Georgia is home to many bright students who will be part of the next generation of academics and professionals. Like other states, Georgia has seen a recent rise in the costs associated with a college degree, leading many students in Georgia to rely on loans as a method of financing their education.
In 2019, the total number of public school students in Georgia reached 1,686,318, with 31.5% of these students working on their high school degrees. These numbers reflect a large pool of prospective college students who are likely to consider pursuing higher education in their home state of Georgia.
These students are enrolled in 2,306 schools which are part of 219 different school systems. Most Georgian school systems are county systems, but Georgia also boasts 29 different state and commission charter school systems.
Georgia is a unique state with nearly identical amounts of white and Black students, making it a notably diverse school system. 37.4% of public school students in Georgia are white, followed by 36.5% Black students, 17.1% Hispanic students, and 4.5% Asian students.
Over 56% of public school students in Georgia are eligible for free/reduced-priced lunch, indicating prevalent financial need among students.
Georgia currently has a graduation rate of 83.8% and exceeds the national average for standardized testing scores. Public school students in Georgia score an average of 1077 on the SAT, above the national public average of 1038. Similarly, students in Georgia earn an average of 21.7 on the ACT as compared to the national average of 20.6.
There are 119,492 teachers in Georgia who make an average beginning salary of $44,048 and an overall average salary of $60,543. Thus, teachers make less than the national average salary of teachers.
Many teachers in Georgia hold advanced degrees, with 34.9% holding only a bachelor's degree and nearly 65% holding a master's, specialist, or doctorate degree.
Georgia colleges and universities currently have 553,037 students enrolled, 464,767 of whom are undergraduates. Of all Georgia college students, 333,492 are women as compared to just 219,545 men, following the nationwide trend of higher female enrollment.
192,741 of these students exclusively take online classes and an additional 200,755 take some online classes, making fully in-person students the minority.
340,000 Georgian students attend one of the University System of Georgia's 26 colleges and universities.
The racial distribution of college students in Georgia differs from K-12 demographics, with 246,476 white students, 164,247 Black students, 51,404 Hispanic students, and 33,852 Asian students.
Georgia has moderate rates of degree attainment, with higher rates in metro Atlanta counties and lower rates in rural areas. Overall, 31% of those 25 or older in Georgia have at least a bachelor's degree and 39% have an associate degree or above.
These rates also vary significantly by race as around 20% of Hispanic residents, 30% of Black Georgians, and around 60% of AAPI residents have some type of college degree.
The average out-of-state cost of attendance (COA) for Georgia colleges is $32,422 for on-campus students and $32,089 for off-campus students.
Out-of-state students in Georgia pay an average tuition of $16,630 while in-state Georgia students pay an average tuition of only $4,657.
Graduate rates are even higher at $7,480 for Georgia residents and $17,170 for out-of-state students. Both on and off-campus students pay average living costs of over $14,000.
Student loan borrowers in Georgia account for over $65 billion of the $1.7 trillion of student debt owed in the US.
There are 1.6 million borrowers in Georgia who owe an average balance of $39,272. This average individual debt is the third-highest in the US and more than the national average of $36,689. These borrowers pay an average of $277 per month.
With such high levels of student debt, financial assistance through scholarship opportunities, federal student aid, and grant assistance is key to helping undergraduate and graduate students attend college without drawing in debt.
Regardless of your field of study, background, or passions, there are scholarships for you! Some scholarships are exclusively open to students in Georgia while others are open to all students in the US. Regardless of location requirements, every scholarship is a great opportunity that you should consider applying for.
Scholarship platforms can be a great resource when you're seeking financial support. Bold.org is the largest independent scholarship program and is a great place to start your search, whether you're in high school or college.
Applying for the scholarships offered on Bold.org is easy and quick. Before applying, read all of the eligibility requirements to make sure that you're one of the eligible applicants.
Each scholarship varies and has different eligible students. Some scholarships are only open to low-income students with demonstrated financial need while others are for first-generation students, applicants of a certain race, or students pursuing a certain career path.
To apply, read the scholarship description for instructions and add your essay or other application materials. Then, just click the "apply now" button to finish up your application!
Navigating the world of scholarship applications can be intimidating. With so many different options and resources available, you might not know where to start. Luckily, Bold.org is here to help you fund your education with college scholarships.
Whether you're already attending college or still finishing up your high school degree, Bold.org has scholarships for you. The options range from merit based scholarships to scholarships created for you being you.
You can start applying for scholarships at any point in high school, but many students choose to begin as high school seniors. Scholarships for high school seniors include Rita's First-Gen Scholarship, a $33,520 award for high school seniors who will be first-generation college students.
Other prominent scholarships for high school seniors include the $75,000 BTL Athletes Scholarship and the
A notable scholarship just for Georgia students is the $21,200 Clairo "For Atlanta" Scholarship funded by Atlanta-native singer-songwriter Clairo. This scholarship aims to make a difference in the lives of other Atlanta-based students and is a great option for students in Atlanta, Georgia.
No matter what field you're pursuing, there are scholarships out there for you. Future artists should consider the $20,000 Terry Crews "Creative Courage" Scholarship and women pursuing STEM fields should look into the $30,000 Young Women in STEM Scholarship.
You can browse scholarships by category to find even more scholarships applicable to your career path.
There are hundreds of exclusive scholarships open on Bold.org and more are being added every day. Your scholarship path is up to you, but you'll have the best chance of winning scholarships that have many eligibility requirements.
The more eligibility criteria there are, the fewer eligible applicants there will be, boosting your chances of winning. You can use the scholarship filters to find scholarships in your niche, such as scholarships for women, students of color, students with demonstrated academic achievement, students with a certain hobby, or students who demonstrate financial need.
Don't feel constrained to the available scholarships for Georgia students - we encourage you to browse all of the scholarships Bold.org has to offer!
When you win a scholarship, the money will be sent to your college's financial aid office and will be used for your tuition or other education-related expenses.
If you're still in high school when you win, don't worry! We'll hold your award money until you enroll in a college or university.
Each scholarship has its own set of requirements, such as gender, race, major, or experience. However, in order to create a profile on Bold.org you also must be at least fourteen years old, attending a US school, and in high school or college. You can click on any of the scholarships above to create your account today.
You can win unlimited scholarships on Bold.org! It's free to apply and you can apply for as many scholarships as you'd like. Whether you win big or small scholarships, they can all accumulate to offset the costs of college.
Most scholarships on Bold.org are essay-based and typically require short written essays to apply. There are also no-essay scholarships available and you can even use the filters to browse through only no-essay scholarships.
The majority of scholarships on Bold.org don't have GPA requirements. However, having a good GPA can make you stand out from the competition.
There are a few scholarships that require a certain GPA to apply, such as the Desiree Jeana Wapples Scholarship for Young Women which you must have a 3.0 cumulative GPA to apply for.
Most scholarships are only available to current students. However, recent graduates who have student loans can apply for scholarships such as the Forget Your Student Debt. No-Essay Grant, the Nitro Student Loan Forgiveness Grant, the @ESPDaniella Debt Grant, and more.