HB1052: HB1052 Student Housing Affordability Act; enact

Georgia currently has no dedicated state grant to help college students cover off-campus housing costs. This bill, called the Student Housing Affordability Act, would add a new program under the Georgia Student Finance Authority (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 3) to fill that gap. The Georgia Student Finance Commission would run the program, subject to available state funding. Grants would go to students who attend an eligible Georgia postsecondary school, live off campus, already qualify for a HOPE-related scholarship or grant under O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519.1, and have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The grant amount could not exceed the difference between on-campus and off-campus housing costs as figured into the school's official cost of attendance. Students would apply under rules set by the commission, and schools would have to refund grant money if a student who received it does not actually enroll for that semester.

• Creates a new state grant program inside the Georgia Student Finance Authority to help pay off-campus housing costs for eligible college students.
• Limits eligibility to students who attend an eligible Georgia postsecondary school, do not live in on-campus housing, qualify for a scholarship or grant under O.C.G.A. § 20-3-519.1, and have completed the FAFSA.
• Caps each student's grant at the dollar difference between on-campus and off-campus housing costs as defined in the school's cost of attendance.
• Requires students to apply under rules, regulations, and procedures written by the Georgia Student Finance Commission.
• Requires a school to refund the grant money to the commission if a student who received a grant does not enroll for that semester.
• Makes the program's operation dependent on the legislature actually appropriating (setting aside) money for it.

College students at eligible Georgia postsecondary institutions who live off campus and already qualify for certain HOPE-related aid, the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which would design and administer the program, and postsecondary institutions, which must calculate housing cost differences and issue refunds when a grant recipient does not enroll.

If funded, eligible students could get help covering the added cost of living off campus rather than in dorms, potentially easing a financial barrier to college attendance. Because the program only operates 'subject to appropriations,' whether any grants are actually paid out would depend on future state budget decisions.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'Student Housing Affordability Act.'
• Section 2 adds a new Subpart 2B to Part 3 of Article 7 of Chapter 3 of Title 20, defining key terms including 'commission,' 'cost of attendance,' 'eligible postsecondary institution,' and 'eligible student' (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-367).
• Section 2 also creates the grant program itself, capping awards at the gap between on-campus and off-campus housing costs and making the program subject to legislative appropriations (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-368(a)).
• Section 2 requires students to apply under commission-set rules and requires schools to refund grant funds if a recipient does not enroll for the funded semester (O.C.G.A. § 20-3-368(b)).
• Section 3 repeals any conflicting state laws.

1. 2026-01-29House Second Readers (House)
2. 2026-01-28House First Readers (House)
3. 2026-01-27House Hopper (House)

• Bryce Berry (D, HD-056)Primary sponsor
• Akbar Ali (D, HD-106)
• Stacey Evans (D, HD-057)
• Gabriel Sanchez (D, HD-042)
• Karen Lupton (D, HD-083)
• Eric Gisler (D, HD-121)

• college affordability
• student financial aid
• housing costs
• Georgia Student Finance Authority
• higher education