Making College Affordable for All Georgians So Our People, Communities and Economy Can Thrive.

Georgia is one of a handful of states that does not provide aid to students based solely on financial need. Further, current state aid programs that consider a student’s ability to afford college (among other factors), including REACH and the Georgia College Completion Grant, are limited in size and scope. To ensure more students across the state can access a postsecondary credential, regardless of their family income we recommend:

• Creating a Georgia need-based aid grant program: The General Assembly laid the groundwork for such a program in 2018 by codifying a need-based financial aid program into Georgia statute. Unfortunately, the development of that program stalled without appropriations. We support fulfilling this promise through a statewide program for Georgia students across the academic spectrum with demonstrated financial need who enroll at a public or independent postsecondary institution in the state. 

• Expanding Georgia’s College Completion Grants: This state program provides need-based completion grants to a limited number of Georgia students. We support lowering the credit threshold at which students become eligible and expanding the definition of “financial gap” to include indirect costs within the full cost of attendance, such as housing and food. In addition, we urge policymakers to increase funding for the program to allow more students to access the grants.

• Restoring the 75% state share of costs for the University System of Georgia (USG): The original intent of the USG funding formula was to provide a 75%/25% split where the state would pay for 75% of the funding necessary to educate students, and students would pay the remaining 25% in tuition dollars. Today, that ratio is 57%/43%.[5]

• Increasing Georgia Tuition Equalization Grants: These grants help Georgia students attend private colleges in the state, allowing students to choose the postsecondary institution that meets their needs. We support increasing the grant award as well as providing a larger grant for Pell-eligible students. Nearly half of students attending private institutions in Georgia are Pell Grant recipients.[6]

This initiative alerts students to Georgia colleges where they are likely to be admitted, but barriers remain to students fully utilizing this resource. Building in college cost and financial aid information to the tool would help students match to colleges that are a strong academic and financial fit. Eliminating application fees for Pell-eligible students (beyond the November and March windows) who apply to colleges on their list would allow more students to follow through with their applications.

Twenty-five states provide in-state tuition to public colleges and universities for state residents, regardless of immigration status, including Florida and Texas. Another eight states extend in-state tuition to certain populations such as DACA students, and/or specific higher education institutions. Allowing all students who graduate from Georgia high schools—with residency requirement guardrails—to pay in-state tuition prices would ensure more Georgia students remain in the state to earn postsecondary credentials and eventually become members of our workforce. Just as in other states, this would allow Georgia to retain homegrown talent, reduce workforce shortages, and increase tax revenue.