Thanks to a new agreement between Nashville State Community College-Clarksville Campus and the Clarksville Transit System, students will be eligible for a semester-long bus pass at no cost to the student.
In an effort to reduce barriers to education, Nashville State Community College struck a deal with the Clarksville Transit System to provide free public transportation to students who attend classes at the Clarksville campus. As part of the college's "Beyond Financial Aid" program, the agreement is one of many steps being taken by NSCC to focus on making higher education accessible to more community members.
Despite many classes being online this year due to COVID, administrators at NSCC recognized that students still needed access to affordable transportation. As Student Services Specialist II for the Clarksville Campus Jessica Luna explained in a recent news release, "While classes might be virtual, students still need access to transportation for work, appointments, and other tasks. By offering this program, we are providing more opportunities to our students that may not have consistent transportation."
Registration for the bus passes for both the summer and fall semesters is underway and can be completed online. Lauren Bell, Nashville State Foundation's executive director spoke about how the partnership will improve access for students, "We're grateful for the partnership with the Clarksville Transit System that allowed us to expand this resource to students at the Clarksville campus. This transportation program is one of several resources we developed to address the most significant challenges our students struggle with while attending classes. Our 'Beyond Financial Aid' initiative provides child care, nutrition, textbook, transportation, and unexpected emergency assistance. These resources would not be possible without the generous support of individuals and community partners."
As part of the broader "Beyond Financial Aid" program, NSCC also recently opened The Campus Cupboard, where students can receive assistance with food and personal items. The college also is offering access to loaner laptops and graphing calculators and providing free wifi hotspots for students. Funding for these programs comes in part from Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee and Kroger.