Chairman Robert Dickey Commends Governor Kemp for Signing Legislation to Update REACH Scholarship

ATLANTA - State Representative Robert Dickey (R-Musella), Chairman of the House Committee on Agriculture and Consumer Affairs, today announces that he joined Governor Kemp in Columbus, Ga. as he signed House Bill 970 into law. HB 970 will update the funding mechanisms for the Realizing Education Achievement Can Happen (REACH) scholarship.

"In sponsoring this legislation, my objective was to increase funding for the REACH scholarship in the hopes that it keeps young Georgians in the education pipeline and interested in seeking higher education," said Chairman Dickey. "HB 970 will help ease the financial burden that many students face, allowing them to advance their education and ultimately enter our workforce. I am thankful for the support of my legislative colleagues and Governor Kemp who helped bring this legislation to the finish line."

The REACH Program is a needs-based mentoring and scholarship program aimed at providing young students with the resources and support needed to graduate from high school and achieve a higher education. REACH participating schools select promising students in seventh or eighth grade to participate in the program, which prepares them for postsecondary education.

House Bill 970 will change the state and local funding methods to allow local areas to fund local schools. The legislation will also allow REACH scholars at participating school systems to receive a $10,000 scholarship. Furthermore, this legislation will require REACH participating school systems to contribute $1,000 toward the funding of the scholarship, and the state will provide the remaining $9,000 through the Georgia Student Finance Authority. Finally, the bill updates the program criteria so that victims of human trafficking are eligible for the scholarship.

Representative Robert Dickey represents the citizens of District 145, which includes Crawford County and portions of Bibb, Houston, Monroe and Peach counties. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2011 and currently serves as Chairman of the Agriculture & Consumer Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Education and the Banks & Banking, Energy, Utilities & Telecommunications, Higher Education, Natural Resources & Environment and Ways & Means committees.

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