Frequently Asked Questions

Check-in information

If your last name begins with the letters A-M, please arrive promptly at 12:00 PM. If your last name begins with the letters N-Z, please arrive at 12:30 PM. Delegates will check in to the residence halls in Tennessee Tech’s “Capital Quad” area located on the Southwest end of campus along the corner of Peachtree Ave and 7th Street. For GPS, this address will direct to the general area: 715 Stadium Drive, Cookeville, TN 38505. Please see the campus map for the residence hall and check-in parking locations. Delegates will receive their residence hall check-in location by email by May 19. Please be on the lookout for that information. The first meal is at 6 PM, so please eat lunch before you arrive. Please see the campus map for the residence hall and parking locations.

Delegates will receive their residence hall check-in location by email by Friday, May 17, so please be on the lookout for that email.

Yes. Check out the PDF map link. You will be given a placard to put on the dash of your vehicle at check-in.

As soon as you know you will be arriving late, contact the Boys State office at TN Tech, at (931) 372-3730 and let us know. Any delegate arriving after 1:30 PM should check in at Evins Hall, 715 Stadium Dr, Cookeville, TN.

Yes. The Physical Form must be completed and signed by a physician. School physicals for sports or band may be substituted as long as they are no more than 12 months old from the start date of the program. Please bring this form with you to check in, to turn in to Tennessee Tech's Health Services staff.

No forms require notarization for Boys State.

As a recap, there are three forms required for participation, each described below:

Participant Health Information Form (PDF) - This form is to be completed and signed by the delegate's parent or legal guardian (if the participant is under the age of 18). Please bring this form with you to check in to turn in to Tennessee Tech's Health Services staff.
Participant Health Information Form

Physical Form (PDF) - This form is to be completed and signed by a physician. School physicals for sports or band may be substituted as long as they are no more than 12 months old from the start date of the program. Please bring this form with you to check in on to turn in to Tennessee Tech's Health Services staff.
Physical Form

Contact Boys State Headquarters at (931) 372-3730. If having problems with that number, contact Campus Police at (931) 372-3234. Also, feel free to call or text your son, but please understand they may not be able to answer immediately due to active participation in sessions or guest speaker presentations.

There is a section on the Boys State registration form to request accommodations. However, if you did not make that request in the application, please complete the accommodations request form here

Tennessee Tech Health Services is available 7 AM – 6 PM to treat minor injuries and illnesses such as blisters, sprains, minor cuts or abrasions, sore throat, coughing, headaches, gastric distress, etc. Health Services will conduct a medical assessment and testing as necessary. If a delegate tests positive for COVID, Flu, or exhibits symptoms typical of the COVID or flu virus, the Boys State Headquarters staff will be informed and the delegate must contact a parent or guardian immediately to make arrangements to leave for home as soon as possible. If a delegate’s roommate tests positive for Flu or COVID, Boys State Headquarters staff will inform the roommate and facilitate arrangements for the roommate to go home as well unless that roommate has been vaccinated for those viruses.

Following a medical assessment, Health Services may refer the delegate to the Cookeville Regional Medical Center Emergency Room if necessary. The delegate will be transported by Boys State staff unless the medical condition necessitates calling an ambulance.

Putnam County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will be contacted immediately if potentially serious or life-threatening medical situations arise during the course of the program.

For a complete list, please review the Instructions and Packing List

Instructions & Packing List

As soon as you know you will be arriving late, contact the Boys State office at TN Tech, (931) 372-3730 and let us know. If this situation arises the day of registration, call (931) 372-3730 or (931) 372-3123.

Yes! Please do. Delegates will need to access the program schedule, voting, and many helpful materials online. If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet, please reach out to [email protected]

Dinner is served at 6:00 p.m., Sunday for delegates and counselors. We suggest that you eat lunch BEFORE you arrive at TN Tech

Yes, but only snacks that are sealed and do not require refrigeration. You will also have opportunities to purchase snacks during free time in the afternoon.

We suggest no more than $100. All your meals are covered. The extra money would be used for snacks and any souvenirs you might want to purchase (i.e. jackets, shirts, cups, etc. at TN Tech bookstore). We are not responsible for lost or stolen articles or money.

Unfortunately there will be no band for the 2024 American Legion Boys State program.

Tennis (you need your own racquet), ultimate frisbee, volleyball, basketball, table tennis (If you have your own special paddle, bring it), and cornhole.

If you attend, you are required to attend the entire program until the inauguration on Friday. If you cannot attend the entire week, please inform your school and American Legion Post so an alternate can attend in your place.

Usually between 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on Friday. Your family and friends are invited to attend the Inauguration Ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in Hooper Eblen Center

No. The program is fast-paced and not designed for delegates to have visitors. No visitors will be allowed in the Boys State Headquarters area, including the residence hall. Families and friends are invited to attend the Inauguration Ceremony at 10:30 AM on Friday.

No. With over 400 delegates and counselors, we restrict off-campus travel to emergencies only. There are defined boundaries to which the delegates must adhere. The delegates are not allowed to go beyond these boundaries unless specifically approved by the Tennessee American Legion Boys State Staff. The boundaries are 7th Street, Willow Avenue, 12th Street, Dixie Avenue, and Mahler Ave. If a delegate goes beyond those boundaries without specific permission he will be removed from the program. We will contact your sponsor and high school and explain to them why you are being sent home and why their fees will not be refunded.

Minor delegates will only be released to individuals identified on the Early Departure section of the TN Boys State registration application.

One of the major benefits of the program is the chance to meet people in your residence hall floor whom you don't know. The room assignments are based on a sophisticated computer algorithm.

A good assumption. But in case you were wondering, if you are caught in possession of, or using alcohol, tobacco, e-cigarettes, or drugs, you will be sent home immediately. We will contact your sponsor and high school and explain to them why you are being sent home and why their fees will not be refunded.

While Boys State is a program of the American Legion, many other civic organizations sponsor delegates like Eagles, Kiwanis, Lions, Rotary, high schools, and others. If you have trouble finding a local sponsor to pay the FULL amount, you may use more than one sponsor to help defray the costs of your parents may help to sponsor part of or all of your costs.