“Super” seniors denied HOPE for extra semester. Is it fair?
Morning folks,
I am running this op-ed on the Monday education page in the AJC. It is by a UGA “super” senior.
While I don’t think we are going to see any expansion of the HOPE Scholarship this year or in the near future, I think she makes good points. Enjoy the piece and let’s discuss. I think this is a big issue at Georgia Tech where kids often go longer than four years.
(Monday morning 8:22: By the way, Amanda has come onto the blog to respond to some of the critical comments to her piece. Thanks, Amanda, for taking on the critics.
And to the critics, let’s keep this discussion civil. I know that most of us are used to the wild west nature of the online world, but this may well be Amanda’s first foray. She may never come back again. Maureen.)
Please read her entry.
By Amanda Hammons
I am a “super-senior” at the University of Georgia.
The HOPE Scholarship has provided the resources necessary to maximize my college experience and allowed me to soak in the five-star education here in Athens until now.
Before entering college, I listened to the sage advice offered to me to get involved. I am a prime example of putting into college what I wanted to get out of it.I will graduate this month with honors and a dual-degree in marketing and sport management. At the same time, I served as president of the Sports Business Club and raised more than a thousand dollars for campus philanthropies.
Having made the most of these last 4 ½ years at UGA, you can imagine the disappointment and dismay I felt when I learned that my HOPE Scholarship had expired for my last semester because I took too many courses.
Utilizing HOPE to further my education, I am now stricken of the resources needed to accomplish as much as I could in a short amount of time because I was too ambitious.
I place no judgment on students in Georgia receiving HOPE Scholarship who do just enough to sneak by each credit checkpoint. HOPE seeks to provide underprivileged students access to higher education.
What I don’t comprehend is why students with the highest level of pride in their studies, students who dedicate time and energy to rising above the norm, are not given the chance to continue or even finish their goals. I think these students merit another look by the HOPE Scholarship committee.
My proposition allows students with a 3.5 grade point average or better to be granted the chance to appeal scholarship revocation due to exceeding the 127-credit hour limit.
Of course, this extension would be conditional on maintaining the strong grade point average.
This extension opportunity not only encourages the HOPE student to maximize their college experience, but also explore the chance to grow by pursuing multiple majors/minors.In my opinion, the HOPE Scholarship is the only business that not only takes away the benefits of success in school, but, in some capacity, inhibits them.
I felt compelled to bring this injustice to the public’s attention. Yes, I could have earned one degree and graduated last May, but my resume would have been void of a much-needed internship, and I would have had to sacrifice the presidential role of a club I have invested my heart into at UGA.
This involvement led to a scholarship that contributed to two tuitions over the summer, one for calculus, one for internship credit.
Many would argue that one degree is “just fine,” but I chose to persist because my family sacrificed to support my dreams when HOPE would not.
There are many families and students who cannot shoulder the burden of educational costs, even for a single semester. Even though ambition may spur a student to continue in college, it can’t pay bills.
Limiting college education for bright young adults is a slippery slope that begins with discouragement to continue learning.
I believe that granting a HOPE appeal to successful, driven students to further their pursuit of a higher education is not only a positive educational reinforcement, but also a powerful reflection on the importance of reaching your highest potential.
Super-seniors should be given the chance to continue hoping, dreaming, and earning without fear of financial burdens.
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136 comments Add your comment
UGA'65,'67
December 14th, 2009
9:04 am
Enter your comments here
sees the future
December 14th, 2009
9:22 am
This is an excellent example of why even modest entitlement programs get out of hand–the original gift is never enough and people quickly move from being grateful for the help to being angry that it’s not enough.
My family came here from Pennsylvania where the in state tuition at Penn State is $20,000 per year–that’s tuition, not room and board. Even without HOPE, Georgia’s tuition is a bargain. You got a great deal–say thank you and take out a student loan for the last semester.
Warrior Woman
December 14th, 2009
10:14 am
@ educator – Someone needs to call BS on your personal attacks on those who say Amanda should follow the rules. You have no way of knowing if J conservative could have received financial aid in the 60s or is an over-, under-, or average achiever. Even in the 80s, many academic overachievers did not receive adequate non-loan financial aid because they didn’t fit in the right diversity pigeonhole, received poor advice on applying for aid from their guidance counselor, had middle class parents who made “too much money” to qualify for need-based aid but not enough to pay for their student’s education, or a myriad of other reasons. Those of us who are motivated overachievers did what we had to do to pay our own way.
