An Important Message for Students Receiving Tuition Assistance Through the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant

The Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant currently provides up to $1,000 in tuition assistance per year for Full Time Undergraduate Georgia students who attend private colleges and universities within the state. This is a very important part of the financial aid package for all of you who receive this aid.

However, in his state budget proposal for FY 2011 (2010-11 academic year), Governor Sonny Perdue is recommending complete elimination of the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant or GTEG! This will directly impact you if you receive the GTEG.

The governor’s budget is now with the Georgia legislature for consideration. It is very important that you let your state senator and state representative know that you want the Tuition Equalization Grant to stay in the state budget for next year!

Here’s what to do:
1. To determine who your hometown legislators are, go to http://www.congress.org/congressorg/state/main/?state=GA&view=myofficials#0
2. Call your senator and representative right away. Calls have more impact than letters or email. If you can’t call, a letter is better than an email.
3. When you call, it’s OK to speak to someone in the senator or representative’s office if the senator or representative is not available.
4. Here are some ideas for what to say when you call:
a. Ask your senator and representative to work to preserve funding for the Tuition Equalization Grant for next academic year.
b. Tell them that you depend on the TEG to help you afford college.
c. State how important the TEG award is in helping the you afford college and avoid debt AND in helping you attend the college that best suits your academic and learning needs.
d. Tell them about any financial hardships that require the need for tuition assistance such as the TEG.
e. Emphasize that students expect to get the TEG for all your college years; it is not fair for the state to take away the grant in the middle of your college career.

Your senator and representative will listen when you contact them. You are very important to them as residents of their districts. It’s important that they hear from you right away.

Thank for your help in bringing this important issue to the attention of the legislature!


Sincerely,

Argosy University Atlanta