What a Georgia Promise account can pay for
Promise is Georgia's only program that pays for more than tuition. Each category below shows what the $6,500 account covers, where GSNS and SSO scholarships stand on the same expense, and the limits GESA sets.
How is a Promise account different from GSNS or an SSO scholarship?
A Promise account is spent by the parent across approved categories, while GSNS and SSO awards only pay a school's tuition. That's why the table below shows a single "Eligible" row for those two programs and a longer list for Promise.
| Program | What it isn't |
|---|---|
| Georgia Promise: an account for tuition, materials, tutoring, therapy, devices, courses and tests | Cash, or reimbursement for anything except transportation |
| GSNS: tuition and fees paid quarterly to an authorized school | Money the family spends on outside providers |
| SSO scholarship: a tuition grant toward the school bill | An account for supplies or tutoring |
School costs
Private school tuition & fees
Tuition is the one expense all three Georgia programs can pay, though each pays it a different way and only at certain schools.
Rules →School costsUniforms & school supply kits
Promise covers required uniforms bought through the school and its designated vendor, but not the rest of a child's wardrobe.
Rules →Learning materials
Learning support
Tutoring
Promise pays for tutoring in core and career-technical subjects, provided the tutor meets Georgia's certification rule and is approved on the platform.
Rules →Learning supportSpeech, occupational, physical & behavioral therapy
Promise is the Georgia program that can pay a therapist directly, which matters to families whose child has needs but no current IEP.
Rules →Learning supportTherapeutic equipment & sensory materials
Promise can buy therapeutic equipment and sensory products when a licensed physician has prescribed or recommended them.
Rules →Technology
Courses
Online classes & college courses
Promise can pay for approved online classes and for eligible courses at approved colleges, alongside Georgia's separate Dual Enrollment program.
Rules →CoursesRequired tests & exam fees
Every Promise student has to test each year, and the account can pay for the approved tests.
Rules →Getting there
Not covered
Want a plan for your child's account?
An advisor maps the $6,500 to the categories you'll actually use.