Forty contestants are vying for the Miss Georgia crown which will be decided tonight in Columbus.

For the first time, four Georgia Tech students are competing in the pageant.

The Georgia Tech students are biochemistry major Maggie Bridges of Cobb County, business major Meredith Crawley of Lake Lanier, industrial engineering major Kristy Miller of Cherokee County and public policy and business major Amanda Scott of Macon.

The winner will represent Georgia in the Miss America pageant.

Through the Miss America program, contestants receive thousands of dollars in scholarship assistance.

Tags: Georgia Tech, Columbus, Georgia Institute of Technology, miss georgia, miss america