HB 602: Education; denial of state funds for loans, grants, and scholarships for any student convicted of a criminal offense; provisions

Currently Georgia law does not tie state financial aid eligibility to a student's criminal record for campus disruptions. This bill would add a new article to Georgia's education code (O.C.G.A. Title 20, Chapter 1) that cuts off state loans, grants, and scholarships for any student convicted of a criminal offense when that conviction stems from 'materially and substantially disruptive conduct' on a postsecondary campus. The bill defines disruptive conduct broadly, covering fighting, property damage, blocking access to facilities, loud disruption of events, and harassment, but exempts constitutionally protected activity like lawful outdoor protests and brief, minor disruptions. The funding denial would start the term after conviction and last through the following term. Colleges that take state funds would have to agree to enforce this rule. The Georgia Student Finance Commission would write the implementing rules, including a process to restore aid if a conviction is later overturned.

• Creates a new legal category, 'materially and substantially disruptive conduct,' covering violence, property damage, blocking building access, loud disruption of events, and harassment on campus.
• Cuts off state loans, grants, and scholarships for any student convicted of a crime resulting from that disruptive conduct, effective the day of conviction.
• Sets the funding cutoff to run from the start of the next enrollment term after conviction through the end of the following term.
• Requires colleges and universities that receive state funds to agree to enforce this rule as a condition of their students getting state aid.
• Directs the Georgia Student Finance Commission, working with the University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia, to write implementing rules.
• Exempts constitutionally protected activity, including lawful outdoor protests and brief, minor disruptions, from counting as disruptive conduct.

Students at Georgia's public and eligible private postsecondary institutions who receive or seek state financial aid, the colleges and universities that must certify compliance to keep their students eligible for state funds, and the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which must write the enforcement rules.

Students convicted of disrupting campus events, protests, or operations could lose access to Georgia-funded loans, grants, and scholarships for at least a full term, potentially affecting their ability to continue enrollment, while colleges face a new compliance obligation tied to keeping state aid flowing to their students.

• New Code Section 20-1-50 defines key terms including 'campus,' 'conviction,' 'criminal offense,' 'harassment,' and 'materially and substantially disruptive conduct.'
• New Code Section 20-1-51(a) denies state loans, grants, and scholarships to a student convicted of a crime resulting from disruptive campus conduct, effective as of the conviction date.
• Section 20-1-51(b) sets the denial period to run from the start of the next enrollment term after conviction through the end of the following term.
• Section 20-1-51(c) requires any state-funded postsecondary institution to agree to comply with the article to keep its students eligible for state aid.
• New Code Section 20-1-52 directs the Georgia Student Finance Commission to issue rules, including a process to restore aid if a conviction is overturned on appeal.
• Section 2 repeals any conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Withdrawn, Recommitted (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-03-06House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-02-27House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
4. 2025-02-26House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
5. 2025-02-24House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Tim Fleming (R, HD-114)Patrocinador principal
• Carter Barrett (R, HD-024)
• Mitchell Scoggins (R, HD-014)
• Kasey Carpenter (R, HD-004)
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Dale Washburn (R, HD-144)

• college financial aid
• campus protests
• student scholarships
• higher education policy
• campus discipline