Proposed budget would create state’s first optometry school

Despite Georgia's renowned higher education system, it's an interesting quirk that the state does not have any optometry schools. The Peach State is not unique in that regard - there are only 25 accredited schools and colleges of optometry in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, with the closest being at the University of Alabama.

In the past, the state has addressed that issue by offering to pay out-of-state tuition costs for medical students who are accepted into optometry schools, a workaround that's proven to be functional, but less than ideal for Georgia students looking to go into the field.