METRO ATLANTA — Rep. Chuck Martin is seeking to revisit the Georgia College Completion Grant this legislative session, a measure that could make it easier for students to finish their degrees.
In the 2023 fiscal year, the program awarded $7.3 million to more than 6,000 undergraduate students at eligible colleges and universities across the state.
The grant program, which launched July 1, 2022, can cover up to $2,500 in financial aid gaps for students who are at least 80 percent finished with a four-year degree program.
The need-based effort is meant to help students who are low-income or who have outstanding balances that may serve as a barrier to attending classes.
Last spring, Martin, the chairman of the House Higher Education Committee, sponsored House Bill 249, which sought to raise the maximum award under the program to $3,500, as well as lower the four-year degree completion requirement to 70 percent, or 45 percent for a two-year degree.
The bill saw overwhelming support in the House and the Senate, but Gov. Brian Kemp vetoed the measure in May.
“I support veterans initiatives and making education more affordable,” Kemp said in the veto message. “However, the proposals in this bill are subject to appropriations and the General Assembly failed to fully fund these educational incentives.”
In addition to the expansion of the Georgia College Completion Grant, HB 249 would have enabled veterans to receive free training to operate commercial vehicles.
In an interview with Appen Media, Martin said the bill will run this year with a focus on helping students finish their programs of study.
“We feel real good about the information we have thus far,” he said. “We’re going to keep working with the Governor’s Office and the folks here, too, in the House and the Senate, to try to move that forward this…
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