Lawmakers are advancing the Fiscal Year 2017 amended budget and the Fiscal Year 2018 budget is actively under review by relevant committees. Education funding accounts for more than half of
Lawmakers are advancing the Fiscal Year 2017 amended budget and the Fiscal Year 2018 budget is actively under review by relevant committees. Education funding accounts for more than half of the budget in recent years and this year is no exception. It is noteworthy, however, that the Move On When Ready (MOWR) program has become increasingly popular among students and the budget proposals reflect the trend. MOWR permits students at eligible high schools to take college level coursework for dual credit, which applies to both their high school and college graduation requirements. The program is overseen by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). In his recent speech at the Georgia Chamber Eggs & Issues breakfast, Governor Nathan Deal highlighted the success of Georgia’s MOWR program. “Our Move On When Ready and apprenticeship programs have shown tremendous growth since their creation. This past fall, we had almost 15,000 high school students enrolled in a Move On When Ready program – 2,000 more than the previous year,” he stated. To meet growth demands, additional funding for the MOWR program is included in the GSFC budget. Specifically, the recommended increase for the FY2017 supplemental is $16,794,170. For the FY 18 budget, the proposed increase is $29,418,372. MOWR programs provide Georgia students with unique opportunities to learn and apply valuable career and industry skills. “These skills are at the core of a solid workforce strategy for our students, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber is proud to work with our state and legislative leaders to expand access to these important opportunities,” said Tim Cairl, Director of Education Policy for the Metro Atlanta Chamber.
