TN SB2079

Redistributes appointment authority for the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, giving the governor, speaker of the senate, and speaker of the house each 3 voting member appointments (previously governor-dominated)

Defines "on-time graduation" as 4 years for university students and 3 years for community college students, requiring the commission to publish target graduation rates for each institution at least every 5 years

Allows the commission to approve separate tuition increase limits for institutions that demonstrate positive growth in on-time graduation rates based on a 3-year rolling average

Caps online undergraduate course tuition at no more than 75% above comparable in-person course costs when no in-person option exists for the same credit

Requires University of Tennessee, Board of Regents, and state university boards to adopt policies by July 1, 2026 explaining how out-of-state tuition revenues will be used to reduce costs for in-state students