And to those who say (accurately) that HOPE is funded by the lottery, not taxes, remember first, many call the lottery a tax on stupidity and second, although the lottery funds HOPE there is significant tax dollar investment in higher education, both at the state and federal level.
HB
December 14th, 2009
10:25 am
Amanda, I think the reason people have trouble seeing the value of your proposal is that your arguments for it were all about you and your wants. You talked about the extra free semester you seem to feel you’ve earned and how it will benefit you. You didn’t really make a good case for the value of investing in our students having dual degrees or double majors. Not everyone will agree that two is better than one, especially when you could have moved on to a higher degree program rather than working on an extra bachelor’s.
When you look at a government run program, it’s important to try to determine what value that program will add to our state. Many people agree that Georgia benefits from giving more students an opportunity to extend their education beyond high school and providing an incentive to our very best students to stay in state. But will Georgia be better off if more students have dual bachelor’s? Or if the money were available, would it be better to help fund master’s programs? Or more vocational ed? Or programs to retrain older workers? I have heard good arguments for extending HOPE for bachelor programs that by design require more credits, like many majors at Tech, to avoid discouraging students from enrolling in those programs and help Georgia to maintain a strong pool of applicants for jobs in those fields. That argument is not about rewarding those students, but rather about building our workforce. The students in return, would receive full tuition for one bachelor’s degree just like every other student on HOPE.
So why should we invest more in you? Because of a 3.5 GPA? Because of your club involvement? How would having more students with both marketing and sport management bachelor’s degrees benefit Georgia more than having just marketing majors? You haven’t sold most of us here on your proposal — put those marketing skills to work and try again.
educator
December 14th, 2009
1:27 pm
@ warrior woman…..I say BS to those of you awho are personally attacking an estute observatin of the limitations of a scholarship program….and again …anyone who blogs with a militant title like warrior is not on my christmas list.
educator
December 14th, 2009
1:39 pm
warrior woman and J conservative ..i nominate you for a my life is harder than yours award…as Philosopher correctly states….why wish hard times on others just because you had hard times.
Author
December 14th, 2009
5:01 pm
HB – The arguments actually were written for a general student population. I never said “I deserve” or “I earned”. The reason the article stems from my point of view and my own experiences is because I can’t speak for any other students, I can only attest to understanding hard work and academic dedication on behalf of the masses. The extra free semester will have no effect on me whatsoever. I’m graduating in 4 days. Once again, I cannot emphasize enough that this article is not about me. It is merely written from my perspective. None of this would benefit me, I’ve paid my tuition costs already. I’m writing this in the hopes that it gets in the right hands of someone who can develop an abstract solution into a strategic objective. Like I said earlier, I simply perceived a flaw in the system and decided to formulate a solution. The case I am making is not (NOT) specific to someone pursuing a dual-degree. It merely appeals an already established principle to complete the education of those who want it bad enough that they show it through quantifiable measures (grades).
We have no fundamental right to education, but we do have the right to liberty, which is the freedom for free men to pursue happiness (a career/job), and we do have the right to property, which is anything outside a person that adds value. A college (and/or athletic) scholarship can be categorized as liberty and property.
You know as well as I do that no one can be the judge of what type of education is “better for the State.” Deciding to include Graduate School and Masters Programs extends outside the realm of my focus. I’m talking specifically about an Undergraduate semester-specific Scholarship extension for those who have achieved academic excellence. It is important to build the workforce, but who’s to say that some of the brightest individuals that may be limited in their opportunities because the business world tends to forget about the limits placed on educational funding, won’t be able to enter the work force. One GT student mentioned that it is nearly impossible to qualify for a desirable job without an internship or some relevant experience. This mandate for Undergraduate programs to satisfy an internship is not covered in the HOPE allotment of hours. So in regards to the work force, I’d say it’s more important that students finish what they started and be even better qualified once they are through.
You are not investing in me. I will actually be investing in the students. But if you choose to see me as a representation for the students, then you should invest in me because the students are the future. Plain and simple. A 3.5 GPA was not decided by me as Honors status, it was decided by the State and it is currently the only quantitative cut-off available with respect to academic performance. Club involvement was a passion of mine and was added to the story so readers would understand a little more about me. Forget the club. Focus on the issue of educating the masses who will change the world one day. That extra semester spent in college, maybe to complete an Internship or the last few hours of the major, may result in a miraculous break-through. It’s not about having more of my degree, it’s about having a more educated population that can one day lead this great country of ours.
