Franklin, Tennessee
APPLY TODAY
TN Smaller-18
previous arrow
next arrow

A New Path Forward for Adults with IDD

At Shepherds College Tennessee, students are welcomed into a Christ-centered learning environment designed to help them grow in faith, confidence, life skills, and job readiness.

Located in Franklin, Tennessee, the Empowered for Life Program is a two-year postsecondary certificate program for young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, modeled after the educational framework developed at Shepherds College in Wisconsin.

Faith-Based Two-Year Program

A postsecondary certificate program built around faith formation, identity development, life skills, and job readiness.

Built for Real Life

The curriculum centers on four pillars: Faith Journey, Personal Development, Life Skills, and Job Readiness.

Franklin, Tennessee Campus

The Empowered for Life Program operates at Church of the City’s The Village in Franklin, Tennessee.

Ready to take the next step? Start your application today.

Apply Now Connect with Us

A Partnership Built on Purpose

The dream of Shepherds College Tennessee began with a shared vision between Shepherds College and Church of the City: to create a place where young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities can discover their God-given purpose while growing in faith, independence, and community.

Located at The Village in Franklin, Tennessee, the Empowered for Life Center brings Shepherds College’s nationally recognized educational model to the Southeast. Together, Shepherds College and Church of the City are creating opportunities for students to thrive through Christ-centered education, meaningful relationships, and practical life and career preparation.

Admissions Criteria

To ensure our students thrive, we look for young adults with:

  • Intellectual or developmental disability diagnosis
  • Age 18 or older
  • Motivation for personal growth and learning
Questions? We’re Here to Help

👤 Olivia Niestrom – Admissions Counselor
📞 Call/Text: 615.583.7688
📧 Email: oniestrom@shepherdscollege.edu

Shepherds College serves individuals with intellectual disabilities, such as significant learning, cognitive, and developmental conditions, whose disability impacts their ability to access course content without a system of educational support and services.

Admissions Criteria

Candidates for admission will need to meet the following qualifications.

General:

  • Have a diagnosed intellectual/developmental disability or significant learning challenges
  • Be motivated and have an eagerness to learn
  • Have the ability to receive information and instruction from staff and provide responses and feedback when necessary
  • Have the ability to make the commitment required of an educational/transitional program
  • Have completed four years of high school education, preferably culminating with a high school diploma or certificate of completion
  • Satisfy all requirements of the Shepherds College Admissions process as outlined on the Shepherds College application for enrollment
    • Submit all required materials
      • Application/Application Essay
      • IEP (most recent)
      • Psych Evaluation (preferably from the last three years)
      • Three references
      • Transcript
    • Complete an on-campus visit
      • The Application Review Team reserves the right to require additional visits for further evaluation

Academic

  • Demonstrate academic skills suitable for Shepherds College as determined by Admissions assessments
  • Have the ability to maintain appropriate professional behavior and perform with minimal supervision at an internship in a competitive business setting
  • Participate in classroom lessons with accommodation and support within a 7:1 staff-to-student ratio

Behavioral

  • Agree to abide by the Community Covenant established by Shepherds College
  • Have acceptable social behavior verified by school, family, or another source
  • Have no current or recent thoughts and/or record of harming self or others
  • Have not had any acts of physical aggression in the last two years
  • Have not had a history of sexual aggression or predatory behavior towards others
  • Must notify Shepherds College of any and all incidents involving physical aggression, self-harm, non-consensual sexual engagement, and any arrests and/or convictions

Non-Discriminatory Policy

Shepherds College admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Apply to Shepherds College®

Your journey to a life-changing education begins here. Simply follow the steps below.

1. Choose a Decision Period

Decision Window Open Window Closed Application Review Meeting Decision Posted
Quarter 1: August 24 – October 30
Q1 – Blue Decision Period August 24th September 17th September 18th September 21st
Q1 – Orange Decision Period September 21st October 8th October 9th October 12th
Quarter 2: November 2 – January 22
Q2 – Blue Decision Period November 2nd December 10th December 11th December 14th
Q2 – Orange Decision Period January 4th January 14th January 15th January 18th
Quarter 3: January 25 – April 2
Q3 – Blue Decision Period January 25th February 18th February 19th February 22nd
Q3 – Orange Decision Period February 22nd March 11th March 12th March 15th
Quarter 4: April 5 – June 3
Q4 – Blue Decision Period April 5th April 29th April 30th May 3rd
Q4 – Orange Decision Period May 3rd May 27th May 28th June 1st

2. Submit Full Application

  • Online application
  • Application essay
  • Psych evaluation
  • IEP
  • References (Educator, Personal, Counselor/Supervisor)
  • Transcript
  • $75 Application fee (unless waived)

3. Schedule Your Experiencing Shepherds College Visit (ESCV)

As part of the application process, students are required to visit campus. During the visit, the student will participate in classes and complete a student interview. Parents are also asked to be available for a parent interview. 

4. Receive Determination

If a student has their full application submitted and their visit completed within the decision window, they can expect to receive one of the following decisions on the “Decision Posted” date:

a. Accepted – Congratulations! You are eligible to attend Shepherds College for the following quarter. To reserve your spot while pursuing financial aid, return your “Intent to Enroll” form.

b. Accepted by Exception – You may have met all criteria except one, and the Application Review Team believes you would be successful at Shepherds College. To read more about this determination, please visit the Admissions Criteria page. 

c. Accepted (Waitlist) – Y– You have been accepted but given the volume of applicants who have been accepted, you have been placed on a waitlist. For more information regarding this determination, please contact the Shepherds College Admissions Team. 

d. Deferment (Further Evaluation) – Based on the information presented in the application or the outcome of the visit, the team wishes to spend more time getting to know you to determine if the amount of support available at Shepherds College is appropriate for you. The Shepherds College Application Review Team reserves the right to request additional visits to campus to determine a prospective student’s fit.

e. Not a Fit – Based on the application and visit, the Application Review Team believes that, at this time, the level of support on campus would not be sufficient to help the student be successful.

Do you have questions for the Admissions Team?
Email: admissions@shepherdscollege.edu. 

Investing In Your Future

Learn How We Help Make College Possible – Tuition, Fees & Scholarships

An education at Shepherds College is an investment in lifelong growth. We are committed to making our programs accessible and affordable.

  • Transparent tuition & fees
  • Scholarships available for qualifying families

Full Time Enrollment:

  • Annual Tuition
    • $25,000
      • Billed:
        • Q1: $7,000
        • Q2: $7,000
        • Q3: $7,000
        • Q4: $4,000
  • Full Time Quarterly:
    • $7,000
  • Individual Course Fee:
    • $2,000
  • Friday enrollment fee (requires concurrent in at least one additional course): $1,000 per quarter

Institutional Aid:

Need-based scholarships are available through Shepherds College. Please contact the Financial Aid office at 262-878-6345 or email here to learn about these options.

Private Aid:

Explore third-party scholarships for post-secondary training, including general opportunities and diagnosis-specific scholarships.

Potential Funding Resources:

State/Federal Aid:

  • SSI – $9,000 annually
  • Shepherds College is working with guidance from the Governor’s Office to pursue public funding pathways, including Vocational Rehabilitation and applicable state scholarship opportunities.