North Gwinnett News

Georgia lawmakers are weighing a bill that would give local students up to $2,500 to help finish their degrees.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Chuck Martin (R-Ga.), would create a program that allows public and private colleges and universities to give up to $2,500 to students to help finish their degrees if they have already completed 80% of the course credits necessary, a recent report by FOX 5 Atlanta said. 

"A very small sum of money—it could be $600, $800, $1,200—would help them finish and get on track to earn more and provide for their family and be able to take care (of) some of the debt they have accrued," Martin told FOX 5 Atlanta. "The only thing worse than graduating college with some debt is not graduating college with some debt."

Senators recently passed the bill—known as House Bill 1435—by a vote of 171-3.

Georgia is one of only two states that do not have broad, need-based financial aid, the report said. Martin noted that having students drop out due to lack of a small amount of money is bad for the state and can leave those people earning less while still burdened with student debt. 

Martin proposes that the state divert $10 million from a student loan program with high default rates and put that money to use in grants for more than 4,000 students across the state, the report said. Eligible students would need to be Georgia residents and citizens or permanent residents of the United States, and they cannot have been convicted of a drug crime or be in prison.