(a) The General Assembly finds that the facilities of accredited independent colleges and universities located within the state can be used more effectively in the public interest by the grant of financial assistance to citizens who choose to attend such colleges and universities and that the provision of such assistance will reduce the costs to the taxpayers of the state below the cost of providing similar instruction to such citizens within the university system. The purpose of the General Assembly, as provided for in this subpart, is to enable the authority to provide tuition equalization grant assistance to citizens who choose to attend such accredited private colleges and universities located within the state.

(b) The General Assembly further finds that, because of their location within the state, the four-year and graduate level institutions of the University System of Georgia are not equally available to citizens in certain areas of the state. The General Assembly further finds that extension of the program of tuition equalization grants established by this subpart to include certain students attending certain out-of-state institutions will be in the public interest as an effective and efficient means of making four-year and graduate level institutions of higher education more equally available to all citizens of the state.