If you’re a Tennessee high school senior with an entrepreneurial streak and a serious work ethic, the state has something worth your attention.
Starting Wednesday, April 1, the Tennessee Real Estate Commission (TREC) will begin accepting applications for its High School Senior Real Estate Licensing Program — now entering its third year and still one of the more quietly remarkable opportunities available to young Tennesseans.
The program is exactly what it sounds like: a free path to earning the base education required to sit for Tennessee’s real estate pre-licensing exam. No tuition. No catch. Just the coursework, the commitment, and a potential career waiting on the other side.
Here’s how it works:
Selected students complete a 90-hour curriculum through Kaplan Real Estate Education — the 60-hour Tennessee Affiliate Broker pre-licensing course plus the 30-hour Tennessee New Affiliate course. Students have 100 days to finish, even if graduation comes first. After that, it’s the state and national exams, and the same Commission requirements every licensed agent in Tennessee has to meet. The program doesn’t lower the bar — it just removes the cost of getting to it.
Spots are limited to approximately 100 seniors statewide, with a dedicated focus on students from Tennessee’s economically distressed counties. A waiting list applies if openings become available.
“This program is a great way for students to get a jump start on their career, earn money, and gain valuable career experience while also completing their high school coursework,” said TREC Executive Director Denise Beard Baker.
The Tennessee Real Estate Commission operates under the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance’s Regulatory Boards Division.
For full details, visit the FAQ page by clicking here. Questions from students, parents, or educators can be directed to trec.hsprogram@tn.gov.
Applications open April 1. You can link to a online application by clicking here. Don’t wait on this one. •
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