Education; updated eligibility requirements for the Dual Achievement Program; provide
HB 1293 revises Georgia’s Dual Achievement Program, a pilot that lets certain students earn a high school diploma through participation in a technical college program while also working toward an associate degree, diploma, or certificate. The bill updates eligibility rules, creates a more detailed phased-in structure for participation, and requires students to complete readiness testing, counseling, coursework, and other program requirements before receiving a diploma. It also adds wraparound services such as academic advising, career counseling, tutoring, and case management to support participating students.
The bill authorizes the State Board of the Technical College System and the State Board of Education to waive or vary certain state rules and, where necessary, seek federal waivers to operate the pilot. It requires annual reporting to state budget and education committees, including information on waivers, program results, and, beginning in 2027, the funding formula. The program is expanded and clarified through 2031, when the article is set to repeal unless extended, and it establishes a new funding formula based on enrollment, credit hours, services provided, and student outcomes.
HB 1293 amends Chapter 4 of Title 20 of the Georgia Code to substantially revise the Dual Achievement Program’s eligibility, administration, funding, and accountability provisions. It changes how students are counted for administrative and accountability purposes, requires the State Board of Education to pay a proportional share of QBE formula earnings, grants, and federal funds for participating students, and directs the development of a formal funding formula beginning with Fiscal Year 2028. It also repeals prior provisions relating to participation agreements, QBE funding, and accountability assessments, while preserving participation for students already enrolled under earlier rules.
The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition in the available record. It passed the House unanimously, 164-0, and the Senate unanimously, 50-0. The lack of recorded committee testimony or dissent suggests the measure was viewed favorably as a technical and policy update to an existing education pathway for students who need an alternative route to graduation.
No major contention is reflected in the available transcripts or vote history. The main policy choices in the bill involve eligibility timing, whether students must be withdrawn or may remain enrolled for administrative purposes, and the extent to which students lose access to extracurricular activities and certain school-based services when participating. The bill also addresses accountability and funding mechanics, including the use of QBE-related funds and the creation of a new formula, but there is no evidence in the record of organized opposition to those provisions.