Ben
December 14th, 2009
5:02 pm
Ms. Hammons,
I don’t think you could have picked two less marketable degrees. Why should the lottery subsidize your last semester because you weren’t satisfied with 1 wothless degree? I mean seriously…marketing? Sports Management? Perhaps your pleas for financial assistance would have been better received if you had chosen a degree that you can use and will actually benefit society, such as a doctor or engineer.
Author
December 14th, 2009
5:13 pm
Somehow the “entitlement” word got picked up and tossed around. It’s not even the right word if you check out the definition. So please, have some respect for all the students that are working their butts off to make you look good one day and please stop thinking every proud moment or success story results in an plethora of expectations. I suggest you take a walk around any given campus in the nation at ANY time of the day or night, especially during finals, and you will see how hard students work to rise to your standards… only to be seen as ungrateful entitled kids? I sure hope not.
And HOPE is not a gift… it is achieved by earning a 3.0 GPA. An exchange of merit (very similar to the one I proposed…)
educator
December 14th, 2009
5:25 pm
Ben – a degree is only as valuable as you choose to make it. I can see yours has been put to good use.
HB
December 14th, 2009
5:54 pm
Amanda, I’m sorry if I misunderstood your listing of accomplishments as an example of the type of student deserving or earning a chance for another semester. I thought that was the point you were trying to make, and if it’s not, I have no idea what your argument is for granting extensions to students like yourself.
“You know as well as I do that no one can be the judge of what type of education is “better for the State.””
I’m not sure “judge” is the word I would use, but of course, policy makers decide these things all the time. And “the students are our future” is not a compelling argument. Which students? What makes this group of students more important to fund than others, be they grad students, vocational students, or preschoolers? If you think funding that 9th semester is more likely to bring a miraculous breakthrough than other programs, then say why and back it up with data. How many students need that extra semester? How has a dual degree impacted previous grads? How much more should HOPE cover? You mention no limits on credit hours — should it go on forever as long as you stay at the undergraduate level and have a 3.5? How much would that cost? You clearly feel strongly about this, so I’m encouraging you to dig deeper and make your case! You have a board full of people here (including other super seniors) who think your argument that primarily lists your accomplishments sounds like you feel entitled to/deserving of more free education. That’s not what you wished to convey, but that’s the reaction of readers, so you should probably rethink your presentation and argument. You’re trying to convince people to support this, right?
Author
December 14th, 2009
6:28 pm
I apologize to the reader base for miscommunicating the message. My list of accomplishments was simply to give you a general idea of who I am based on my career developments that have begun to define my character. There’s no type particular type of student I am addressing, and I hope that becomes clear. It would be up to the HOPE Scholarship Committee to address the appeals made by each student. The only qualification I suggested was the cut-off of Honors students. Some great students and bright minds may not have a 3.5 GPA, but that is the hierarchical cut-off established by the education system.
I’ll leave it up to the policy holders to make those kinds of decisions.
The data you are asking for is beyond my research and I’m not even sure that kind of data exists until tested. IMO, the HOPE should go on as long as they are granted an appeal by the committee.
I don’t know what more I can do to explain myself, but I’ll continue to try. After receiving feedback from my peers, it is apparent that the message communicates more effectively to the student demographic. After graduation I’ll consider devoting time to the argument and try to position it better for readers that are more removed from the college environment.
Georgia Teacher
December 14th, 2009
9:17 pm
Ms. Hammons,
Please forgive my bluntness, but your request requires more than a little bluntness.
1) Super seniors, yourself included, should not recieve an extension in HOPE. HOPE is a finite resource and you have recieved your share. Step aside and let someone else have a shot. To ask for more, regardless of the reason and no matter how just you think it is, is greedy.
2) I appreciate your dedication. I truly do. Your situation is not unique. In fact, I am sure there are scholarships for just such a situation. Find them and apply for them. Otherwise, take out a loan against you future income. You can write student loan interest off on your taxes and it is good for your credit.
3) Good luck in your career. I am not sure what real benefit a marketing/ sports management degree is going to be in the long run, but good luck.
