ATLANTA — University presidents pushed back against legislation that would mandate 90% of early action offers go to Georgia applicants.

Both the presidents of University of Georgia and Georgia Institute of Technology testified in front of the Senate Higher Education Committee that the bill would hurt the institutions’ ability to attract national talent — even potentially disenfranchising rural Georgia applicants.

Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, introduced legislation last session that would mandate any research institution under government or University Systems of Georgia management must offer 90% of early action admission to Georgia applicants.

The bill would change admissions policies at the University of Georgia, Georgia Institute of Technology, Georgia State University and Augusta University.

“I just think that’s unacceptable that we’re not taking our own … over somebody who is from out of state,” Beach told the committee. “This bill is about hard-working Georgia kids and our families. I want to keep our kids and our best and brightest here.”

But higher education officials said the unintended consequences of the bill could have ripple effects across the state.

University of Georgia President Jere Morehead said 52% of early action applications this year were from Georgia residents. Out of a total number of early admissions offers, 59% were extended to in-state students.

In UGA’s 2019 class of freshmen, 82% were in-state students, he said.

“This bill is unnecessary because the University of Georgia already enrolls a very high percentage of Georgia residents,” Morehead said. “… It’s passage would have the unintended effect of harming our ability to enroll a student body that reflects all geographical areas of this great state. Particularly hurting rural Georgia.”

Morehead said urban students are more likely to apply to early admission and accepting such high rates of in-state students during that time could “disenfranchise others, most notably South Georgia and rural Georgia.”

“Damage to our representation across Georgia could be an unintended but very real, and very detrimental impact of Senate Bill 282,” Morehead said.

Morehead said early action decisions are just one aspect of the entire enrollment process and admissions officers are instructed to give more consideration to Georgia applicants during regular decision periods.

President Ángel Cabrera said the bill would transform Georgia Tech into “something else” and possibly not the “school that kids are dreaming to attend.”

Cabrera said the bill would put Georgia schools at a disadvantage competing for top tier out-of-state talent that drives research, innovation and eventually the state’s economy.

“This bill would severely limit our ability to offer early admission to the best out-of-state students applying to Tech,” he said. “That would put us at a huge disadvantage with other states competing for those same students.”

Both presidents noted the severe financial impact that accepting the higher rate of in-state students would have on both universities.

Morehead estimates the University of Georgia would lose $8 million in tuition revenue in the first year and $40 million after four years. Cabrera said if out-of-state enrollment fell to 10% at Georgia Tech, it would cost the institution $80 million.

“If you’re looking to excel nationally, you don’t limit all recruiting within the borders of the state; you look across the nation for top talent,” Morehead said. “Competition for the best and the brightest is fierce. This legislation would make it harder to compete and keep our best and brightest Georgia students in state.”

Steve Wrigley, chancellor of the University System of Georgia, said he agrees with the testimony and “tinkering” with the admissions process would have unintended consequences.

Beach argued that Georgia students have just as much of a right to make early decisions about college than out-of-state students do but lawmakers were not convinced after hearing testimony on the potential consequences.

“I’m not sure I see something broke that needs fixing,” Sen. Nan Orrock, D-Atlanta, said.