HB 310, the Student Teacher Promotion Act, by Rep. Phil Olaleye (D-Atlanta) would create a needs-based
student-teacher grant program for up to 500 Pell-Grant-eligible student teachers. Participating student teachers
would receive up to $5,000 to help offset costs of student teaching. Additionally, they would be eligible to receive a $2,500 signing grant upon completing their student teaching if they work in a Georgia school. The pilot requires
legislative appropriation in order to operate.

Status: HB 310 is awaiting consideration by the Senate Education & Youth Committee and has not been funded in the proposed FY 2027 budget.

Action Needed:

• Ask members of the Senate Education & Youth Committee to request HB 310 be brought up for a vote.

• Ask members of the Senate Education & Higher Education Appropriations Subcommittee to add funding for the student teacher grant program in HB 310 to the FY 2027 budget. In addition, ask members of the House Education Appropriations Subcommittee to approve the funding needed for the program.

​

Educators may use the following talking points to contact legislators with these requests. Use your personal device and email address, not school phones or email addresses, outside of school hours when contacting legislators.

​

• Students in educator preparation programs often incur significant levels of student debt. According to a 2025 PAGE study, 69% of teachers took on student debt, with an average debt total of over $34,000, in contrast to an average starting salary of around $44,000.

 

• Student teaching can add additional financial stress, as it is often unpaid but requires working full-time hours, leaving students unable to take on additional paying jobs.  Student teaching adds additional costs, such as travel expenses, for students assigned to schools in distant districts.  

 

• Georgia has a shortage of more than 5,000 teachers. GaPSC showed that teachers who complete a traditional (bachelor’s degree) preparation program have higher long-term retention rates.

 

• Several other states have implemented paid student-teaching programs with stipends or grants ranging from $3,000 to $20,000.

​