ATLANTA – State Representative Christian Coomer (R- Cartersville) today announced that the Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan (GNG SCL) received an additional $100,000 in state funding in the Fiscal Year 2018 state budget, which was recently signed into law by Governor Nathan Deal. This appropriation will provide additional scholarships to assist eligible Georgians who serve the State of Georgia and country in the Georgia National Guard to pursue their postsecondary career.
“I am pleased to announce that the GNG SCL will serve even more National Guard soldiers and airmen in Fiscal Year 2018 with this funding in the state budget,” said Rep. Coomer. “The GNG SCL was completely defunded in the Fiscal Year 2009 state budget, but I worked with my House colleagues to re-secure much needed funding for this critical program in the Fiscal Year 2017 state budget. As a result, 24 Guardsmen received loans through the GNG SCL last year; however, 65 Guardsmen applied and did not receive loans because of a shortage in funding. This appropriation works to address the program’s funding short-fall and clearly reflects the Georgia General Assembly’s military-friendly agenda. The GNG SCL is a small way to show our appreciation and gratitude to Georgia’s National Guard members for their great sacrifice and commitment to our state and country.”
The GNG SCL is a financial aid program that provides Georgia’s National Guard members with service cancelable loans for tuition in undergraduate programs at eligible postsecondary institutions. State revenues provide funding for this program, as authorized each year by the Georgia General Assembly, and the program is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Authority (GSFA). The GNG SCL was established as an incentive to encourage individuals to join the Georgia National Guard and to retain skilled and productive citizens that will add to Georgia’s workforce.
For more information on the Georgia National Guard Service Cancelable Loan program, please click here.
Representative Christian Coomer represents the citizens of District 14, which includes portions of Bartow and Floyd counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves as the House Majority Whip. He serves as a member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation & Infrastructure and on the Banks & Banking, Transportation, Judiciary Non-Civil, Retirement, and Juvenile Justice committees.
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