For over 15 years, Tennessee's Chattanooga State Technical Community College has been offering non-traditional, distance education to reach "niches" of students who would otherwise find it difficult to attain a college education. Begun in 1979 with a laboratory-based independent study program offering a mix of purchased and locally-developed courses, the distance program has since broadened to include an Instructional Television Fixed Service system, videocassettes mailed to students' homes, and courses via computer and the World Wide Web. In fall 1996, 326 students were taking courses via the distance program only, representing 1,320 credit hours the college would not have otherwise had. The students served fall into five main niches. Handicapped students use course material in their homes, coming to campus to be tested or making arrangements with staff administers to takes tests at home. Power line maintenance technicians scattered in small groups throughout six states can take a five-course sequence in their own locales. Emergency service personnel receive 1 year of credit for their experience and then take an additional year of coursework through distance learning. A course has also been designed for truckers so that they may watch video courses in their sleepers, take the exams on their own, and develop a business plan using a workbook. Finally, a course in digital circuits was developed for industrial maintenance workers in small companies. (HAA)