House committee hears bill to add Herzing University nursing program to TEG eligibility
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Summary
The House Higher Education Committee took a first hearing on HB 6‑93, which would add Herzing University’s nursing program to Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG) eligibility; sponsors said the narrowly tailored proposal targets a roughly 90‑student, older‑learner program and sought to ease the state nursing shortage. No vote was taken.
Chairman Carpenter presented HB 6‑93 as a narrowly tailored measure to add Herzing University’s nursing program to the state’s Tuition Equalization Grant program, saying the program serves nontraditional students and could help address Georgia’s nursing shortage.
"This is a narrowly tailored bill that would add another school into TEG funding," Carpenter said, describing Herzing as a mixed online/in‑person nursing program serving roughly 90 students, many older than 30. He said the program has operated in Georgia for decades and that the bill would not be a large budgetary request.
Dave Pratt, representing Herzing University, told the committee the primary difference between Herzing and Chamberlain (a previously discussed school) is organizational form: "The only difference between our school and Chamberlain is that Chamberlain is a for‑profit institution; this is a non‑profit school," Pratt said, arguing Herzing retains a high in‑state placement rate and could help supply nurses to Georgia employers.
Committee members asked questions about instructor capacity and overlap with public institutions. Representative Bernal asked whether adding another program could strain the limited pool of nursing instructors and possibly draw students from public programs such as Clayton State. Sponsor and supporters responded that Herzing’s recruitment and funding status differ from state institutions and that sponsor does not expect substantial enrollment shifts at public colleges.
Representative Glaze asked about program length and outcomes. The sponsor described the program as approximately a three‑year track and cited an approximate 82% pass rate on licensure boards, and said the sponsor could provide additional graduate‑outcome data at the committee’s request.
The committee took HB 6‑93 as a first hearing and did not vote. Chairman Carpenter asked Georgia Student Finance to provide finance and outcome information to the committee ahead of the bill’s next appearance.
HB 6‑93 next steps: sponsor and staff will provide requested outcome and finance data; the bill was held for a future meeting for further consideration.