4) There is no “injustice” in the HOPE system. You recieve college tuition, etc. for 127 credit hours provided you make the grade. Period. You are asking for the rules to because you made choices and do not want to deal with consequences.
5) Please understand many of us have a problem with your specifics in this case. It is not personal nor is it an attack. We are stating our opinions on the matter. Personally, I feel you have made some choices and, unfortunately for you, those choices are going to require you to sacrifice. That is what life is all about and it is high time you learned it.
Please forgive me for tossing a quote to sum up my opinion on this:
“Who ever said life is fair? Where is that written? Life isn’t always fair.”
HB
December 14th, 2009
9:25 pm
“I’ll leave it up to the policy holders to make those kinds of decisions.”
Noooooooooooooo!
Amanda, you’re a bright young woman living in a democratic society — use your talents to petition the policy makers. Do that research. Some of those numbers won’t be as hard to at least estimate as you might think, and if you get a state representative interested, they may even be able to get that data from the House Research Office. Most importantly, keep an open mind. As you learn more and find yourself looking at it from a nonstudent point of view, you may come to think that neither your current proposal or the system that’s in place are satisfactory and you might find yourself working yet another solution or even aiming for a different goal. Good luck!
DB
December 15th, 2009
12:45 am
@educator: “I say BS to those of you awho are personally attacking an estute observatin of the limitations of a scholarship program”
Please, please, please tell me you aren’t teaching spelling. “awho” apparently is a sloppy “who,” “estute” should be “astute,” “observatin” is apparently a typo of “observation.” Sorry, but three mistakes in one sentence is a bit much for anyone calling themselves “educator” (no capital E?). Whatever argument you were making, it flew right out the window in the face of such breathless sloppiness.
DB
December 15th, 2009
1:02 am
Amanda, the biggest problem you have here is that the vast majority of the blog participants simply do not agree with your position. No matter how many times you re-state it, it speaks to a fundamental issue that most Get Schoolers feel strongly about — equitable distribution of limited resources. We understand your argument, but understanding it and being swayed by it are two very different things. It’s not a reflection on your persuasive skills that we disagree with you.
I will point out that using yourself as an example almost always puts your argument at a disadvantage, because people automatically assume that your argument is biased in favor of your situation. If you had written about the challenges faced by perhaps three or four other “super seniors,” your position may have been considered with considerably less cynicism. The result may have been the same, but you wouldn’t have been in the position of defending your own choices to a bunch of strangers
My daughter is a freshman at UGA this year, and we already know that, if she stays with her planned course of study, she will be interning her 9th semester as part of a six-month internship necessary to qualify for her degree. This is just the way it is, and it isn’t a matter of not choosing the appropriate course, or whatever. The curriculum for her major is very clearly spelled out for each sememster, with 16-18 hours a semester in a proscribed sequence, with none of the classes available in the summer after next year due to the specialized nature of the degree. But, if HOPE ends up footing the bill for 8 semesters, I will still be one very happy parent — one semester’s tuition seems like a bargain!
freemarketeductor
December 15th, 2009
2:02 am
Ms. Hammon
You have just learned the enduring economic truth: there is no such thing as a free lunch. Sadly, this law was hidden from you by parents and educators all along the way. And let’s throw in lying politicians and so-called MSM. THERE IS NO EXCUSE! But here’s some hope that will never change. You can still get a FREE RIDE. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dZfRZbR_Lk
HATL
December 15th, 2009
9:33 am
I went to UGA for grad school, and I remember being shocked at the sense of entitlement of UGA undergrads. So many UGA undergrads seem to underperform–a 3.5 GPA there means that you showed up to class once in a while. Aside from really one or two students in the Foundation Fellows Program, there were so many slackers at UGA. You get to go to college for free for four years and all you have to do in return is function like a human being. Be grateful that you got the opportunities you did. Only in America would a sports management/marketing major feel entitled enough to ask for MORE scholarship money.
irisheyes
December 15th, 2009
11:26 am
Wait a second. Here we have a well-written, thoughtful piece by a college senior who appears to have used her education to its fullest potential, and all people can do is complain about how she feels “entitled” and how it’s proof of how “lazy” students are today. I guess having opinions that you can clearly articulate aren’t that important if they don’t agree with yours. We need more college graduates like this young lady. Even if you don’t agree with her, at least she’s willing to join the discussion.
