By Kysa Anderson Daniels-

A new Georgia law, which went into effect July 1, is aimed at streamlining the process and cutting costs for students interested in dual enrollment.

New “Move on When Ready” legislation (SB 132) combines existing dual enrollment options, including MOWR, Accel and the HOPE Grant, into a single program, making it easier for students and their parents to navigate the process of attending college while still in high school. It also permits students to choose from a wider selection of dual enrollment courses.

The Georgia Student Finance Commission will administer the program, which is funded by state appropriations and postsecondary institutions.

Georgia Perimeter College educates more dually enrolled students than any other college or university within the University System of Georgia. This spring, some 1,300 of them took classes across GPC’s five campuses.

According to Gina Gavin, Georgia Perimeter director of early college programs, the new MOWR guidelines allows eligible high school students to attend college without having to pay for tuition, fees or books. Previously, students themselves paid for their books and/or student fees, depending on their dual enrollment funding option.

“This a major change, but a great opportunity for high school students,” Gavin says.

State appropriations will pay the tab for dual enrollment tuition. The state also will allocate $50 per student per semester for student fees, which at GPC are approximately $300 a semester for a dually enrolled student.

MOWR state funds provide $25 per semester hour—up to 15 hours—for textbooks. The postsecondary institution must pay any remaining book costs.

“We are still in the process of ramping up for these changes, which will have significant impact on the number of dual enrollment/MOWR students we serve going forward,” Gavin says.

Courses taken under Move on When Ready will not count against hours allotted for HOPE Scholars.

A number of Frequently Asked Questions for the new MOWR Act are listed at the Georgia Department of Education website.

Georgia lawmakers passed the measure earlier this year. It went into effect July 1 and will roll out fully this fall.