Next week, more than 120,000 high school seniors in Georgia will receive personalized letters from Governor Kemp. These letters will list the public technical institutions, colleges, and universities in the state that are reserving spots for them in the Fall 2024 semester based on their academic eligibility. This initiative, known as GEORGIA MATCH, is a state-run initiative aimed at connecting Georgia students with higher education opportunities within the state.
The official announcement of GEORGIA MATCH took place during the inaugural Governor’s Workforce Summit, where Governor Brian P. Kemp highlighted the collaborative efforts of various state agencies. Governor Kemp remarked, “GEORGIA MATCH is a great example of the historic success we can achieve when stakeholders across the education spectrum work together. This program will ensure that every high school student in our state knows they have options to learn and succeed here in the No. 1 state for business.”
The primary objective of Georgia MATCH is to facilitate the connection between students and higher education opportunities. It accomplishes this by evaluating each student’s 11th-grade HOPE GPA and freshman index score. Based on these metrics, students will receive letters of academic eligibility for admission to one of the twenty-two Technical College System of Georgia Institutions. Students with higher GPAs may also find eligibility for up to twenty-three University System of Georgia institutions.
In addition to notifying students of their eligibility, these letters will provide families with clear instructions on the next steps in the application process. Furthermore, all institutions participating in GEORGIA MATCH will waive application fees for students who apply through the portal until November 2023, making higher education more accessible and affordable for Georgia’s youth.