NiswongerCare

Supporting the Future of Northeast Tennessee Students since 2015

The NiswongerCARE College and Career Advising Program serves 24 high schools across Northeast Tennessee, helping students build strong college-going and career-ready pathways. Since 2015, the program has strengthened the work of school counselors and ensured every student has access to personalized, knowledgeable guidance as they plan for life after high school.

Our mission is simple: ensure every student has the support, information, and confidence to pursue the future they choose.

Innovative Staffing Model

NiswongerCARE uses a three-tier advising model designed to maximize student impact and cultivate the region’s future education workforce:

Leadership Team

3 leaders with extensive experience in public education and college and career advising.

Near-Peer Advisors

22 recent bachelor’s-level graduates gaining their first professional experience while supporting students across our partner schools.

Graduate Counseling Interns

3 graduate students preparing for careers as professional school counselors and gaining real-world experience in college access.

Developing the Next Generation of Education Professionals

This model benefits students and strengthens the region’s pipeline of educators.

More than 35 former Advisors have transitioned into full-time roles in public education and higher education, inspired by their hands-on experience in the program.

In 2025, NiswongerCARE proudly welcomed Bailey Tyree—our 100th Advisor since the program’s inception.

NiswongerCARE isn’t just shaping student futures—it’s helping shape the future of our region’s schools and colleges.

Advisor Training

Advisors receive comprehensive training in key college-going milestones, including:

College applications and admissions
FAFSA® completion and financial aid planning
ACT registration and preparation
Career exploration and program research
College transition support
Collaboration with teachers and counselors
Embedding a college-going culture in each school

Training includes the Appreciative Advising framework, equipping Advisors to help students identify their strengths, goals, and best-fit pathways. Advisors also tour regional colleges, universities, and technical colleges to provide accurate, first-hand guidance on programs, costs, application timelines, and student opportunities.

Annual Campaigns

NiswongerCARE Advisors work with school counselors and administrators to support students through five campaigns aligned with the college-going timeline:

CAMPAIGN 1: COLLEGE APPLICATIONS & TN PROMISE
CAMPAIGN 2: FAFSA FRENZY & TN PROMISE REQUIREMENTS
CAMPAIGN 3: FAFSA COMPLETION & COLLEGE PLANNING NIGHTS
CAMPAIGN 4: COLLEGE SIGNING DAY & COLLEGE TRANSITION SUPPORT
CAMPAIGN 5: SUMMER MELT PREVENTION (BIGBRIGHTFUTURE)

Social Media Outreach

NiswongerCARE recognizes the importance of establishing a presence on social media in order to provide indispensable resources to students and families on the various platforms in which they are engaged. Regular updates are posted regarding important tasks related to the college going process, such as, application and scholarship deadlines and reminders, as well as opportunities to connect with other college access professionals and admissions representatives. Please follow us on social media by clicking on the links below:

Outcome Data Highlights

College-Going Rates

NiswongerCARE-supported schools continue to lead or match state performance, even through pandemic disruptions, enrollment declines, and shifting postsecondary pathways. The NiswongerCARE Impact Metric clearly demonstrates that more students are finding successful next steps after high school—whether through college enrollment, technical education, or military service.

Postsecondary matriculation rates have steadily increased since the implementation of the Niswonger Foundation’s college and career programming efforts. In 2011, Northeast Tennessee’s college-going rate of 50.6% was well below the state average of 55.7%. Data for partnering schools continue to trend with the State of Tennessee college going rates. Notably, a decrease during COVID years was felt across the nation and state. Schools served by NiswongerCARE are again trending upward with the class of 2022 graduates.

FAFSA gains can be attributed to strong partnerships, targeted outreach, and year-round advising support.

FAFSA Completion Rates Highlights

Strong, sustained growth since baseline: NiswongerCARE’s FAFSA completion rate has risen significantly from its 2014–2015 baseline of roughly 60%, demonstrating long-term improvement in college access support.
Rapid early gains: Completion rates climbed sharply between 2016–2017 and 2018–2019, reaching the program’s early high point of approximately 83–85%.
Resilience during COVID-19: Although FAFSA completion declined statewide and nationally during pandemic years, NiswongerCARE maintained completion rates in the mid-70% range, demonstrating stronger stability compared to national rural averages.
Post-pandemic recovery: By 2022–2023, completion rebounded to around 78%, nearly matching the program’s pre-pandemic peak.
Recent trend: Following a dip in 2023–2024, FAFSA completion has again increased in 2024–2025, rising to roughly 73–75%, indicating renewed upward momentum.
Overall impact: Across 11 years of implementation, NiswongerCARE has maintained FAFSA completion rates 15–20 percentage points above its original baseline, consistently outperforming national rural trends.

BigBrightFuture: Summer Melt Support

Summer Melt describes students who plan to enroll in college but never arrive on campus due to unexpected summer barriers.

Through BigBrightFuture, Advisors:

Identify students needing additional support
Offer targeted outreach to first-generation and low-resource students
Help graduates complete final requirements
Provide encouragement, reminders, and problem-solving assistance

College-going rates for BigBrightFuture participants consistently exceed both the overall CARE rate and the Tennessee state average.

A text, a call, or a quick reminder can be the difference between a student enrolling—or melting away.

Donate Here

(423) 820-8181