HB 693: Postsecondary education; tuition equalization grants at private colleges and universities; expand definition of approved school

Georgia's tuition equalization grant program (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-411) helps students at certain private, nonpublic colleges and universities. The law defines which schools count as an 'approved school' for these grants. This bill rewrites that definition in two main ways. First, it changes a date requirement for for-profit (proprietary) colleges seeking approval, moving the cutoff for how long the school must have been located in Georgia from January 1, 2021 back to January 1, 2015. Second, it adds a brand-new category: nonprofit colleges with accredited baccalaureate nursing programs can now qualify as an approved school for their nursing degree only, if they meet accreditation, licensing exam pass rate, and Georgia campus longevity requirements. The bill specifies that a school approved under this new nursing category still cannot count as eligible for HOPE scholarships, dual enrollment funding, or other separate grant programs.

• Moves the required 'located in Georgia since' date for proprietary (for-profit) colleges seeking tuition equalization grant approval from January 1, 2021 back to January 1, 2015.
• Creates a new path to 'approved school' status for nonprofit colleges that offer an accredited baccalaureate nursing degree program.
• Requires those nursing programs to be accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and have at least an 80 percent four-year average nursing licensing exam (NCLEX) passage rate.
• Requires the nonprofit nursing program's school to have had at least one Georgia campus for at least 10 years as of June 30, 2025.
• Clarifies that a nursing program approved under this new category cannot also be treated as eligible for HOPE scholarships, dual enrollment funding, or other scholarship, loan, or grant programs.
• Renumbers existing subdivisions of the 'approved school' definition to accommodate the new nursing category.

Students and administrators at private, nonpublic colleges and universities in Georgia, especially nonprofit schools with nursing degree programs and proprietary schools seeking tuition equalization grant eligibility; the Georgia Nonpublic Postsecondary Education Commission, which reviews and approves these schools for grant funding.

The bill would open state tuition equalization grant funding to students in qualifying nursing programs at additional private nonprofit colleges, while tightening the historical presence requirement for proprietary schools. Whether a school counts as 'approved' directly affects whether its students can receive this state financial aid.

• Section 1 amends paragraph (2) of O.C.G.A. § 20-3-411, the definition section for the tuition equalization grant program.
• Changes the proprietary institution eligibility date requirement from January 1, 2021 to January 1, 2015 in the existing subdivision (B)(i).
• Adds new subdivision (B)(ii) creating eligibility for nonprofit nursing baccalaureate programs meeting accreditation, NCLEX pass rate, and 10-year Georgia campus presence requirements.
• Specifies that a program approved under the new nursing subdivision is not automatically an 'eligible postsecondary institution' for HOPE scholarships, dual enrollment, or other article-related aid programs.
• Renumbers former subdivisions (B)(ii) and (B)(iii) to (B)(iii) and (B)(iv) to fit the new nursing provision.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2026-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
2. 2025-03-04House Second Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-03House First Readers (House)
4. 2025-02-28House Hopper (House)

• Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-004)Primary sponsor

• tuition equalization grants
• private college funding
• nursing education
• higher education law
• financial aid eligibility