Georgia colleges get more construction money

Georgia’s public colleges will have more money to build dorms, parking decks, student centers and other non-academic buildings under a bill the Senate Appropriations Committee passed Thursday.

Senate Bill 302 increases from $300 million to $500 million the cap for the Georgia Higher Education Facilities Authority. The group has already issued $294.9 million in revenue bonds, said Sen. Cecil Staton, R-Macon, who sponsored the bill.

The projects must have a set source of money for repayment. Students are the main source, often paying thousands of dollars a year in fees and other charges.

Some lawmakers questioned whether they will have to increase the cap again in a couple of years. Sen. Bill Heath, R-Bremen, cast the sole vote against the bill, expressing concern about the rising costs of college.

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