NASHVILLE (AP) — Officials with the Tennessee Education Lottery say it's continuing its record-breaking start in the fiscal year that started July 1.

A news release from the lottery said sales for July and August are 9.3 percent ahead of the same period last year and the highest for each of those months since lottery tickets first went on sale in 2004.

Instant ticket sales and large Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots are fueling the sales increase.

The release says the lottery has raised more than $3.8 billion for education programs since beginning. Those programs include college grants and scholarships, after-school programs and the Tennessee Promise initiative. Player prizes have totaled more than $10 billion, with retailers earning more than $978 million in commissions.