Fifty Georgia Colleges, Universities to Increase GI Financial Aid

Nearly 50 colleges and universities in Georgia have signed on to a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs program to improve financial aid for the Post 9/11 GI Bill.

The 45 campuses include Georgia Tech and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, Mercer University in Macon and Savannah College of Art and Design. The institutions have agreed to pay up to half of the tuition, housing and textbook expenses for veterans who sign up under the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The program is part of the new GI Bill passed last year, offering veterans the most significant expansion of educational benefits since the original GI Bill in 1944. The VA expects nearly half a million veterans to participate in the coming year.

On the Net: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: http://www.va.gov

(Associated Press)

Georgia sports for Friday, January 18th

The Atlanta Braves Thursday got some off-season work done with players on their roster. The team has avoided arbitration with 1st baseman Mark Teixeira and signed him to a 1-year contract worth 12.5 million dollars. Teixeira came to Atlanta last season in a late-July trade. In his time with the Braves to round-out the 2007 campaign, Teixeria batted .317 with 17 homers and 56 RBI's. In other moves, the Braves also agreed to 1-year deals with pitchers Mike Gonzalez and Tyler Yates, as well as with infielder Omar Infante. The Braves also traded infielder Willy Aybar to Tampa Bay, getting left-handed pitcher Jeff Ridgway in return.

Women's college basketball action from last night: 12th-ranked Georgia lost to Vanderbilt, 67-59. Ga Tech's women scored a victory against NC State 67-63.

Men's college hoops action included a Mercer win at Florida Gulf Coast, 99-77. Georgia Southern won on the road at Elon College, 67-57.

From pro hockey, the Atlanta Thrashers lost at home in a shootout with Montreal, 3-2.

Georgia sports for Tuesday, December 4th

Men's college basketball last night included wins for Georgia and Mercer. Georgia's Bulldogs were home in Athens, scoring the 81-74 decision over Augusta State. Sundiata Gaines led scorers with 24 points. Georgia improves its record to 5-1. Mercer tripped-up Charleston-Southern in the final second. James Florence hit the winner with :01 showing on the clock. He finished with 28 points.

From pro basketball, the Atlanta Hawks were winners on the road at Philidelphia 88-79. Josh Smith paced the Hawks with 22 points--Atlanta improves its season record to 7-9.

Off-season news from the Atlanta Braves. The team has announced a deal with the Chicago Cubs. The Braves send reliever Jose Ascanio to Chicago--in return, Atlanta gets reliever Will Ohman and utility infielder Omar Infante. The trade satisfies a pair of needs for the Braves--filling the gap for a left-handed reliever, and getting a backup infielder. Braves' officials are with those from other teams this week at baseball's winter meetings in Nashville.

Georgia sports for Wednesday, November 14th

Georgia Bulldogs men’s basketball player Billy Humphrey has been arrested by university police on a felony weapons charge. Newspapers in Athens and Atlanta report that Humphery is charged with possessing a pocket knife more than two inches long--a violation of university policy. Humphery is the Bulldogs’ starting guard, and scored 13 points in the team’s opening win Friday night. Georgia plays Grambling State tonight.

In men's college basketball action from Tuesday evening: The Mercer Bears were unable to pull another early-season upset, as they lost at home in Macon to visiting Alabama, 90-83. The game drew the first sellout of the history of the nearly 4-year old arena, which seats 3,200. On Saturday, Mercer opened their season with a stunning upset over Southern California. Other action included a win for Savannah State at home over SC-Aiken, 71-65. Kennesaw State was a loser at Auburn, 74-66.

Women's college hoops had Georgia's club improve to 3-0. The 8th-ranked Lady Bulldogs at home in Athens turned back Georgia Southern easily, 105-66. Tasha Humphrey scored 18 points.

From pro hockey, the Atlanta Thrashers at home scored a late comeback to top the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime. Marian Hossa scored with 3 seconds left in regulation to tie—-Ilya Kovalchuk netted the winner 27 seconds into OT.