High school students who take dual-enrollment college classes will get an extra boost when determining if they’re eligible for the HOPE scholarship, under a bill the Senate passed Friday.

House Bill 131 would award dual-enrollment classes the same weighted benefit currently given to college-level Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate classes.

Students must graduate high school with at least a 3.0 grade-point average to be eligible for HOPE, which covers most of in-state tuition at public colleges. Dual-enrollment classes are becoming increasingly popular option for Georgia high school students.

The bill returns to the House because of tweaks made to the measure.

Before passing the bill, Senators intensely debated an amendment that would change the eligibility for the Zell Miller Scholarship, a full-tuition award for the state’s highest achieving students. The amendment failed.