[Tennessee] Education Daily — November 9, 2026: The Lottery No Longer Covers the Scholarships

From Education Across the States · 7:59

Show by Professional Development Inc

Tennessee's lottery-funded college scholarships now cost more than the lottery brings in — the first overrun in the program's history — and the fix lands in the next governor's first budget; plus a Knox County retirement deadline today, the Memphis takeover pause at its two-week mark, and two state counts still missing a week after they were due. Sources: - Tennessee Higher Education Commission, 2025 Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) Annual Report (lottery revenue down almost $90 million in FY2025 from a $519,322,000 high in 2024; first spending overrun of proceeds since the program was established): https://www.tn.gov/thec (search: TELS Annual Report 2025) - University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Haslam College of Business, Q&A with Boyd Center director Don Bruce on dwindling lottery scholarship revenues (causes: sports wagering, prediction markets, cash decline; Federal Reserve cash share 14-16%): https://haslam.utk.edu/news/qa-ut-economics-expert-explains-tennessee-lottery-funded-college-scholarships-dwindling-revenues/ - ThinkTennessee, Tennessee's Postsecondary Scholarship System at a Crossroads (August 2026): 13 TELS programs, 169,412 students, about $505 million in FY2025, net proceeds down 21.9% in real terms since FY2022, TN Promise funded from a separate trust of roughly $1.3 billion: https://www.thinktennessee.org/tennessees-postsecondary-scholarship-system-at-a-crossroads_thinktn-tsc_2026/ - Tennessee Firefly, HOPE Scholarships Could Be Reduced Amid $114 Million Deficit (THEC board briefing: $114M projected deficit, $87.5M sports wagering backfill under the Education Freedom Scholarship Act provision, $10M and $16.5M reserves, roughly 3% pro rata HOPE illustration, $141.5M conservative next-year estimate): https://tnfirefly.com/news/hope-scholarships-could-be-reduced-amid-114-million-deficit - Tennessee Lookout reporting of the October 19, 2026 State Funding Board meeting (outgoing Tennessee Education Lottery chief executive optimistic scholarship revenue will not keep falling; officials project flat revenue): search tennesseelookout.com for Tennessee lottery scholarships funding board October 2026 - Tennessee Department of Education news, November 2, 2026 (Career Development Month; Early Postsecondary Opportunity Week, November 9-13, 2026): https://www.tn.gov/education/news/ - Tennessee Higher Education Commission, One Week Left for Tennessee High School Seniors to Apply for TN Promise, October 26, 2026 (latest THEC statement as of the November 9 check; final count still unreleased): https://www.tn.gov/thec/news/2026/10/26/tn-promise-deadline.html - Knox News, What to know about the expanded Knox County Schools early retirement offer (certified notification deadline November 9, 2026; classified January 13, 2027; $470 per month): https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2026/10/02/expanded-knox-county-schools-early-retirement-offer-information/91942196007/ - Tennessee State Board of Education meetings calendar (workshop November 19, 2026; meeting November 20, 2026): https://www.tn.gov/sbe/meetings/meetings-calendar.html AI Generated

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