"I could not, for the life of me, just compute: How is this money just sitting? And at that moment, I just had students' names popping in my mind and having a real social awakening moment because I was like, this feels so unfair. How is this possible?"
"Georgia was one of just two states in the nation with no need-based financial aid program, the other being New Hampshire. Later, she learned about an unrestricted reserve of Georgia Lottery funds-which now totals over $1.7 billion-that is intended to go toward education in the state."
Ashley Young, a college counselor in Atlanta, discovered that Georgia lacked a need-based financial aid program despite having low tuition costs at public colleges. She learned the state held over $1.7 billion in unrestricted Georgia Lottery reserves designated for education. Recognizing this as a policy issue affecting thousands of students, Young began advocating for legislative change in 2020, founding Georgians for College Affordability. Her efforts gained momentum when Governor Brian Kemp included $325 million for need-based aid in his budget proposal. The Georgia State Legislature recently passed a budget allocating $300 million to an endowed fund for the DREAMS Scholarship program, with $25 million in scholarships available for fall 2026.
#college-affordability #need-based-financial-aid #georgia-education-policy #dreams-scholarship #student-access-to-higher-education
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