Roane State Community College

June 11, 2020

By Bob Fowler
Roane State staff writer

Roane State is one of six community colleges in East Tennessee to receive $5,000 grants from Comcast for students who are veterans. It’s part of the company’s tribute to the U.S. Military.

Those students will be given laptops with the grant funds “to help them complete coursework and with post-graduation job searches,” according to a news release from the company.

“Our heartfelt thanks go out to Comcast for this grant to support veterans pursuing their education at our colleges,” said Tennessee Board of Regents Chancellor Flora W. Tydings. “Like Comcast, we are deeply committed to supporting the men and women who served our country.”

“We put a priority on outreach to our veterans and deliver a variety of services, including surveys to establish needs, orientation programs and giving academic credits in some instances for lessons learned in the military,” added Roane State President Chris Whaley.

The nonprofit Roane State Foundation will oversee the grant funds awarded to the college that are expressly for veterans to obtain laptops.

“We are honored to award this grant to the veteran-dedicated schools in East Tennessee, and to reaffirm our companywide commitment to our veterans and their families,” said Comcast executive Jason Gumbs.

Announcement of the grant awards was made during the NASCAR Xfinity Series Race on June 1 at Bristol Motor Speedway. During the broadcast, Comcast also recognized employees for their military service, including 23 National Guard members now in active service and responding to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 2,000 Comcast NBCUniversal employees serve in the National Guard and Reserves.

Roane State is a two-year college providing transfer programs, career-preparation programs and continuing education. Founded in 1971, the college has locations in Roane, Campbell, Cumberland, Fentress, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, and Scott counties as well as a branch campus in Oak Ridge. For more information, visit www.roanestate.edu.

Remember, eligible adults can now attend Roane State tuition-free with the new Reconnect grant. Learn more at www.roanestate.edu/reconnect.

 

The Roane State Foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) corporation governed by an independent board of directors and established to provide financial support for Roane State students and programs. The Foundation seeks to enhance community awareness of the college, to secure private contributions and bequests and to manage monies or properties given to the Foundation. For more information, visit www.roanestate.edu/foundation or email Foundationdept@roanestate.edu.