HB695: HB695 Georgia Student Finance Authority; establish a needs based financial aid program to award grants to eligible students who have not yet received their financial aid award

Some Georgia college students who qualify for state or federal financial aid still haven't received their award money by the time classes start, leaving them unable to afford required textbooks and course materials. This bill would direct the Georgia Student Finance Commission, part of the Georgia Student Finance Authority, to set up a new needs based grant program addressing that gap. To qualify, a student would have to come from an economically disadvantaged family, meet academic or other standards set by the commission, be eligible for a HOPE or Zell Miller scholarship or grant, have completed the FAFSA, be enrolled at a qualifying college, and still be waiting on financial aid two weeks after the semester or quarter begins. Grants would be capped at $5,000 per student and paid directly to them, covering books and materials an instructor identifies as essential to a course. The program depends on the legislature actually funding it, and the commission would write detailed rules for applications and fast processing.

• Creates a new needs based grant program at the Georgia Student Finance Commission for students who qualify for financial aid but haven't received it yet.
• Caps each student's grant at $5,000 total, to be paid directly to the student rather than the school.
• Defines 'eligible student' to require economic disadvantage, academic standards, HOPE/Zell Miller eligibility, a completed FAFSA, enrollment at a qualifying school, and a two week wait past the start of classes.
• Limits grant use to 'essential materials' like books and other items an instructor says are required for a course.
• Requires students to submit an application listing the materials they need and their estimated cost.
• Makes the program subject to state funding (appropriations), meaning it only operates if the legislature allocates money for it.

College and university students in Georgia who qualify for state or federal financial aid but face delays receiving it, especially those from lower income families; the Georgia Student Finance Commission and Authority, which would run the new program; and Georgia's qualifying postsecondary institutions where these students are enrolled.

Students who are waiting on delayed financial aid can struggle to afford textbooks and materials right when classes start, which can hurt their coursework from day one. This bill would give the state a direct way to bridge that gap with grants of up to $5,000, though only if lawmakers fund the program.

• New Code Section 20-3-367 defines key terms including 'eligible student,' 'essential materials,' and 'qualified institution' for the new subpart.
• New Code Section 20-3-368 establishes the grant program, sets the $5,000 maximum award per student, and requires direct disbursement to the student.
• The same section lets the commission set individualized eligibility criteria and award amounts depending on the institution and program of study.
• Section 20-3-368(b) requires an application listing the specific essential materials needed and their estimated cost.
• New Code Section 20-3-369 directs the commission to write rules and procedures for expedited application processing and grant disbursement.
• The program's operation is explicitly made 'subject to appropriations,' meaning it depends on state funding being provided.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-03-04House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-03House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-02-28House Hopper (House)

• Mary Ann Santos (D, HD-117)Primary sponsor
• Teddy Reese (D, HD-140)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-075)
• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)
• Robert Flournoy (D, HD-074)
• Arlene Beckles (D, HD-096)

• college financial aid
• student grants
• higher education funding
• Georgia Student Finance Authority