What is a Georgia Drivers Ed scholarship?
The Georgia Drivers Ed Scholarship is a grant program specifically designed to help teens cover the costs of completing a driver’s education program required by Joshua’s Law. Keep reading for key details.
Overview of the Georgia Drivers Ed scholarship program:
Purpose: The Georgia drivers ed scholarship program helps qualifying teens meet the driver’s education requirements outlined in Joshua’s Law, which mandates specific training for young drivers to obtain their Georgia driver’s license.
Eligibility requirements for a Georgia Driver’s Ed scholarship:
- Applicants must be 15-17 years old.
- They must possess a valid Georgia Instructional Permit (Learner’s Permit) or Driver’s license.
Enroll in a program that includes:
- 30 hours of in-person classroom instruction or an online program on Zoom.
- 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training with a certified instructor.
Administering Body: Georgia Driver’s Education Commission.
How is a Georgia Drivers Ed scholarship awarded?
The no-cost Drivers Ed scholarship program in Georgia prioritizes applicants in the following order:
First Priority:
- Children or dependents of Georgia first responders who were disabled or killed in the line of duty.
- Children or dependents of members of the U.S. military who were killed in action.
- Applicants in state custody under the care of the Georgia Department of Family and Children Services.
Second Priority:
- Applicants who can demonstrate financial need based on family income.
More details about the Georgia Drivers Ed scholarship program
The program outlines a clear and impartial policy for awarding scholarships to applicants based on priority levels, with a focus on fairness and geographic distribution. Here’s a breakdown of the key points.
Priority Levels:
- Scholarships are awarded first to applicants in the highest priority level before moving to the next.
- If insufficient funds exist for a particular priority level, recipients are chosen randomly by computer, ensuring fairness.
Geographic Equity: Scholarships are evenly distributed across Georgia’s U.S. Congressional Districts, maintaining balance and accessibility across regions.
Application Timing: The date of application submission does not influence the selection process, ensuring no undue advantage for early or late applicants.
Award Timing:
- The Georgia Driver’s Education Commission grants scholarships on the 1st day of each month by 11:59 PM, with notifications sent via email.
- Awards must be confirmed before the start date of the driver’s training program the recipient plans to attend.
This policy ensures transparency, fairness, and equal opportunity across applicants, regardless of submission timing or external influence.
How to apply for a Georgia Drivers Ed scholarship
Simply follow these steps to apply for a no-cost Georgia 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, the commission will send an email with credentials and link to login. 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 then receive an email that includes a redemption code. After 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.
When can Drivers Ed scholarship recipients begin driving lessons?
After completion of the 30-hour Drivers Ed class, scholarship recipients or their 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