Kemp says a program to ease college admission is boosting enrollment

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp speaks at the Governor's Workforce Summit at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Jeff Amy)

Georgia college enrollment is up significantly and Gov. Brian Kemp is crediting a program that sends letters to high school seniors urging them apply for admission.

Preliminary numbers show enrollment rose 9% at technical colleges and 6% at state universities and colleges this fall compared to last year, the Republican governor said Friday at his annual workforce summit in Atlanta.

The Georgia Match program sent 132,000 letters promising high school seniors admission based on their grades and a streamlined application. Applications to technical colleges rose 26%, while those to public universities and colleges rose 10%, Kemp said.