---
title: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.4. Accessing HOPE scholarship funds for dual enrolled students; reports.
collection: code
id: 20-2-161.4
cite_as: O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.4 (2025)
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-161.4
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-161.4.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/code/20-2-161.4/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/t20-ch1-2b-(v17)-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=bfd7f2d1_0#page=89
date: 2025
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
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version: Repealed effective June 30, 2028.
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: EDUCATION / ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION / QUALITY BASIC EDUCATION / FINANCING
---

# O.C.G.A. § 20-2-161.4. Accessing HOPE scholarship funds for dual enrolled students; reports.

(a)(1) Beginning July 1, 2023, each student participating in the Dual Enrollment program provided for in Code Section 20-2-161.3 who is eligible for a HOPE grant pursuant to Code Section 20-3-519.5 shall be allowed to access HOPE grant funds for eligible CTAE courses, as defined in Code Section 20-2-161.3, irrespective of whether such student has reached any maximum credit hour cap provided for in Code Section 20-2-161.3.

(2) For three years beginning on July 1, 2023, the Georgia Student Finance Commission, in collaboration with the Technical College System of Georgia, shall collect and report data on:

(A) Student enrollment in and completion of at least one eligible CTAE course, as defined in Code Section 20-2-161.3, as part of the Dual Enrollment program provided for in Code Section 20-2-161.3;

(B) HOPE grant funding and Dual Enrollment program funding, including, but not limited to, the number of students who received such funding and the maximum, mean, median, and mode amounts of such funding received by students;

(C) Postsecondary credits earned by students who received such funding;

(D) The number of students who enrolled in a postsecondary degree program after completing a program of study that includes at least one eligible CTAE course, as defined in Code Section 20-2-161.3, as part of the Dual Enrollment program provided for in Code Section 20-2-161.3; and

(E) The number of students employed in a high-demand field after completing a focused program of study identified by the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia as part of the High Demand Apprenticeship Program provided for in Code Section 20-4-152.

No later than January 1 each year, the Georgia Student Finance Commission shall provide an interim report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the director of the Office of Planning and Budget, and the chairpersons of the House Committee on Education, the Senate Education and Youth Committee, the House Committee on Higher Education, and the Senate Higher Education Committee. A final report shall be provided to the same no later than December 1, 2028.

(3) The Georgia Student Finance Commission, in consultation with the State Board of Education, the State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia, and the Office of Workforce Development, shall establish rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this subsection.

(b) This Code section shall stand repealed on June 30, 2028.

## History

Code 1981, § 20-2-161.4, enacted by Ga. L. 2023, p. 104, § 1/SB 86, effective July 1, 2023; Ga. L. 2024, p. 612, § 3/SB 440, effective July 1, 2024; Ga. L. 2024, p. 616, § 3-1/SB 497, effective July 1, 2024; Ga. L. 2025, p. 433, § 5/HB 192, effective July 1, 2025.

## Editor's Notes

Ga. L. 2025, p. 433, § 1/HB 192, not codified by the General Assembly, provides: “This Act shall be known and may be cited as the ‘Top State for Talent Act.’”

## Amendments

The first 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, in the undesignated text at the end of paragraph (a)(2), inserted “the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” near the beginning of the first sentence and substituted “December 1, 2027” for “September 1, 2026” at the end of the second sentence and, in subsection (b), substituted “June 30, 2027” for “June 30, 2026” at the end.

The second 2024 amendment, effective July 1, 2024, substituted “High Demand Apprenticeship Program” for “High-demand Career Initiatives Program” in subparagraph (a)(2)(E).

The 2025 amendment, effective July 1, 2025, substituted “President of the Senate” for “Lieutenant Governor” and “2028” for “2027” in the undesignated paragraph following subparagraph (a)(2)(E); and substituted “2028” for “2027” in subsection (b).

## Effective Date

This Code section became effective July 1, 2023.