board/march-2026-quarterly-board-meeting.) The full board agenda, executive summary, and board materials are posted at the same meeting link above.