The Georgia Assembly approved veteran legislation to “‘educate the indigent maimed soldiers of Georgia…’ The legislation intended to provide teacher training for soldiers who because of their war injuries could not hold jobs requiring extensive physical activity.” This bill allowed veterans of the war to attend the university with free tuition, books, board, and tutoring,…

The University reopened on January 5, 1866 after being closed since 1863 (Dyer, 106-107, 110).