Georgia Promise Scholarship Priority List, Waitlist, and Funding Cap

The 1% QBE Funding Cap

Total Promise Scholarship spending is capped at 1% of Georgia's annual Quality Basic Education (QBE) formula appropriation. For the 2025-26 academic year, that translated to roughly $141 million — enough to fund approximately 21,500 to 22,000 students at the maximum $6,500 per pupil.

In practice, the program's first year saw about 8,600 approved applicants, with 7,600 students actually finalizing enrollment and drawing funds, totaling approximately $50 million in expenditure. That left significant room under the cap. But as awareness grows and more families apply, the priority framework becomes the mechanism that determines who gets funded when demand outstrips supply.

How the Three Priority Tiers Work

GESA doesn't process applications on a first-come, first-served basis. Instead, all applications submitted during a given window are evaluated after the window closes, then sorted into priority tiers:

Tier 1 — Returning participants. Students who received the scholarship in the prior year and complete annual recertification by May 31 retain first-priority renewal, provided they remain Georgia residents, do not re-enroll in public school, and stay below the statutory age cap. Their renewal is considered before new applicants.

Tier 2 — New applicants with household income at or below 400% FPL. For a family of four, this threshold is approximately $120,000 in annual household income. These families receive priority selection over higher-income applicants when funding is limited.

Tier 3 — New applicants above 400% FPL. Families with household income exceeding the threshold are eligible, but they sit at the bottom of the priority stack. They can only apply during Windows 1 and 2 — they're statutorily barred from Windows 3 and 4. If funding remains after all Tier 1 renewals and Tier 2 applicants are served, Tier 3 applicants are selected by random lottery.

Is There a Waitlist?

GESA evaluates applications after each application window closes and applies the statutory priority tiers. The published application process does not describe an automatic waitlist that carries denied applications forward. If you receive a denial, review the notice and contact GESA to confirm whether you should correct the application or submit a new one in a later window.

Windows 1 and 2 (March and May) offer full-year funding. New applicants above 400% FPL can apply only in those windows; Windows 3 and 4 are unavailable to them and provide prorated $3,250 awards to eligible applicants.

What the Income Priority Means for Your Family

The 400% FPL threshold adjusts with household size. For a family of four, it is approximately $120,000; check the current application for the threshold that applies to your household size.

GESA verifies income from your federal tax return (Form 1040). If your income fluctuates year to year — common for self-employed families or those with variable compensation — the filing year specified in the application is what matters.

Being above the threshold doesn't disqualify you. It places you in Tier 3 instead of Tier 2. In the program's first year, there was enough funding for applicants across all tiers. Whether that continues depends on how quickly enrollment grows toward the statutory cap.

Protecting Your Spot Long-Term

Once approved, the single most important thing you can do is complete annual recertification by May 31. This moves you to Tier 1 — guaranteed renewal — for every subsequent year through high school graduation. Missing the May 31 deadline drops you out of the program entirely, and you'd have to reapply as a new applicant competing for Tier 2 or Tier 3 slots.

The Georgia Promise Scholarship Parent Guide includes the full priority framework with income thresholds by family size, a recertification timeline, and strategies for maximizing your chances if you're applying as a new Tier 3 family.

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