Drivers Ed scholarship program at Drive Smart Georgia! Apply today!
Georgia DDS has designated Drive Smart Georgia as an authorized provider of the new Drivers Ed scholarship program to qualified families.
Georgia residents age 15-17 can apply for the Georgia Driver’s Education Grant Scholarship, sponsored by the Georgia Driver’s Education Commission (GDEC). The scholarship program satisfies all Joshua’s Law requirements. Furthermore, all grant recipients can take the program with NO out-of-pocket cost.
Joshua’s Law explained
Under Joshua’s Law, new drivers must do the following to get a Class D driver’s license at the age of 16 or 17.
- First, teens must complete a certified 30-hour driver education course that is approved by the Georgia DDS.
- Then, they need to complete a cumulative total of at least 40 hours of supervised driving experience. The hours must include at least 6 hours of nighttime driving.
To read more about Joshua’s Law, check out this blog post from Drive Smart Georgia.
How to qualify for a Drivers Ed scholarship
The grant scholarship program is open to Georgia residents age 15-17. The scholarship includes thirty hours of classroom instruction and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction with an approved instructor.
According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, priority for the no-cost Drivers Ed scholarship program is as follows:
- 1st priority: First priority is given to grant scholarship applicants who are a child or dependent of a Georgia first responder disabled or killed in the line of duty or member of the United States military killed in action and to applicants who are in state custody under the care of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services.
- 2nd priority: Second priority will be given to scholarship applicants who can demonstrate a need based on family income.
More details about the Driver’s Ed Scholarship Program
All of the first priority level applicants are awarded before any of the second priority level applicants are awarded. Additionally, if there are insufficient scholarships for all applicants in any given priority level, award winners are determined at random by computer selection without human selection and scholarships are evenly distributed among Georgia’s United States Congressional Districts.
The date of application submission does not affect the outcome of the scholarship award. Scholarships are awarded on the 1st day of each month by 11:59 pm. Notification of award or denial is sent by email. If awarded a scholarship, the award date of the scholarship must be prior to the first day of instruction or class at the driver training school location where the student would like to take the 30-hour class.
Steps to apply for the Drivers Ed scholarship
Simply follow these steps to apply for a no-cost Drivers Ed scholarship at Drive Smart Georgia.
Drivers Ed scholarship: Step #1
To begin, click on this link and scroll to the bottom of the page to fill out the fields listed in the “Parent/Student Sign-Up” section.
You will then see this message appear on your screen, “Thank you for submitting your information.” After an account has been created, an email with credentials and link to login will be sent. If you do not receive the login email in your inbox, please kindly check your spam folder for the email.”
How soon will I hear back from the State of Georgia about the scholarship?
- Grant scholarships will be awarded monthly
- Applications for the scholarships will be due by the 5th of every month
- Awards and denials will be issued by the 20th of each month and will be sent by email.
For more information, and to see if you qualify, please CLICK HERE.
Drivers Ed scholarship: Step #2
After receiving notification of your grant scholarship award, you will receive an email that includes a redemption code. Once you receive your code, forward the email with the redemption code to us at [email protected]. Please attach a digital photo of your learner’s permit because we will need it and the email with the redemption code before we can register you for the Driver’s Ed class.
You will then receive an email from Drive Smart Georgia stating we received your confirmation code and learner’s permit. Let us know what location and the start date of your chosen class.
We will be more than happy to help you register for our $599 Road Wise package that includes the 30-hour Driver’s Ed class and 6 hours of in-car driving lessons. There are no out-of-pocket costs for teens that receive the scholarship.
After the Drivers Ed class, what’s next??
After completion of the 40-hour Drivers Ed class, students or parents can then login to Drive Scout (our exclusive scheduling app) to sign up for three 2-hour in-car driving lessons. There is no cost for Drivers Ed scholarship recipients!
Drive Smart Georgia Locations:
- Johns Creek: 11380 Southbridge Pkwy., Suite 220. Alpharetta, GA 30022. Call (770) 232-0903.
- Alpharetta: 5354 McGinnis Ferry Rd., Suite 226B. Alpharetta, GA 30005. Call (770) 232-0900.
- Cumming: 1790 Peachtree Pkwy, Suite 202, Cumming, GA 30041. Call (470) 239-4294.
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Related Articles:
- What to expect during Driver’s Ed classes
- What to expect during in-car driving lessons at Drive Smart Georgia
- Defensive Driving is now available at Drive Smart Georgia