The Georgia Senate passed a bill Tuesday that would limit students in Georgia to taking a certain number of college credit courses as lawmakers look for ways to save the state money.
The state’s dual enrollment program has been growing for years as more students have taken advantage of taking college courses while they’re still in high school.
For the second year in a row, after the issue was tabled in May, lawmakers are considering restricting students to 30 college credit hours. If students want to take more, they’d have to pay for courses out of their own pockets.
The new law also would only allow 11th and 12th graders to enroll in the program, but exceptions could be made for students who score extremely well on tests. Students now can take up to 15 credit hours a semester.
House Bill 444 passed in the Senate on a 34-18 vote.
As more students take advantage of the program, the cost of it increases. An audit in 2018 showed spending for the program had increased by 325% from 2012 to 2017.
Proponents of the bill like Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, chairman of the Education Committee in the House, say the bill’s intention is for kids to get into the right core curriculum classes that align with their future degrees and to make the program more efficient.
Jennifer Lee, a senior policy analyst with the Georgia Budget & Policy Institute, said earlier this month lawmakers’ rationale to contain costs by restricting access is reasonable.
“We understand the desire to contain growth, but looking at the overall budget, we look at billions [of dollars],” Lee said. “K-12 education alone is $11 billion. The dual enrollment program is growing, but it’s not very large in terms of the entire budget and it’s a very effective program.”
In a report released by the Institute in November, it showed that private colleges lead the state in cost growth while technical colleges – which are prominent in Northwest Georgia – lead student growth. Dual Enrollment participation is also growing faster among smaller and underrepresented student groups.
If the money’s not there, HB 444 represents a reasonable approach to cost containment,” Lee tweeted Tuesday. “But we should ask why the money is not there for a popular education program in a state where the economy is growing.”
The bill will now go to the state’s House of Representatives for a vote.
Contact Patrick Filbin at pfilbin@timesfree press.com or 423-757-6476.