Latest news with #LynneRiley
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
60 Georgia colleges, universities to waive application fees
The Georgia Student Finance Commission announced dozens of state colleges and universities would waive application fees for Georgia students applying for enrollment. The fee waivers come to Georgia high school seniors through the GSFC's Find Your MATCH in March initiative. For the special initiative, any high school seniors who apply for colleges in the state would have their fees waived, but they have to apply between March 1 and March 30. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] TRENDING STORIES: Some Cobb Co. parents uneasy after teacher charged in family violence case Man meeting Gwinnett County teens with luxury gifts banned from schools New FBI Atlanta head says agency's biggest goal is keeping Georgians safe: 'We follow the facts' 'We are working to let every Georgian know there is a path to a successful career for them right here in the Peach State, starting at one of our institutions of higher learning,' Gov. Brian Kemp said in a statement. 'That's why allowing our prospective students and their families an opportunity to apply to college with no application fee this month is so important. It further opens the door to a rewarding career and lets young Georgians know they can find success right here in their home state.' State officials said this is the eighth time the waivers for application fees have been used since 2022, and that there is no limit on how many schools a student can apply to fee-free. 'Over 137,000 Georgia high school seniors have an opportunity to apply to college free in March through the GEORGIA MATCH dashboard,' Georgia Student Finance Commission President Lynne Riley said. 'The Find Your MATCH in March initiative encourages seniors to take advantage of college application fee waivers, direct admissions through GEORGIA MATCH, and over $1 billion in financial aid available annually through Georgia's HOPE Scholarship and other grant and loan programs.' [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Georgia House panel advances bill to increase grant access for state college and tech students
Members of the Georgia House Higher Education Committee are hoping to correct an oversight that prevented students from taking advantage of grants to help them graduate. Getty Images More Georgia's college and technical students may soon be eligible for grant money to help them complete their degree after a mathematical oversight made it impossible for many to qualify. A House committee unanimously passed a bill aimed at correcting the oversight Wednesday. The Georgia College Completion Grant, signed into law in 2022, aims to help students who are close to graduation but are low on money. Students can be eligible for up to $2,500, and the total cost for the state is capped at $10 million, with unused funds rolling over to the next year. In the state's 2024 fiscal year, 10,069 college students received a total $10.9 million through the grants. To qualify, students must have completed at least 80% of the credit requirements for their course of study, and that's where the math problem comes in, said Georgia Student Finance Commission President Lynne Riley. The requirement made it impossible for most Technical College System of Georgia students to take advantage of the grants. 'If you think about it, a TCSG program is typically one or two years, and to get to 80% completion of a one-year program, you'd be – if you only have two semesters, you'd be 50% completed halfway through your program, you would never meet that 80% threshold to be able to be an award recipient,' Riley said. 'Similarly, for a two-year program, even after a third semester, you'd still only be 75% of the way on your credential attainment, and so would never be eligible for the program.' Riley said students seeking four-year degrees at University System of Georgia institutions and private schools also experienced issues. 'USG and private post-secondaries also ran into that same problem that with a typical four-year program for students and the fact that most institutions package their financial aid on an annual basis, so they'd be looking at the possibility of awarding these completion grants at the end of a student's third year, and they typically would only be 75% complete at that point,' she said. The House Higher Education Committee voted unanimously to expand eligibility to students who had completed 70% of a four-year degree or 45% of a two-year degree, which would encompass more students heading into the last year of their program. 'I stand here before you as embarrassed as anyone to say I don't know why I didn't notice that, but nobody on the House committee nor the Senate committee nor anybody thought about it,' said House Higher Education Committee Chair Chuck Martin, an Alpharetta Republican. 'So the idea of the way these work is before you go into your last year, you've proven, you've put your shoulder to the wheel, you've done well, you're completing, this is a completion grant.' House Democratic Whip Sam Park, a Lawrenceville Democrat, said he would support expanding eligibility further. 'I think it's continuing to move in the right direction, but ultimately, we're also trying to address the needs-based aid type of issue with this bill, correct? Tell me why we're not looking, why we're so focused more on the back end as opposed to the front end. Is there data, for example, in which that $2,500 could ensure that folks are able to enroll and continue to go to school as opposed to focusing on that 70% threshold for a four-year institution?' Martin said students in different situations can seek different grants and scholarships, but this program is narrowly tailored to help those who just need a little help to earn their diploma. 'This is not meant to be the ultimate catch-all, end-all for everything, but the best place to deploy the money and to get the most impact,' he said. Before it can become law, the bill will need to pass both chambers and receive Gov. Brian Kemp's signature. Martin said the Senate and governor's office are comfortable with the bill and he hopes to fast-track it so that schools can plan ahead. The bill also continues funding the program until 2029. If lawmakers don't approve it, the program is set to expire this year. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
