---
title: HB 867. Georgia Student Finance Authority; grants to eligible students to assist with cost of attending an approved school of barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hair design, or nail care; establish pilot program
collection: bills
id: 2025-2026/hb867
cite_as: HB 867, 2025-2026 Regular Session (Ga.)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb867
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb867.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb867/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71720
date: 2025-03-31
status: introduced
corpus_version: bills-2026-08-28
license: Public record of the Georgia General Assembly, via LegiScan; see about.md
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb866.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb868.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md
omitted: votes and history
omitted_chars: 129
omitted_url: https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb867.md?full=1
bill_number: HB 867
session: 2025-2026 Regular Session
session_slug: 2025-2026
chamber: House
bill_type: bill
status_date: 2025-03-27
last_action: House Second Readers
sponsors:
  - Imani Barnes
  - Lydia Glaize
  - Rhonda Burnough
  - Billy Mitchell
  - Kim Schofield
  - Park Cannon
text_version: Introduced
has_text: true
legiscan_url: https://legiscan.com/GA/bill/HB867/2025
upstream_id: 2016117
summaries_model: claude-sonnet-5
topic_tags:
  - student financial aid
  - trade school funding
  - cosmetology and barbering schools
  - workforce training
  - education grants
---

# HB 867. Georgia Student Finance Authority; grants to eligible students to assist with cost of attending an approved school of barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hair design, or nail care; establish pilot program

## Text

25 LC 61 0228
House Bill 867
By: Representatives Barnes of the 86th, Glaize of the 67th, Burnough of the 77th, Mitchell of
the 88th, Schofield of the 63rd, and others
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
To amend Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Of ficial Code of Georgia1
Annotated, relating to the Georgia Student Finance Authority, s o as to establish a pilot2
program to provide grants to eligible students to assist with the cost of attending an approved3
school of barbering, school of cosmetology, school of esthetics , school of hair design, or4
school of nail care; to provide eligibility; to provide for ma ximum award amounts; to5
provide for applications; to provide for rules and regulations and compliance by approved6
schools; to provide for the collection of data and evaluation of the program; to provide for7
automatic repeal; to provide for related matters; to repeal con flicting laws; and for other8
purposes.9
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:10
SECTION 1.11
Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20 of the Official Co de of Georgia Annotated,12
relating to the Georgia Student Finance Authority, is amended by adding a new subpart to13
read as follows:14
H. B. 867
- 1 -
25 LC 61 0228
"Subpart 2B15
20-3-367.16
As used in this subpart, the term:17
(1) 'Approved school' means a school of barbering, a school of cosmetology, a school of18
esthetics, a school of hair design, or a school of nail care, which is:19
(A) Located in this state; and20
(B) Accredited by a national or regional accrediting agency recognized by the United21
States Department of Education.22
(2) 'Eligible student' means a person:23
(A) Who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an approved school;24
(B) Whose family income is considered economically disadvantaged, based on criteria25
established by the commission, or who has a financial aid gap; and26
(C) Who is eligible for a scholarship or grant pursuant to Code Section 20-3-519.1.27
(3) 'Financial aid gap' means the monetary amount remaining af ter other funding, as28
determined by the commission, for the cost of attendance certified by an approved school.29
(4) 'School of barbering,' 'school of cosmetology,' school of esthetics,' 'school of hair30
design,' and 'school of nail care' shall have the same meanings as provided for in Code31
Section 43-10-1.32
20-3-368.33
(a) Subject to appropriations, the commission shall establish a pilot financial aid program34
to provide grants to eligible students to assist with the cost of attending an approved school.35
The maximum total award amount per eligible student shall be $1 0,000.00 in total. The36
commission shall not award more than $50,000.00 in grants per y ear. The commission37
may provide for individualized eligibility criteria and grant amounts as determined to be38
the most appropriate for the particular approved school and its student population in39
H. B. 867
- 2 -
25 LC 61 0228
accordance with this subpart and the rules and regulations of t he commission. The40
commission shall also establish criteria necessary for eligible students to retain and41
continue to receive such grants in accordance with this subpart.42
(b) Each eligible student wishing to receive a grant pursuant to this subpart shall submit43
a grant application in accordance with the rules, regulations, and procedures prescribed by44
the commission. In the event a student on whose behalf a grant is paid does not enroll in45
the approved school, the approved school shall make a refund to the commission in46
accordance with the rules and regulations of the commission.47
(c) Any person applying for a grant under this subpart or assisting a person applying for48
a grant under this subpart who knowingly makes or furnishes any false statement or49
misrepresentation for the purpose of enabling an ineligible student to wrongfully obtain a50
grant under this subpart shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.51
(d) Each approved school shall be subject to examination by the commission for the sole52
purpose of determining whether the school has properly certifie d the cost of attendance,53
eligibility, and enrollment of students; accurately credited gr ants paid on behalf of such54
students; and properly complied with the rules and regulations established pursuant to this55
subpart; provided, however, that nothing in this subpart shall be construed to interfere with56
the authority of the school to determine admissibility of stude nts or to control its own57
curriculum, philosophy, purpose, or administration. In the event it is determined that an58
approved school knowingly or through error certified an ineligi ble student to be eligible59
for a grant under this subpart, the amount of the grant paid to such school pursuant to such60
certification shall be refunded by such school to the commissio n. The commission may61
suspend an approved school from receiving payments under this subpart if it fails to refund62
any moneys as required by this subpart.63
(e) The commission shall collect and monitor enrollment and student record data for the64
needs based financial aid program established pursuant to this subpart. The commission65
shall annually measure and evaluate the program. Such evaluation shall include, but shall66
H. B. 867
- 3 -
25 LC 61 0228
not be limited to, the total number of grants disbursed, the to tal dollar amount of grants67
disbursed, the total number of grants disbursed per approved sc hool, and the total dollar68
amount of grants disbursed per approved school. The Office of Planning and Budget, the69
Department of Education, and approved schools shall cooperate with and provide data as70
necessary to the commission to facilitate the provisions of this Code section.71
(f) The commission, in consultation with the State Board of Co smetology and Barbers,72
shall be authorized to define such terms and prescribe such rul es, regulations, and73
procedures as may be reasonable and necessary to carry out the purposes of this subpart.74
20-3-369.75
This subpart shall stand repealed on July 1, 2028."76
SECTION 2.77
All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.78
H. B. 867
- 4 -