Author
December 15th, 2009
11:35 am
HB — I want to thank you for your feedback. You replies have been great constructive feedback. Yours is the kind of “sage advice” that keeps young minds in the pursuit of higher goals.
DB — I understand that everyone doesn’t agree, but that’s also politics. I’m not a politician obviously and this being my first article, it is obviously going to have some flaws. I appreciate your feedback also and wish your daughter the best of luck at UGA. It’s a great school and her time here will go by faster than you can imagine! Go Dawgs.
freemarket — a free lunch would be in you didn’t earn it. And actually, there are several opportunities in the “real world” for a lot more “free” lunches… how about the Lottery… which funds the HOPE. I’m really not going to argue or debate with you, seems pointless.
HATL — underperform? you should be ashamed of yourself. Judging the masses by the few students you observed. There are slackers at every school and any GPA worth it’s salt is earned, not entitled. I must admit, after a few times studying ALL NIGHT, it can be hard to function like a human being. I am grateful. How about you read my responses before jumping on the entitlement bandwagon. Only in America would a grad student think he is qualified to judge someone else. And hello, it’s SCHOLARSHIP money, if someone a long time ago didn’t ask for more, we wouldn’t have as much as we do now in the first place. If you are really degrading my majors… go check the rankings of Terry College of Business and read up on the contribution of Sports to our economy… MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR industry. Thanks for your opinion, but I can’t see how your argument is any more than a grudge against UGA undergrads and judgment against your opinion of a ‘lesser man’.
Author
December 15th, 2009
11:39 am
Thanks irisheyes. 1 positive comment will always be worth more than 100 negative ones.
Maureen Downey
December 15th, 2009
11:44 am
Amanda (author), You handled your critics with great aplomb. Thanks for the piece and thanks for coming here to respond.
Maureen
Author
December 15th, 2009
11:50 am
To all the critics,
Here is the quote that inspired the entire article:
“You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.” – Tom Brokaw
I’m using my education to change the (college) world. It may never happen, but at least I’m trying something bold and can think back in a few years and know that at least I tried.
HATL
December 15th, 2009
12:18 pm
1. According to SRDE 2005 study, the four year graduation rate at UGA is 43%. To give that context, the four year graduation rate at the Univ. of Virginia, another public university, is 84.2%. This is a HUGE inefficiency. I understand that the author isn’t taking more than four years for some blameworthy reason, but using precious resources to subsidize students wishing to take more than four years at UGA just doesn’t make sense.
2. The Terry College of Business is ranked 30th for Bachelors degrees in Business Admin (the general undergraduate business degree). It has better rankings in a couple of specialities. In short, its ranking is OK. But you have to remember that 7 of 8 Ivies, Duke, Stanford, and really the majority of top schools choose not to offer undergrad business classes. In other words, UGA has a lot of work to do to be considered a top place to go for business. This just underscores the fact that money should be going to attracting better students and to improving resources, as opposed to other things.
3. I think it’s important to talk about these issues, but asking for more money after having received four paid years at UGA is asking for A LOT, absent some truly extraordinary contribution or accomplishment. Instead of a 3.5 GPA threshold, which is really setting the bar low at UGA, I would only give out extra money for people who have demonstrated extraordinary talent, was unsuccessful in getting other sources of scholarship money, and has contributed extraordinarily to the university community.
catlady
December 15th, 2009
3:35 pm
Hey, “educator”, you couldn’t be more wrong. I AM very proud of my children and parents and their accomplishments, however, as a divorced for 23 years single parent of 3 who got a master’s and PhD from 2 major universities after my divorce (but while my children were 3, 6, and 12 at the start) with no child support (until after the last one graduated high school, when DFACS stepped in and recouped the money-$20 per week per child)
In addition, other than the 7 years I was in grad school, I have been a teacher since a week after I turned 21, and you know how that pays!
My point is, the young lady has done well FOR HERSELF with a great deal of financial support. You’d expect a bright and motivated young woman to do well, and graduate on time, or at least not complain about a semester’s worth of tuition.
