Committee advances bill changing Promise Scholarship eligibility for some foster and adoptive families

Summary

The House Education Committee gave Senate Bill 152 a favorable recommendation after debate over how the bill changes who may receive the Georgia Promise Scholarship and how attendance-zone rules are applied. Lawmakers and witnesses expressed concern about current applicants and how changes could affect families already in the application process.

The House Education Committee voted to give Senate Bill 152 (LC492402S) a favorable recommendation after extended discussion about who would qualify for the Georgia Promise Scholarship under the substitute now before the chamber.

The substitute would expand Priority access to the Promise Scholarship (the state program that reimburses families for K–12 tuition) to include adopted children from foster care and the biological children of parents who have participated in the state foster care program within the previous 10 years. Senate author Senator Dolan told the committee the Senate had intended the change to include foster children who are already in the adoption process but that language did not make it into the substitute and he wanted to work with the House before final passage.

The substitute also alters how the program treats the attendance-zone requirement and the program's existing income priority. Senator Dolan described the change as…

Committee advances bill changing Promise Scholarship eligibility for some foster and adoptive families

Summary

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