An effort to make more technical college students eligible for the HOPE grant was overwhelmingly approved by House lawmakers. It passed by a 169-1 vote to applause by legislators.

House Bill 372, which has the blessing of Gov. Nathan Deal, would change the eligibility requirement to a 2.0 grade-point average. That’s down from the current rule of 3.0 and a return to what existed before lawmakers overhauled HOPE in 2011 to prevent it from going broke.

Nearly 9,000 students lost the grant last year because they couldn’t maintain a 3.0 average.

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Former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez testifies before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing on Capitol Hill, in Washington on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

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