What is the Georgia Promise Scholarship?

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Act provides families with state-funded scholarships to be used toward a non-public education of their choice. The program is designed to cater to a wide array of educational needs, ensuring students can pursue a wide range of educational offerings.

The state has released a Family Handbook for those that are interested in the program. You can access that here. Resources for interested educational providers can be found here.

Here are the answers to some key questions regarding the program:

When does it begin?

The program will not begin until the fall of 2025. Individual students’ eligibility is unlikely to be officially determined until late 2024.

How will the program be implemented?

A new organization called the Georgia Education Savings Authority will administer the program. This organization’s duties and powers include keeping track of funds, ensuring there are no conflicts of interest, auditing accounts and monitoring regular student testing. It will operate under the Georgia Student Finance Commission. Additionally, the program stipulates that a “parent review committee” will be established to review expenditures.

How much can each student receive?

Initially, the state will provide $6,500 per school year to each participating student. In future years, this amount may rise or fall depending on whether the state’s K-12 public-school budget grows or shrinks.

How can the funds be accessed?

The funds will be available via “promise scholarship accounts,” which are essentially educational savings accounts. The law directs the Georgia Education Savings Authority to develop a user-friendly, efficient payment system for parents to transfer funds to schools and service providers, avoiding reliance on simply reimbursing expenses. Most likely, the state will contract with an established private financial management firm to provide this service.

Who is eligible?

The program sets forth specific eligibility criteria including:

• Georgia Residency: The student’s parent must reside in Georgia and have been a Georgia resident for at least one year. This residency requirement is waived if the parent is an active duty military service member stationed in Georgia within the previous year.
• Public School Enrollment: The student must be currently enrolled and have been continuously enrolled in a Georgia public school for at least two consecutive enrollment counts, which are taken each March and October. An exception is made for children eligible to enroll in kindergarten.
• School Zone Residence: Eligibility only extends to students residing in the attendance zones of schools performing in the bottom 25% academically, according to a statewide ranking produced by the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement. That list can be found here. One important note: If you reside in the attendance zone of at least one school on the list, you meet the attendance zone requirement. It doesn’t have to be the school your child currently attends. This means that if your child is currently in an elementary school that is not on the list, but is zoned for a high school that is (or vice versa), you are eligible today.
• Family Income Limit: There is no income limit unless the program cannot fund all applicants. In that case, the program will prioritize students already in the program and students whose family income does not exceed 400% of the federal poverty level, which in 2024 equals $103,280 for a family of three or $124,800 for a family of four.
• Non-participation in Other Programs: The student cannot also receive the Georgia Special Needs Scholarship or funds from a student scholarship organization while participating in this program.
• Parental Agreement: The parent must agree to provide education in specific subjects, not to enroll the student in a public school while participating, and to use account funds only for qualified education expenses.

Additional conditions include the parent assuming financial responsibility for the student’s education, including transportation. Students enrolled in schools operated by the Department of Juvenile Justice are not eligible. Eligibility continues until certain conditions are met, such as returning to public school, graduation, or reaching a certain age.

What can the funds be used for?

The program outlines the following qualified education expenses:

• Tuition and Related Costs: Payments for tuition, fees, and required textbooks for core courses and Career Technical Agricultural and Education (CTAE) courses at eligible schools, community colleges, postsecondary institutions or online programs.
• Tutoring Services: Costs for tutoring provided by educators certified by the Professional Standards Commission.
• Curriculum: Expenses for curriculum and any necessary supplemental materials (such as for homeschooling).
• Therapeutic Services: Fees for services from licensed physicians or therapists for occupational, behavioral, physical or speech-language therapies.
• Transportation: Up to $500 per year for fee-for-service transportation to or from eligible schools or service providers.
• Account Management Fees: Charges related to the management of account funds.
• Other Authorized Expenses: Costs authorized by the State Board of Education or the educational savings authority.
• Individual Education Expenses: Other expenses approved by a majority of the parent review committee.

These provisions aim to support a broad spectrum of educational needs, facilitating access to diverse learning environments and support services. The Georgia Promise Scholarship aims to provide financial support while holding recipients and educational providers accountable for the use of funds, both ensuring quality education and compliance with rules.

Conclusion

The Georgia Promise Scholarship is Georgia’s first educational savings account program that lets families customize their child’s education. As education continues to evolve in a post-pandemic Georgia and the United States, this will provide new options for Georgia families.

By filling out this form, you will receive information on the program, including when you can begin applying.