ATLANTA -- Gov. Nathan Deal today announced the University of Georgia will join in the efforts of awarding low-income students through the state’s new needs-based REACHScholarship program.

UGA will match the REACH (Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen)Scholarship award for any REACH scholars that are accepted to and enroll at the university.

This announcement makes UGA the second state school to make this commitment since this week’s launch of the scholarship, the first being Georgia Tech.

“It is imperative that our state’s students have the opportunity to achieve higher education regardless of their family’s income,” said Deal.

REACH Scholars will be selected in middle school and will sign a contract to maintain a certain grade point average, remain free of crime, drugs and behavior issues and meet with a volunteer mentor until they graduate from high school.

Their parents or guardians will sign a contract to support their student through their education.

Students meeting the requirements will receive a renewable yearly tuition scholarship of $2,500 to be used at any HOPE eligible institution.

UGA's announcement today commits it to matching the first-year awards.

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