College students needing a financial boost to complete their degrees would get help from the state under legislation the Georgia House of Representatives passed Tuesday.
Lawmakers voted 171-3 let students who have earned at least 80% of the credits required for the degree they are seeking receive a grant of up to $2,500 to help pay their tuition.
The money would help plug a “small gap to get [students] across the finish line,” said House Higher Education Committee Chairman Chuck Martin, R-Alpharetta, the bill’s chief sponsor.
“Higher education changes life,” added Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Atlanta. “The more kids we can get in our educational system, the better they’re going to be and their families are going to be.”
To qualify, students would have to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) application.
The Georgia Student Finance Commission would administer the grant program, subject to state appropriations. The bill would have a sunset date of June 30, 2025, to give lawmakers a chance to determine whether the program is working.
The bill now moves to the state Senate.
This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.
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Dave Williams | Capitol Beat News Service
Dave Williams is the Bureau Chief for Capitol Beat News Service. He is a veteran reporter who has reported on Georgia state government and politics since 1999. Before that, he covered Georgia’s congressional delegation in Washington, D.C.
