Our Strategy
Research by Georgia Policy Labs at Georgia State University found that Achieve Atlanta Scholars are more likely to persist and earn a postsecondary credential than similar peers, and they do so by taking on less student debt. Yet, even with this success, external factors and systemic barriers impede our students’ progress.
Achieve Atlanta’s policy strategy aims to drive systemic change at the state, federal, and local levels, ensuring that policies complement our efforts and remove barriers for our students.
Our 5 Policy Priorities
Help Georgia’s Students Afford Postsecondary Education
While Georgia’s generous HOPE scholarship programs reduce financial strain for students who meet specific academic requirements, these programs do not cover the additional costs of attending college, such as housing, food, transportation, and supplies. On average, tuition and fees account for only 32% of the total cost of attendance at a University System of Georgia institution, creating a significant financial gap for students and families to cover.
Our Recommendation:
Provide financial support that targets Georgia students who struggle to make ends meet.
Increase Access to College and Career Counseling for High Schoolers
Currently, Georgia’s K-12 funding formula supports a student-to-counselor ratio of 450:1, yet the American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 250:1. Given the complexities of navigating the college application and financing process, targeted and intentional postsecondary advising can make or break a student’s ability to access a college education.
Our Recommendation:
Reduce the student-to-counselor ratio and fund evidence-based advising programs already succeeding in Georgia.
Strengthen Credential Completion and Workforce Alignment
Work-based experiential learning opportunities motivate students to persist through college and provide pathways for students to enter the workforce. However, because many work-based learning opportunities remain unpaid, students from lower-income backgrounds are less likely to participate in these opportunities.
Our Recommendation:
Expand access to internships, apprenticeships, and other work-based learning opportunities that align with the goals of the Top State for Talent Act.
Increase the Transparency of College Admissions and Student Success Outcomes
Applying and enrolling in college, and understanding the true cost of attending college, involves a long and difficult process that most families struggle to navigate. Research shows about 91% of colleges misrepresent or fail to accurately state the net price of attendance in students’ financial aid offers.
Our Recommendation:
Ensure college search and application tools clearly state college costs and include important information for students, like graduation and job placement rates.
Support College Students’ Basic Needs
Accessing basic needs, such as food, housing, transportation, and healthcare, is a challenge for college students across the country, including in Georgia. In fact, 23% of Georgia undergraduates report facing barriers accessing food impacting their academic persistence and social-emotional well-being.
Our Recommendation:
Improve college students’ access to basic needs supports, such as by providing on-campus benefits navigators and streamlining enrollment in public benefits.