Top 4 Tuition-Free Online Colleges in Georgia

Funding a college education at full-sticker price is a formidable endeavor, and one that few students and their families are able to do. Luckily, very few students in Georgia need to pay full tuition to get a college or university degree.

For the past three decades, the State of Georgia has been a national leader in creating initiatives to enable its residents to gain an education.

In 2022-2023, the average undergraduate in-state tuition and fees at Georgia colleges, including public and private, was only $4,913.

Continue reading to learn how and where can you attend a free college in Georgia

Online Colleges and Universities with Free Courses

1. Technical College System of Georgia: eCampus

If you are not able to enroll in face-to-face courses at one of Georgia's 22 technical colleges, you can enroll in online programs at TCSG's eCampus, which offers: AWS Cloud Solutions Specialist, Fire Science Technology, and iOS App Development in Swift.

Several initiatives are available at the state level that make a technical or trade school program easily accessible to Georgia students.

The HOPE Scholarship as well as the HOPE Career Grant are available as well as Georgia's Post-Secondary Tuition Waiver Program (see below). Tech school students can also transfer credits from the Sophia program (see below).

2. The University System of Georgia's Colleges and Universities

The Georgia ONmyLINE website is where you can search the database of all the free online college in Georgia programs that the 26 public colleges and universities offer.

You can apply to one of the institutions as a transient student (if you only want to take a course or two) or for admission to a particular online program.

The state's universities offer hundreds of completely online programs, whether you want a certificate, associate degree, bachelor's degree, or graduate degree.

3. The University System of Georgia's eCore Program

The eCore program, a collaborative program of public colleges and universities within the University System of Georgia, provides Georgia students the opportunity to take their core curriculum (general education courses) completely online.

Different courses are taught by faculty at each accredited state institution. Most importantly, the courses are transferrable to any of the schools within the state's university system.

The HOPE Scholarship will fund these courses tuition-free for students bringing at least a 3.0 GPA when they apply.

4. The University System of Georgia's eMajor Program

This distinctive initiative allows a Georgia student to enroll in an affordable (tuition-free for qualified students) eMajor online degree program through a partnership of the state's public universities.

The eMajor degrees are available in areas such as business administration, cybersecurity, criminal justice, nursing, and organizational leadership.

These fully online eMajor programs are optimal for working professionals, adult learners, transfer students, members of the military members, and others.

Agencies, Organizations, and Programs That Provide Free or Inexpensive Tuition

Georgia's HOPE Scholarship Program

Since 1993, the State of Georgia has made the HOPE Scholarship available to high-achieving Georgia students at most colleges and universities within the state.

Funded by the proceeds of the state lottery, this program has made higher education achievable for millions of Georgia residents.

The newest amendment to the HOPE policy pays full tuition for all high school graduates who enter college with a minimum 3.0 grade point average and who maintain that GPA while in college.

The state also provides a HOPE Career Grant for students at state technical colleges who maintain a 2.0 GPA.

Sophia Learning

Sophia Learning is an educational company that offers more than 60 lower-level general education courses in an on-demand, self-paced format.

The cost of the courses is based upon a subscription membership plan that can be for one month ($99), four months ($299), or one year ($599).

Partner schools in Georgia that will review and may accept Sophia courses as transfer credits include:

• Art Institute of Atlanta
• Devry University
• Georgia College and State University
• Georgia Gwinnett College
• Georgia Highlands College
• Georgia Military College
• Georgia Southern University
• Georgia Southwestern State University
• Georgia State University
• Georgian Court University
• Morris Brown College
• South Georgia Technical College
• Strayer University
• University of North Georgia
• West Georgia Technical College

How To Make College Free

The best person to help you lower the cost of your education is a financial aid officer or counselor at a college or university of your choice.

Here are some tips to point you in the right direction when looking for a free college in Georgia.

Apply for Grants and Scholarships

The most important thing a college-bound student can do to make their education affordable is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to apply for financial aid.

The FAFSA makes you eligible for most of the grants, scholarships, and work-study programs available through each university. These can be institutional, federal, state, or privately funded aid programs.

Get Tuition Reimbursement from an Employer

If you are currently employed and would like to attend college part-time, many employers and corporations provide tuition assistance in part or in full.

Often, if you can demonstrate how the courses will help enhance your job performance, you will be in a good position to get an award from an employer.

Look Into Tuition and Fee Waivers

Tuition waivers may be granted based on many factors related to your life experiences or demographics. Talk to your financial aid counselor about all the ways you might qualify.

For example, current members of the military, as well as veterans and military family members, usually qualify for waivers or discounts.

If your parents or family members have been affiliated with or employees of any number of agencies or companies or religious organizations, you may qualify for a scholarship or waiver.

For example, children of United Methodist Church pastors may receive tuition discounts at United Methodist-affiliated colleges or universities.

Through Georgia's Amendment 23 program (1976), any legal resident of Georgia aged 62 or older may enroll in undergraduate courses tuition-free (excluding textbooks, technology fees, and lab fees) in the state's public colleges and universities.

Find a Free or Low-Cost Online Course or Degree in Georgia Today

Free college in Georgia helps make higher education accessible to every student regardless of financial status, so be sure to reach out and ask for help in applying for online courses or degree programs.