- Georgia is one of only two states that lack broad need-based financial aid.
- 75 percent of Georgians support funding a need-based aid scholarship for college students.
- Nearly 112,000 students deal with unmet financial need, according to the University System of Georgia (USG).
- 42 percent of students reported not receiving any financial support from parents or guardians; 39 percent struggled with stable housing; 37 percent had very low or low food security.
- Students from more secure family financial backgrounds are more likely to graduate from college.
- In Georgia, college students’ families reflect a wide range of resources. The median family income for students at the most selective colleges and universities exceeds $100,000; however, it is below $40,000 in 17 of the 26 colleges in the university system.
- Nearly half of undergraduates at Georgia Independent College Association institutions receive the need-based Pell Grant. After grants and scholarships, the average net price was $23,528.
- Students from higher-income families are more likely to get state financial aid.
- In USG, more than 90 percent of students with family income greater than $120,000 were receiving either the HOPE Scholarship or Zell Miller Scholarship.
- More than 30 percent of students with family income higher than $120,000 received the Zell Miller Scholarship for at least one semester, compared to less than 10 percent of students with family income less than $30,000.
- The state’s current financial aid (HOPE) displays patterns that reflect the state’s racial and ethnic inequalities.
- Asian and white students are the most likely to get the scholarship, and Black and Native American students are the least likely.
- Black students are most underrepresented in Zell Miller Scholarships (6 percent) compared to their representation among undergraduate students (29 percent).
- Less than 1 percent of students received school-funded need-based grants or scholarships in 23 of 28 schools in the university system; 12 schools did not award any need-based grants or scholarships.
- 56 percent of Georgia college graduates carry debt, and of those who do, the average debt burden is $28,081.
The total price to attend college far exceeds HOPE awards and family financial resources for most students.
| Institution name | Total price for in-state students living on campus 2019-20 | Total price for in-state students living off campus (with family) 2019-20 | HOPE Award (30 hours) B.A. / A.D., 2021-22 | Median Income, 2017-18 |
| Georgia State University | $ 29,725 | $16,182 / $10,235 | $7,680 / $2,670 | $30,996 |
| Georgia Institute of Technology | $ 29,632 | $ 17,542 | $ 7,680 | $120,878 |
| Georgia College & State University | $ 28,851 | $ 15,716 | $ 6,870 | $110,059 |
| University of Georgia | $ 27,450 | $ 17,720 | $ 7,680 | $100,976 |
| Kennesaw State University | $ 27,253 | $ 14,306 | $ 5,010 | $54,125 |
| University of West Georgia | $ 25,529 | $ 14,695 | $ 5,010 | $45,114 |
| Georgia Gwinnett College | $ 25,332 | $ 11,752 | $ 3,450 | $31,802 |
| Georgia Southern University | $ 23,497 | $ 13,467 | $ 5,010 | $56,423 |
| Augusta University | $ 22,845 | $ 12,795 | $7,080 / $6,090 | $47,154 |
| Columbus State University | $ 22,068 | $ 11,791 | $ 5,010 | $37,465 |
| College of Coastal Georgia | $ 21,629 | $ 11,301 | $ 2,940 | $35,872 |
| Clayton State University | $ 21,290 | $ 8,971 | $ 4,710 | $25,526 |
| University of North Georgia | $ 20,854 | $ 10,514 | $5,010 / $2,940 | $62,404 |
| Valdosta State University | $ 20,745 | $ 12,473 | $ 5,010 | $39,809 |
| Fort Valley State University | $ 20,644 | $ 7,772 | $ 4,710 | $23,359 |
| Georgia Southwestern State University | $ 19,928 | $ 16,082 | $ 4,710 | $43,375 |
| Albany State University | $ 19,634 | $ 11,544 | $4,710 / $2,670 | $25,949 |
| South Georgia State College | $ 18,562 | $ 9,922 | $ 1,335 | $30,909 |
| East Georgia State College | $ 17,324 | $ 7,540 | $ 2,670 | $31,399 |
| Savannah State University | $ 17,255 | $ 9,793 | $ 4,710 | $25,348 |
| Gordon State College | $ 17,116 | $ 8,074 | $ 2,940 | $31,527 |
| Middle Georgia State University | $ 16,339 | $ 9,616 | $ 3,180 | $34,595 |
| Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College | $ 15,479 | $ 7,665 | $ 2,940 | $34,762 |
| Dalton State College | $ 14,948 | $ 9,316 | $ 2,940 | $39,745 |
| Atlanta Metropolitan State College | $ 9,115 | $ 2,820 | $17,572 | |
| Georgia Highlands College | $ 8,537 | $ 2,670 | $38,186 |
Note: Average 2017-2018 Pell Grant received by students attending public institutions in Georgia is $4,025; for students in non-profit private institutions, $4,460 (U.S. Department of Education); total price is the amount of tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and other expenses that institutions report a student can expect to pay to go to college for an academic year.
Table Sources: Total price data from U.S. Department of Education, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System; HOPE Awards data from Georgia Student Finance Commission. When two prices are displayed, the first is for bachelor’s, the second is for associate degree level.
