Committee recommends adding South College to TEG equalization and grant program list

The House Higher Education Committee on March -- recommended a due-pass for Senate Bill 149, which would add South College to the list of colleges eligible for the Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) and associated grant programs.

Senator Hickman presented the item and told the committee the bill concerns adding the qualifying institution to existing programs. "Yes. It's Senate bill 149, LC 49 2 1 1 6," Hickman said when asked to identify the bill. Representative Bell asked whether adding institutions would reduce awards for current recipients; committee staff and student finance representatives responded that, based on their review, "there's adequate money to handle the additional college and the ones that exist," a staff member said.

Committee members pressed on accreditation and program scope. Hickman and staff clarified the bill's text requires participating colleges to meet Southern regional accreditation standards; a question about whether Morris Brown could qualify drew the response that Morris Brown uses a different accrediting agency and would need to meet the statutory criterion to be added.

Committee members asked about the size and nature of the college. A committee member asked whether the benefit was limited to medical programs; staff replied it would apply to all programs at the qualifying college. The chair recited current award amounts that were described during the hearing as "$550 per semester" and a second figure of "$367" mentioned in committee discussion; the transcript did not specify the second figure's unit.

After brief discussion, the committee voted to recommend the bill with a due-pass recommendation and referred the measure to the Rules Committee. Committee members indicated Representative Houston Gaines will carry the bill in the House.