I fear the working world will be tough on her.
catlady
December 15th, 2009
3:59 pm
BTW, Amanda, how much did your extra semester cost the taxpayers of Georgia? Yeah, I know that HOPE is lotter-funded and paid tuition and adab of other things, and you or your parents paid room and board, but I guess you are not aware that each year the people of Georgia, through taxes, pay a little more than $12000 for each student? This is because tuition (in your case, HOPE) pays only about 30% of the cost of putting on the classes, regardless of your housing status (which you would have anyway no matter where you live unless you are dead).
So, while you were getting a double major in fields that don’t seem to show a lot of room for growth (and certainly don’t see life-changing, as might, say, microbiology or immunology) the taxpayers were supporting this quest to a tune of an additional $6000 more or less.
Please report back to this blog on your job search in about 6 months.
Tech Grad
December 15th, 2009
6:17 pm
“And hello, it’s SCHOLARSHIP money, if someone a long time ago didn’t ask for more, we wouldn’t have as much as we do now in the first place.”
Oh dear. This is my main problem with your argument. More money doesn’t come to the HOPE program just by asking for it. It’s not something where the Georgia congress can appropriate more money to it. It’s not something where the fund can petition wealthy donors. It’s dependent on a fixed income source, the lottery. Now you could expand the reaches of the lottery in the attempt to generate more income, such as by putting in those slot machines that were proposed in Underground, but that’s not going to happen. In fact, since HOPE was created, surrounding states have created/expanded their lotteries, which hurts sales in ours. So you’re stuck with the fixed (and occasionally declining) budget. You can’t just ask for more.
So the question becomes: do super seniors merit having money that exists in the program reallocated to them? No, I don’t think so. This is just an opinion of course, but I don’t see how it’s more “fair” to give money to people who choose (yes, it’s absolutely a choice) to go for an additional semester and then deny scholarships to others who meet the mostly fair grade point criterion. The program as it is currently incarnated meets the needs of the *majority* of students. It is designed so that every student in Georgia who maintains a 3.0 can get some sort of college degree. It is not designed so that every high achiever in Georgia can meet every exceptional goal that they have set for themselves. It’s a shame that there’s not the money for that, but there isn’t. Perhaps allowing a system where students can petition to a committee for an extension under extraordinary circumstances (such as when classes were dropped for hardship reasons) is a good idea, but I’d never support a committee that gives those exceptions to people pursuing extra degrees.
Author
December 15th, 2009
8:43 pm
catlady — my extra semester didn’t cost you anything. and my degree is not your concern.
Author
December 15th, 2009
8:53 pm
I thank everyone for their opinions and feedback, but honestly, this week is graduation week, a week of celebration and you all are being completely rude to an opinion by downgrading my degree choices. As parents and established professionals, as I assume many of you are, I’m well aware of the hardships facing me and am doing everything I can do prepare for them, so it is not your job to be harsh and negative; as bloggers you should aim to mold opinions into an established working framework, not shoot them down. I’m choosing to no longer participate in the responses because they only seem to offer negativity instead of constructive criticism, something I certainly won’t allow to consume my thoughts as I walk at graduation.
alch
December 16th, 2009
12:51 am
So, not only does she have this sense of entitlement (which clearly came thru in her written piece and her responses) but she needs a serious attitude adjustment as well.
I totally agree that HOPE should not be extended beyond the 127 credit limit. The rule was made a few years ago because of students like the author…professional students who stayed in school and used up the HOPE funds. HOPE is not a never-ending pot of money. And as someone else asked…if you extend the scholarship cap, where will it end? Plus, GSFC will also have to extend the cap for the HOPE grant. There are alot of students with bachelor and masters degrees returning to get techinical training. Would they be able to receive HOPE as well? Right now they don’t. As brilliant as the author is, she has tunnel vision and is unable to see the big picture as well as think about all of the ramifications of her proposal.
My daughter is a GA State student and a HOPE scholarship recipient and we knew of the cap. She declared a major during her first year and we made sure that her classes were mapped out. She experienced a health setback and had to sitout the spring last year as well as had a couple I grades from the fall changed to W, but she is still on the scholarship.
I work at a university and I see many Amandas every day. “I knew the rules, but now that I’am being affected, it’s not fair.” I’m surprised she didn’t say no one told me…that’s a favorite. They always think you should break the rules for them. What Amanda and they others do not understand is that when you bend the rules, you set a precedent and open a hornet’s nest.
catlady
December 16th, 2009
7:26 am
Dear Amanda: get a grip. EVERY student, even YOU, costs the taxpayers money when you attend. For a rough estimate, take the out of state student tuition, subtract the instate student tuition, and you have an idea how much. It’s not all about you and how much you have suffered.
