{"70866":{"#nid":"70866","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Tech Promise Gives Georgians Access to a Debt-Free Degree","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThis year, 199 students from 52 counties across Georgia -- from Appling to Wilkes -- are attending the Georgia Institute Technology thanks to the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Scholarship Program. Launched in 2007, Tech Promise is designed to help Georgia students whose families have an annual income of less than $33,300 (150 percent of the federal poverty level) earn their college degree debt-free.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003ETech Promise is the first program of its kind offered by any public university in Georgia. Picking up where Georgia\u0027s HOPE scholarship and other financial aid options leave off, the program is individually tailored for each applicant. Assistance includes scholarships, grants, and job opportunities that allow eligible in-state students to attend Georgia Tech without the burden of student loan debt.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022As Georgia high school students evaluate college options, we do not want financial need to stand in their way of pursuing a degree at Georgia Tech,\u0022 said Interim President Gary Schuster. \u0022We believe that qualified Georgia students from all economic backgrounds should have the opportunity to attend and graduate from Tech regardless of their family\u0027s financial status. It is especially important that Tech Promise be brought to the attention of Georgia students who may be reluctant to apply because of concern about the financial burden attending college would place on their families.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMary Vaughn, a senior in Science, Technology and Culture from Snellville, Georgia, values the opportunities that the Tech Promise program has allowed her to pursue.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I attended Tech my first two years without Tech Promise,\u0022 says Vaughn. \u0022Although I had the HOPE scholarship, I had to work two jobs to make ends meet. Tech Promise has allowed me to work only one job, focus on my education and begin saving money for graduate school.\u0022\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EVaughn plans to pursue a graduate degree in education after she graduates from Georgia Tech. \u0022My dream job is teaching,\u0022 says Vaughn.  \u0022There have been so many teachers who have been such an inspiration to me and who have been responsible for who I have become. I just want to give back.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EUnder the terms of the Tech Promise program, student eligibility requirements and criteria include:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E    * Legal resident of Georgia\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n    * Pursuing a first undergraduate degree\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n    * Eligible applicant for federal student financial aid\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n    * Dependent students whose parents: earn less than $33,300 in total annual income and\/or benefits; and are eligible to file an IRS Form 1040A or 1040EZ for the most recent tax year\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n    * Achieve and maintain a minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average (out of a possible 4.0); be in good standing with the Institute and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress standards\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n    * Submit a complete financial aid application each academic year by the required deadline\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EAn annual application is required for Tech Promise, and individual evaluations will be conducted to calculate each candidate\u0027s specific financial needs. Students may reapply for up to four academic years (eight semesters) of full-time enrollment. Levels of support\/award in subsequent years will be based on the student\u0027s family\u0027s financial situation, and academic standing. The funding made available through Tech Promise will cover the published cost of attendance at Georgia Tech.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EMore information on Tech Promise may be found at the link below.\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Program Helps Make Georgia Tech Degree a Reality"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"This year, 199 students from 52 counties across Georgia -- from Appling to Wilkes -- are attending the Georgia Institute Technology thanks to the G. Wayne Clough Georgia Tech Promise Scholarship Program. Launched in 2007, Tech Promise is designed to help Georgia students whose families have an annual income of less than $33,300 earn their college degree debt-free.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Tech Promise available for qualified Georgians"}],"uid":"27281","created_gmt":"2008-10-21 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:01:15","author":"Lisa Grovenstein","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2008-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2008-10-21T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"70867":{"id":"70867","type":"image","title":"Tech Tower","body":null,"created":"1449177328","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:28","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"},"70868":{"id":"70868","type":"image","title":"media:image:bbf01a9d-24ac-4a22-8ac2-8ba62f67ca14","body":null,"created":"1449177328","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:15:28","changed":"1475894623","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:43:43"}},"media_ids":["70867","70868"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.admission.gatech.edu\/","title":"Admissions"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.finaid.gatech.edu\/","title":"Financial Aid"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.promise.gatech.edu\/","title":"Tech Promise Program"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"}],"keywords":[{"id":"1970","name":"Clough"},{"id":"1411","name":"financial aid"},{"id":"167285","name":"scholarship"},{"id":"1969","name":"Tech Promise"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003ELisa Grovenstein\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003ECommunications \u0026amp; Marketing\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=lgrovenste3\u0022\u003EContact Lisa Grovenstein\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-8835\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["lisa.grovenstein@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}