Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
House panel hears bill to create need-based grants for student meal support
Summary
Lawmakers heard HB 716, the Hunger Free Campus Act, which would authorize the Georgia Student Finance Commission to establish a need-based grant program to help eligible postsecondary students cover meal costs; sponsors said implementation would be subject to appropriations and further work with institutions is planned.
Representative Barry and supporters told the House Higher Education Committee on Thursday that HB 716, the Hunger Free Campus Act, would create a state-administered, need-based grant to help eligible postsecondary students pay for meals.
The bill would direct the Georgia Student Finance Commission to establish a financial aid program that provides grants to eligible students and participating institutions “for the purpose of combating food insecurity amongst post secondary students,” Representative Barry said during the hearing.
Committee members heard data and testimony from nonprofit and campus witnesses who described food insecurity among Georgia college students. Corinne Schooley of Achieve Atlanta told the committee that surveys show roughly one in four college students in Georgia experience food insecurity and recommended that state funds be structured…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