And yes, unless you end up needing social services due to being unable to get a job, your choices on the job front are not my problem. I am sure you did lots of research to find out what the opportunities are, and with your enthusiasm you should be able to land some sort of a job. Luckily you will have minimal student loans to pay back.
I do think that you have a long way to go in learning to evaluate the positions that others might take. Perhaps those kinds of skills would help you in the negotiations you might be a part of for your clients. I think it is largely a sign of immaturity that you are unable to do this, but I also see something you need to develop. Perhaps some debate club activity would have helped.
At any rate, best wishes and congratulations on your graduation.
RMH
December 16th, 2009
8:56 am
Amanda,
If you didn’t think any of this was our concern, why did you complain in a public forum?
Pompano
December 16th, 2009
10:06 am
What an entitlement mentality by this young lady! The State of Ga should provide her with an open-ended tab so that she can “play” in her clubs?
What an ungrateful example of the “all-about-me” generation that seems to be coming of age.
Bunny
March 5th, 2010
10:08 am
I just wanted to note, for those individuals who claim that they are paying for Amanda’s education, that they are not actually paying for her education. The HOPE scholarship is funded by the lottery, not by tax dollars. So, this is not the burden on tax payers that some posters seem to insist that it is.
As a college student, I am grateful to help, and I am saddened that Amanda does not share this same gratitude. It’s actually very unfortunate. I feel very lucky that the state of Georgia provided a service that has allowed me to go to college in a way that was affordable and based on my own hard work. This lifted a huge burden off my parents, and considering the economy, I don’t know that I would have been able to even attend college if it hadn’t been for HOPE.
I graduate next semester, and I will have to pay out of pocket for some of it. However, I chose to work and save my money just in case this happened. Sometimes, sacrifices have to be made. I am just happy that this scholarship was there at all.
New college kid's mom
March 22nd, 2010
1:04 pm
Bunny and Amanda-
Wake up – your college education DOES cost the taxpayer. Just look at the Georgia state budget and see how much tax $ goes to the state’s universities and colleges. Why were those college students recently protesting outside of the state capitol? It is critical that the population of this state and this country be fully aware of where our tax money goes. WAKE UP and educate yourselves. We are doomed if we do not act as watchdogs over our government officials.
upset super senior
June 20th, 2010
2:45 pm
I too am a super senior (at an Illinois State University) whose financial aid was taken away. It is really disheartening to me that my school cannot support my final semester of education. I was awarded two grants, and upon reaching the max. credit hour load was told politely that I am having to pay out of pocket now. At 18 I was not ready to make my final choice on career fields as I changed my major 2.5 years into it. so now going on my 6th year of college… yeah I get it (Trust me… I want to graduate). However, my university gave me the opportunity to appeal my financial aid. I had to supply them with letters from my advisors, a plan to complete the required course load, and a letter explaining why I had not finished yet. I met all requirements and have one semester (a 9 credit hour course) which remains. I have completed my application for graduation, and now I am facing the ugly fact that I might have to go on for 7 years in order to take 1 year off to work enough in order to pay for my final semester. In some instances, I really truly wish that schools would want to promote their graduating students and show their appreciation of hard work. My plan included in my appeal outlined the past 2 years of courses, grades, and accomplishments I was able to make in order to meet the graduation requirements while following prereqs. etc. The timing of my plan- perfect. My ability- sustained with above a 3.5 gpa. I do understand that money is tight right now, but it does put me down… not the kind of attitude I really want in my final semester.
Hence- I feel the pain, frustration, and chaos that this causes upon students. The truth is that most universities programs are grueling enough to qualify as 5 year programs now. In some instances, I think that there is not enough notice going towards students who give back to the school, put in a lot of effort to achieve, and are able to succeed. Students who strive so hard only to be let down by their financial aid or school tuition adds a lot of stress to an already stressful year/semester. It also does not promote positive attitudes and feelings towards the school when leaving. I know that if my school supported me fully, I would be more willing to support my school even after graduation. In my situation- when I started at my college it was a well hidden secret that the school had only a 14% graduation retention rate from freshmen to graduating seniors. One might think that the school would really try hard to offer more opportunities to get its freshmen to senior students graduation support.