Clearing Pathways for Students with THEC's Dr. Steven Gentile

If you’re talking about the higher education landscape in the state of Tennessee, you can’t do it without talking about THEC/TSAC. The Tennessee Higher Education Commission/Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (THEC/TSAC) is the layer between higher education and the state government that thinks through the needs of higher education and the policies needed to support it. THEC serves as that central hub to make sure every student in Tennessee is able to pursue a high-quality education and high-value credentials.

In this episode of the At Scale Podcast, THEC’s Executive Director, Dr. Steven Gentile talks about how THEC works to reduce the barriers to higher education. That means mobilizing higher education partners, like tnAchieves, to help students file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It also means creating a master plan to see where we need to go in the next 5-10 years. All the work is done with the goal of clearing pathways so students have better access to higher education, which provides more economic mobility. tnAchieves and THEC share a commitment to Building Tennessee’s Future Workforce.

In July 2025, THEC, the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) and The Lumina Foundation announced a partnership to redesign the college admissions process. As part of the Direct Admissions pilot, seniors in the Class of 2026 will receive a letter showing which colleges, universities and TCATs have already accepted them without submitting an application. In Tennessee, it will connect automatic college admissions for students with an estimated financial aid package. The goal is to help students see where they’ve already been accepted to college and how they can afford to enroll. Hear Dr. Gentile’s thoughts on how this will revolutionize college admissions process in our state. (If you missed it, go back and listen to our podcast episode with Lumina’s Melanie Heath on their role in this groundbreaking effort!)

Tune in to get a better understanding of this new direct admissions process as well as how THEC continues to align higher education with workforce needs in our state. If that doesn’t peak your interest, there may also be a reference or two to leaping unicorns and magic wands…