As part of its compliance with the Complete College Act of 2010, UT and Pellissippi State initiated a “bridge” program in summer 2011, under which students were dually enrolled at UT and at Pellissippi State. The program allowed some students who have been wait-listed for admission to UT to take initial program requirements at Pellissippi State. The students are guided by advisers on both campuses. Students were originally required to attend the second summer session at UT to take a set of credit courses to help them adjust to college life, get a head start on the UT degree, and live on the campus at UT. During the fall and spring semesters, bridge students take courses exclusively at Pellissippi State and at the end of the spring semester are admitted to UT if their academic records at Pellissippi State indicate an ability to succeed at UT. They are issued a UT ID card and enjoy library, computer, tutoring, and mentoring services, as well as recreational opportunities on both campuses. The initial bridge class consisted of 75 students.
The program was tweaked in 2014 to remove the requirement that students live in a residence hall for students living within 50 miles of Knoxville. The requirement to attend preparation classes was also modified to allow students to take the classes the summer they enter the program or following the freshman year before they become solely UT students. The admission criteria were also modified in 2014 to provide a more holistic application review, rather than being based solely on credit hours and GPA—rather than a minimum 2.5 GPA for sophomore admission, 2.0–2.49 GPAs were considered.