BlueSky Tennessee Institute

Fewer than 40 percent of Hamilton County’s residents earn a postsecondary credential within six years of beginning their college career, and economic growth in the area has not been equally distributed across socioeconomic lines. To address this community challenge, BlueSky Tennessee Institute is collaborating with BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and East Tennessee State University to offer students the opportunity to earn a bachelor’s degree in computing in 27 months and receive a job offer for a competitive position with the company upon graduation.

While open to all students, BlueSky Institute prioritizes recruitment at six Hamilton County high schools in Chattanooga, Tennessee, with high proportions of low-income students and with low college-going and completion rates. It has enrolled two cohorts of 30 students each to date. The first cohort is halfway through the program and has maintained a 91 percent retention rate. Additionally, BlueSky Institute’s percentage of women and students of color outpace the national average in this degree.