## Summaries written by Georgia Commons

The following was written by claude-sonnet-5 from the text above and is not part of the bill. Quote the text, not the summary.

A Georgia House bill would create a pilot grant program through the Georgia Student Finance Authority to help lower-income students pay for beauty and barbering trade schools, with the program set to expire in 2028.

### Plain-language summary

Georgia currently offers scholarships and grants for many types of postsecondary education, but this bill adds a new, temporary program aimed specifically at students attending state-accredited schools of barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hair design, or nail care. The Georgia Student Finance Authority (called 'the commission' in the bill) would run a pilot financial aid program for students who are enrolled or accepted at one of these approved schools, come from economically disadvantaged families or have a financial aid gap, and already qualify for a scholarship or grant under an existing state law.
Each eligible student could receive up to $10,000 total, but the commission could not award more than $50,000 in grants statewide per year. Schools must certify student eligibility and refund misused grant money, and knowingly submitting false information to get a grant would be a misdemeanor crime. The commission must track results and report data each year. The whole program automatically ends on July 1, 2028 unless lawmakers renew it.

### What it does

- Creates a new pilot grant program inside the Georgia Student Finance Authority for students attending approved trade schools in barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hair design, or nail care.
- Limits eligibility to students who are economically disadvantaged or have a financial aid gap and who already qualify for another existing state scholarship or grant program (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519.1).
- Caps individual grants at $10,000 per student and limits total statewide grant spending to $50,000 per year.
- Makes it a misdemeanor crime to knowingly submit false information to help an ineligible student wrongfully obtain a grant.
- Requires approved schools to refund grant money if a student does not enroll or was wrongly certified as eligible, and allows the commission to suspend a school that fails to repay.
- Automatically repeals the entire program on July 1, 2028 unless the General Assembly acts again.

### Who it affects

The bill affects students enrolled or accepted at Georgia-based, accredited barbering, cosmetology, esthetics, hair design, or nail care schools, especially those from lower-income families. It also affects the schools themselves, which must certify eligibility and can be examined or suspended, and the Georgia Student Finance Authority, which administers the grants.

### Why it matters

For students who cannot otherwise afford trade school tuition, this program could cover a meaningful share of costs, up to $10,000 each, though the small $50,000 annual statewide cap means only a limited number of students could actually receive funding before the program expires in 2028.

### Key provisions

- Section 1 adds a new subpart to Georgia law (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-367) defining 'approved school,' 'eligible student,' and 'financial aid gap' for purposes of this program.
- O.C.G.A. § 20-3-368(a) sets the maximum grant at $10,000 per student and caps total annual grants statewide at $50,000, subject to available state funding.
- O.C.G.A. § 20-3-368(b) requires students to apply through commission procedures and requires schools to refund grant money if a student never enrolls.
- O.C.G.A. § 20-3-368(c) makes it a misdemeanor to knowingly submit false information to help an ineligible student obtain a grant.
- O.C.G.A. § 20-3-368(d) authorizes the commission to examine approved schools' certification of costs and eligibility, and to suspend schools that fail to refund improperly paid grants.
- O.C.G.A. § 20-3-368(e) requires the commission to collect enrollment data and evaluate the program annually, with cooperation from the Office of Planning and Budget and the Department of Education.
- O.C.G.A. § 20-3-369 automatically repeals the entire pilot program on July 1, 2028.

## Status

- Status: Introduced (2025-03-27)
- Last action: House Second Readers (2025-03-31)
- Sponsors: Imani Barnes, Lydia Glaize, Rhonda Burnough, Billy Mitchell, Kim Schofield, Park Cannon
- Official page: https://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/71720

> The history, votes, and amendments (129 characters) are at https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/hb867.md?full=1