Gov. Bill Haslam is visiting several community colleges this week to help kickoff his Tennessee Promise program.

The scholarship provides high school graduates with two years of tuition-free attendance at a state community or technical college, which began classes on Monday.

Tennessee Promise was launched as part of Haslam's "Drive to 55" initiative, which aims to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a degree or certificate beyond high school, help improve overall job qualifications and attract employers to the state.