- During the 2023 Georgia legislative session lawmakers pushed to increase the Georgia college completion grant.
- The proposal to increase funding from $2,500 to $3,500 for eligible students.
- Watch the story to hear how students are working through the challenges that come with paying for college.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
Finding ways to pay for college can be a challenge.
"The money didn't come through,” said Je'darren Franklin, a student attending Southern Regional Technical College in Bainbridge.
Talking to students here at the Southern Regional Technical college Bainbridge campus as they face challenges when it comes to paying for school.
Burrington is a cosmetology student.
While buying books for classes she explained how the cost for her education continues.
"Paying for the classes and then having to separately pay for all the books tend to get very expensive," said Burrington.
During the 2023 Georgia legislative session lawmakers pushed to increase the Georgia college completion grant.
This grant helps students who have completed at least 80% of their degree programs and are having trouble paying for their education.
Last session the proposal to increase funding from $2,500 to $3,500 failed.
Other students like Franklin who is studying interdisciplinary studies said he knows first hand how it feels to have problems paying for courses.
"I was going to Southern Regional last semester but the financial aid [didn't come through] so I stopped going,” according to Franklin.
Now with Wednesday marking the start to a new semester Franklin is back.
He tell me his biggest hopes for paying for school this time around–
Burrington told me she's not at the end of her course work just yet but hopes lawmakers agree to increase more grants like the GCCG this time around.
Because she has big plans after graduation.
"I probably would start out in Bainbridge just so I can get a feel for running my own business,” said Burrington.
Now a new version of that bill is back in the legislative session and has a long way to go as it makes its way through the process.
