ATLANTA — From tuition to textbooks, the cost of college in Georgia is forcing many students deeper into debt and prompting them to question the best way to afford an education.

Georgia State University senior Isidro Lopez-Gonzalez says he’s grateful that he didn’t have to borrow money to cover tuition. Yet, even with his HOPE scholarship and Pell Grant, the costs add up quickly.

“Cause there are books that cost $300, $400, and for some classes you need a lab – that’s a separate cost – and then a dining pass,” he rattled off, adding some students may need to pay for parking permits, car insurance, or other transportation costs to get to class. 

Lopez-Gonzalez works 25 hours a week while going to school full-time. He said he intentionally chose to enroll locally and to live with his parents to cut down on costs.

“I know a lot of my peers are taking loans out or thinking ‘I need to take a gap year,’ ” Lopez-Gonzalez said, adding that he’s lucky he has scholarship help.

Tyrone McMillian, a junior at Morehouse College, went the loan route. Though he has merit-based scholarships to help him cover some costs, the out-of-state student said he’s already taken on more than $60,000 in student loans to cover tuition at the private HBCU.

“I’m still tussling with the fact that I’m spending money that I don’t have to attend college,” he said.

Georgia students carry some of the heaviest debt in the country, averaging $42,226 per borrower. That’s roughly the cost of tuition, fees, and dorms for two years at a public state institution.

RELATED: As Georgia students become buried in college debt, a state panel will examine solutions

McMillian says when it comes to student loans, there’s an invisible line of debt that may not be calculated into national numbers. Since he’s still considered a dependent, he only qualifies for so many loans, and he maximizes the amounts.

“And my mom takes on the rest and the grunt of it,” he said.

For more than 30 years, Georgia has offered the merit-based HOPE scholarship that covers in-state tuition. However, some leaders and students argue that it’s time for the state to offer more need-based programs for its public four-year colleges. Georgia and New Hampshire are the only states that don’t.

But that will soon change.

Last month, the University System of Georgia debuted the privately funded Georgia DREAMS Scholarship as a test run. Once fully rolled out, it would provide up to $3,000 per year to help students pay for housing, food, books, and other expenses that the HOPE scholarship wouldn’t cover. FAFSA would help determine if students qualify. 

Lopez-Gonzalez says extra help like DREAMS could change how people look at college affordability.

“A lot of times, people want to change their lives around,” he said, adding that they should have the help to do so. 

To learn more about the Georgia DREAMS scholarship and who would qualify, click here.