Capitol Beat is a nonprofit news service operated by the Georgia Press Educational Foundation that provides coverage of state government to newspapers throughout Georgia. For more information visit capitol-beat.org.

The University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents voted Tuesday to rescind a temporary waiver of test-score requirements for undergraduate admissions starting with the fall semester of 2026.

The university system began waiving test requirements for 23 of the system’s 26 institutions in 2020 with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic. The waiver has been in effect for all but 10 months since then.

“Putting COVID a little bit behind us feels good,” board Chairman Harold Reynolds said before Tuesday’s unanimous vote.

Under the policy change the regents approved Tuesday, minimum SAT and ACT test scores will be enforced at seven USG institutions beginning in the fall of 2026: the University of Georgia, Georgia Tech, Georgia State University, Georgia College & State University, Augusta University, Kennesaw State University, and Georgia Southern University.

Test-score requirements will be optional at the other 19 colleges and universities in the system.

System Chancellor Sonny Perdue said bringing back test-score requirements for freshman admissions will give administrators on each campus a helpful tool in evaluating the needs of entering freshmen moving forward.

“The standardized testing will be a great instrument for us to determine the strengths and weaknesses of every student coming in,” he said.

Kennesaw State President Kathy “Kat” Schwaig and Kyle Marrero, president of Georgia Southern, spoke out in favor of going back to test-score requirements and said the two-year window before the new policy takes effect will allow time to adjust to the change.

“This is an important step for us,” Marrero said. “We’re ready to move forward.”