The SIWDG has officially been renamed to the HOPE Career Grant
June 29, 2017 08:59 AM
The Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grant (SIWDG) has officially been renamed to the HOPE Career Grant. This grant is available to HOPE Grant-qualified students who enroll in select majors. These majors specifically align with one of 12 industries in Georgia in which there are more jobs available than there are skilled and trained workers to fill them. In Governor Deal’s High-Demand Career Initiative and the General Assembly, these industries have been identified as strategically important to the state’s economic growth. This grant is one of the many forms of financial assistance available through the Georgia Student Finance Commission.
“An eligible student who qualifies for the HOPE Grant and HOPE Career Grant will have all of their tuition covered and in most cases, all of their fees as well,” stated Glenn Deibert, President of Coastal Pines Technical College. “Changing the name of the grant to more closely align with the purpose of the funding, HOPE Career Grant, will help us to better market the grant to our students.”
In 2013, the grant was implemented for three key industries. However, since then, the grant has expanded to include students enrolled in the following 12 programs areas: certified engineer assistant, commercial truck driving, computer programming, computer technology, diesel equipment technology, early childhood care and education, health science, industrial maintenance, movie production/set design, practical nursing, precision manufacturing, and welding and joining technology. Some of the programs Coastal Pines offers that are grant-eligible are Commercial Truck Driving, Early Childhood Care and Education, Electronics Technology, Machine Tool Technology, Nurse Aide, Surgical Technology, and Welding and Joining Technology.
Students who qualify for the HOPE Career Grant must first qualify for the HOPE Grant, which applies to diplomas and certificates only. The HOPE Grant is available for students of any age. These students can attend college part-time and do not have to maintain a specific high school GPA. However, once students enroll in college, they must maintain a cumulative 2.0 GPA.
Zell Miller Grant recipients are also eligible for the HOPE Career Grant. Students who receive this grant must maintain at least a cumulative 3.5 GPA at the end of each college term in addition to the HOPE Grant requirements.
While the HOPE Career Grant opportunities are open for any qualified student pursuing a certificate or diploma at a public college in Georgia, students within the Technical College System of Georgia have been the main beneficiaries. The number of certificates or diplomas in these 12 areas awarded to technical college students in the 2016 academic year was 16,514, up from 11,289 in 2013.
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