The state Senate Higher Education Committee passed a bill Wednesday that would make more technical college students eligible for the HOPE Grant.
But the panel amended the measure, adding language from another bill that would allow schools in the Technical College System of Georgia to be named community colleges.
House Bill 372 would make students eligible for the grant if they maintain a 2.0 grade-point average. The current mandate is 3.0, but the change would reinstate the rule that existed before lawmakers overhauled HOPE in 2011.
The change is in response to criticism that too many technical college students dropped out or chose not to enroll because they couldn’t earn the higher marks. The new standard is estimated to allow between 2,500 and 5,000 students to re-enroll in the grant program, said Rep. Christian Coomer, R-Cartersville, the bill’s sponsor.
The HOPE Scholarship, which is used by University System of Georgia students, would keep its 3.0 GPA requirement. Both awards cover most of the in-state tuition.
The bill, which has bipartisan support, already passed the House and has been endorsed by Gov. Nathan Deal. If the full Senate passes the bill as amended, it will have to go back to the House for reconsideration.
The Senate committee added language from Senate Bill 103 that would allow — but not require — the state’s technical colleges to be renamed as community colleges. The bill’s sponsor, Tim Golden, R-Valdosta, is a member of the Senate committee.
While SB 103 passed the Senate, it has stalled in the House Higher Education committee. The panel discussed, but did not vote on, the item last week. The House committee’s meeting scheduled for Wednesday was canceled.
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