Students taking rigorous college courses in the STEM field could see a boost in their grade point average if Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones’ HB 801 continues it’s path through the Georgia General Assembly.
The bill breezed through the House High Education Committee Tuesday.
If adopted, the bill would give students an extra half-point credit on their college GPA for grades of B,C and D. This would be comparable to the extra half-point high school students receive when taking advanced classes, according to the latest version of the bill. However, no extra credit would be given for an A or F grade in the class, under the current version of the bill.
Jones said she hopes the bill will be an incentive for students to take more rigorous science, mathematics, engineering and technology classes in college to prepare for some of the state’s in demand careers in the STEM field. The specific courses will be identified by the Board of Regents, in cooperation with the Technical College System of Georgia, the Department of Economic Development and private colleges.
If this becomes law, it would be effective in the 2017-2018 school year.
Jones said she has learned that some students are reluctant to take more demanding and rigorous courses in these fields of study because of a possible drop in their grade point average, which would impact their HOPE scholarship funding and their required 3.0 GPA.
