HB 716: Georgia Student Finance Authority; establish a needs based grant program to combat food insecurity among postsecondary students

Currently, Georgia's student aid programs do not include a grant specifically aimed at food insecurity among college students. This bill would add a new subpart to Georgia law directing the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which oversees the Georgia Student Finance Authority, to create a needs based grant program for that purpose. To qualify, a student would need to be considered economically disadvantaged or have a financial aid gap (the money still owed after other aid is applied), meet academic or other standards set by the commission, already qualify for a scholarship or grant under an existing law (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519.1), and have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The grant amount would be capped at the cost of the highest meal plan offered by the student's school. The commission would write the specific rules for applying, keeping, and renewing the grant, and schools would have to refund grant money for students who do not actually enroll.

• Creates a new needs based grant program inside the Georgia Student Finance Authority aimed at reducing food insecurity for college students.
• Defines who counts as an 'eligible student,' requiring economic disadvantage or a financial aid gap, academic standards, existing scholarship eligibility, and a completed FAFSA.
• Caps each student's grant at no more than the cost of the highest meal plan sold by the college they attend.
• Directs the Georgia Student Finance Commission to write rules for applications, eligibility, and renewal, and to allow different criteria for different schools.
• Requires colleges to refund grant money to the commission if a student who received a grant does not actually enroll for the semester it was paid for.
• Makes the whole program contingent on the state legislature actually appropriating funding for it.

Low-income and financially struggling students at Georgia's eligible postsecondary institutions (colleges and universities covered by O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519), the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which would design and run the program, and the colleges themselves, which must certify costs and refund unused grant money.

If funded by the legislature, eligible college students facing hunger could receive money specifically for food costs, tied to their school's meal plan price. Because the program depends on future appropriations, whether and how much aid actually reaches students depends on separate budget decisions.

• Section 1 adds a new Subpart 2B to Georgia's student aid law (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 3, Article 7, Part 3), creating Code Sections 20-3-367 and 20-3-368.
• New Code Section 20-3-367 defines 'commission,' 'eligible postsecondary institution,' 'eligible student,' and 'financial aid gap' for purposes of the program.
• New Code Section 20-3-368(a) states the program is 'subject to appropriations' and caps each grant at the cost of the recipient's school's highest meal plan.
• New Code Section 20-3-368(a) lets the commission set individualized eligibility and grant amounts by institution and requires criteria for students to keep receiving grants.
• New Code Section 20-3-368(b) requires students to apply under commission rules and requires schools to refund grant money if a funded student does not enroll.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting Georgia laws.

1. 2025-03-06House Second Readers (House)
2. 2025-03-04House First Readers (House)
3. 2025-03-03House Hopper (House)

• Bryce Berry (D, HD-56)Primary sponsor
• Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-4)
• Spencer Frye (D, HD-122)
• Sam Park (D, HD-107)
• Gabriel Sanchez (D, HD-42)
• Eric Bell (D, HD-75)

• food insecurity
• college financial aid
• Georgia Student Finance Authority
• higher education funding