HB18: HB18 Dual Enrollment Act; residency requirement for eligible students; provide

Georgia's Dual Enrollment Act (O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3) lets eligible high school students take college level courses at technical colleges and universities, sometimes with state payment covering the cost. Currently the law defines which students qualify by grade level and course type but does not spell out a residency requirement. This bill rewrites the definition of an 'eligible high school student' to require that the student meet Georgia legal residency rules set by the state higher education commission, and that the student keep living in Georgia while participating in the program. The existing grade level and course requirements, covering 11th and 12th graders and certain 10th graders in technical courses, high test scorers, or grandfathered 9th graders, stay the same. The change would take effect July 1, 2025, and apply to school years starting on or after that date.

• Adds a requirement that a student must meet Georgia legal residency rules, as set by the higher education commission, to qualify as an 'eligible high school student' for dual enrollment.
• Requires the student to remain a Georgia resident throughout their participation in the dual enrollment program, not just at the start.
• Keeps the existing grade level and course conditions unchanged, including rules for 10th graders taking technical courses or meeting Zell Miller Scholar test scores.
• Sets the new requirement to take effect July 1, 2025, and apply to all school years beginning on or after that date.

High school students who take college courses through Georgia's Dual Enrollment program, their families, high schools, technical colleges, and universities that enroll dual enrollment students, and the state agency (the commission referenced in the law) that sets residency rules and processes payments.

Students who do not meet Georgia residency rules, or who move out of state while dually enrolled, could lose eligibility for the program and its state funded payments for college courses. This affects which students and families can rely on free dual enrollment coursework going forward.

• Section 1 revises paragraph (9) of subsection (b) of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.3 to add a Georgia residency requirement for 'eligible high school student' status.
• Section 1 also requires students to remain Georgia residents throughout program participation, not only at enrollment.
• Section 1 preserves the existing eligibility paths: 11th or 12th graders in eligible dual credit courses, 10th graders in CTAE courses or with qualifying SAT/ACT scores, and grandfathered 9th graders enrolled before June 30, 2020.
• Section 2 sets the effective date as July 1, 2025, applying to school years beginning on or after that date.
• Section 3 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-01-15House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-01-14House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-01-13House Hopper (House)

• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)Primary sponsor
• Jesse Petrea (R, HD-166)
• Gary Richardson (R, HD-125)
• Rick Jasperse (R, HD-011)
• Joseph Gullett (R, HD-019)

• dual enrollment
• education policy
• Georgia residency requirements
• high school students
• college credit