Annual report 2019

Annual Report
2019

Message from the President
During Fiscal Year 2019, the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) reaffirmed its mission and doubled down on its role in ensuring Georgia's workforce is well-educated and prepared to meet the demands of the 21st century. We continued our steadfast and diligent administration of the funds with which we are entrusted, and we sought new and creative ways to reach students and families. Our mission in action is to make sure that every Georgian knows an affordable postsecondary education in Georgia is possible.

In addition to our normal day-to-day operations, we celebrated the completion of several innovative projects last year. The College HOPE Eligibility Calculation Service, or CHECS, was launched in December and modernized the manner and method by which college grade point averages are calculated, reviewed, and shared for HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility. GSFC also continued its focus on FAFSA completion and launched a digital marketing campaign pilot project, urging students to check their eligibility for federal Pell grants by completing the FAFSA with personalized assistance from GSFC. And, to ensure students and families have access to college financial aid planning assistance when they need it the most, GSFC also launched online chat technology and appointment scheduling. We are excited about the data and outcomes we have gained from these efforts and look forward to using those insights as we develop new projects.

As GSFC plans for FY 2020 and beyond, we will continue to focus on innovation and efficiency. New technologies will be utilized to provide faster, easier customer experiences that will also be self-service oriented. GSFC is proud of the programs it administers, and we constantly strive to serve the best interests of our primary constituents the students and families of Georgia. Through sound program policy, design, implementation, and operational effectiveness, we aim to provide every student seeking a postsecondary education with access to affordable options and best-in-class service.

Our work would not be possible without the support we receive from our Board of Commissioners, staff, and statewide partners. As always, thank you for your ongoing commitment to GSFC and the students of Georgia.
Fiscal Year 2019 Highlights

Caylee Noggle

GSFC administered more than $888 million in scholarships, grants, and loans to over 240,000 Georgians to help pay for higher education expenses.

GAfutures.org website usage increased to over 2 million visits, an increase of 500,000 users over the previous year. Currently the site has 921,724 active account users, allowing GSFC to provide HOPE GPA calculations to students and distribute timely financial aid information.

The Outreach team has nine representatives across the state, and this year they provided financial aid and college planning information and assistance to 110,799 students, parents, and community members.

51,000 students across the state were enrolled in the Dual Enrollment program, making the most of the opportunity to work towards obtaining a college credential while in high school. In FY 2019, students in the program earned over 660,000 college credits.
The Path2College 529 Plan reached a milestone of $3 billion in assets under management in FY 2019, resulting in lower plan fees for participants.

Over 2 million visits & 921,724 active accounts

110,799
students, parents and community members attended financial aid
education events
Over
600 new
Scholars
51,000 Students

The REACH Program expanded into 32 additional school districts and signed scholarship commitments for over 600 new scholars.

$3 billion in
assets under management

$888 million
in scholarships, grants and loans

Fiscal Year 2019 How GSFC Helps Students Pay for College

HOPE Program $724,517,398

Tuition Equalization Grants 1 $22,612,213
2
Student Access Loans 3 $28,780,502
4
5 Dual Enrollment $104,649,882
6
Military Programs* $5,994,067

GSFC Use of Funds for Fiscal Year 2019:
$888,931,659

Other Programs** $2,377,597

* Military Programs include: Georgia Military College State Service Scholarship, Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan Scholarship, HERO Scholarship, University of North Georgia Military Scholarship, University of North Georgia ROTC Grant, and University of North Georgia ROTC Grant for Future Officers. ** Other Programs include: Scholarship for Engineering Education, Scholarship for Engineering Education for Minorities, Public Safety Memorial Grant, REACH Georgia Scholarship, Georgia Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program, and John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program.
Figures in chart represent awards for FY 2019. The information in this display is presented only to show the general nature of the Georgia Student Finance Commission's business and does not represent its financial position nor conform to generally accepted accounting principles.
HOPE Program

2018-2019 in Detail
Program
Zell Miller Scholarship Public Colleges* Private Colleges
HOPE Scholarship Public Colleges* Private Colleges
Zell Miller Grant HOPE Career Grant HOPE Grant HOPE GED 2018-2019 Totals**

Students
26,679 2,798
93,907 11,365 10,525 21,190 29,598
846 171,254

Awards
$217,612,607 $12,373,857
$397,640,692 $41,506,181 $13,600,448 $13,163,793 $28,198,153 $421,667
$724,517,398

* University System of Georgia and Technical College System of Georgia institutions. ** 2018-2019 Totals for the HOPE Program are unduplicated. Students who received multiple awards and/or enrolled in more than one type of institution were only counted once.

About the Georgia Student Finance Commission

The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) is the state's single education finance entity and is responsible for administering nearly 20 state and lottery-funded scholarship, grant, and student loan programs totaling nearly $1 billion annually. Founded in 1965, GSFC strives to promote and increase access to education beyond high school for Georgians. In addition to providing awards to nearly 240,000 students each year, GSFC also provides free financial aid and college planning counseling to students, parents and community organizations across the state. To learn more about our programs and services or to find an Outreach Representative in your area, visit gsfc.georgia.gov, gafutures.org, or call 1-800-505 GSFC (4732).

Services & Programs

Services
FAFSA Completion Financial Literacy GAfutures.org
Programs
Dual Enrollment Georgia Military College State Service Scholarship Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan Scholarship Georgia Veterinary Education Loan Repayment Program HERO Scholarship HOPE Career Grant HOPE GED Grant HOPE Grant HOPE Scholarship John R. Justice Program Public Safety Memorial Grant

K-12 and Postsecondary Outreach Loan Servicing State Financial Aid Information Services
Path2College 529 Plan REACH Georgia Scholarship Scholarship for EngineeringEducation Scholarship for Engineering Education for Minorities Student Access Loan Tuition Equalization Grant University of North Georgia Military Scholarship University of North Georgia ROTC Grant University of North Georgia ROTC Grant for Future Officers Zell Miller Grant Zell Miller Scholarship

Board of Commissioners

Anna Chafin
First Congressional District
F. Faison Middleton, IV
Second Congressional District
Linda McWhorter
Third Congressional District
Thomas E. Bowen
Fourth Congressional District
Laura Morgan
Fifth Congressional District

Ed Pease
Sixth Congressional District
Linwood (Thad) H. Thompson, IV
Seventh Congressional District
Dr. Sarah Beck Hawthorne
Eighth Congressional District
Will Wade
Ninth Congressional District
A. Middleton (Mid) Ramsey
Tenth Congressional District

David Perez
Eleventh Congressional District
Roy C. Kilpatrick
Twelfth Congressional District
Richard Mant
Thirteenth Congressional District
Lowery May
Fourteenth Congressional District
Caylee Noggle
President & Ex Officio Board Member

2019 GSFC. All Rights Reserved.

2082 East Exchange Place - Tucker, Georgia 30084 800.505.4732 - gsfc.georgia.gov - GAfutures.org