Georgia’s vaunted HOPE Scholarship has become welfare for the state’s rich
An Atlanta attorney argues that HOPE now constitutes "welfare" for wealthier Georgians and more lottery funds ought to go to pre-k.
I ran an e-mail that I received from Emmet Bondurant, a prominent local attorney and education advocate, calling for the HOPE Scholarships to be limited by income so more funds can go to the critical needs of pre-k.
I asked Emmet Bondurant to expand his views into an op-ed and here it is. (A joint House and Senate education committee meets Aug. 2 at 10 a.m. to discuss HOPE funding. I plan to attend. Should be interesting.) I plan to run the piece on the Monday education op-ed page but this is a preview for Get Schooled readers.
I know many of you like HOPE the way it is, but Bondurant is looking at the issue of dwindling resources and what investment yields a greater return for the state. Again, there is no doubt that HOPE has done a lot to inspire high school kids to work harder and take more AP classes to get into UGA or Tech. And as the quality of the students has improved, so has the quality of the universities.
But would the state as a whole benefit more if we redirected increased funds to pre-k and to those youngsters for whom college is not a foregone conclusion from the cradle? (All research shows that HOPE influences where kids go to college, rather than whether they go.)
Read the piece and let us know what you think:
By Emmet J. Bondurant
It is now obvious that as a result of the recent increases by the Board of Regents in college tuitions, as well as the growth in the number of students graduating from high schools with B averages, the Georgia Lottery is not going to generate sufficient revenue to fund HOPE Scholarships at current levels. Allowances for books and student activity fees are going to be drastically reduced – and if the shortfall in lottery revenues continues, the HOPE Scholarships themselves will be in jeopardy.
I urge legislators to exercise real leadership and convene a study committee composed of genuine experts in public education to evaluate the real – as distinguished from the imagined – benefits of the HOPE Scholarship program and determine whether Georgians are getting the maximum bang for the buck from the hundreds of millions in lottery revenues that are spent on HOPE Scholarships and HOPE Grants.
Are the HOPE Scholarships and Grants the best way to genuinely advance public education – or would Georgia’s children derive a far greater benefit if the same dollars were used to make high quality pre-k available to all 3 and 4 year olds?
Georgia is wasting hundreds of millions of dollars annually in lottery revenues to subsidize the tuition costs for middle and upper-income families who would have sent their children to college on their own expense, without a hand-out from the state. To make matters even worse, these same families forfeit $2,500 annually in college tuition tax credits from the federal government by accepting HOPE funds from the Georgia Lottery.
Many studies by leading educators and economists have shown that the Georgia could achieve far more bang for the buck at all levels of public education by investing the revenue generated by the Georgia Lottery in pre-k than in HOPE Scholarships and Grants.
Legislators must take an honest look at the evidence and answer the hard questions about the value of pre-K versus HOPE that have been ignored for too long. Since the General Assembly is going to be forced by the shortfall in lottery revenues to do something, why not adopt real reforms, instead of merely nibbling around the edges and adopting half measures that are merely politically expedient?
There are two obvious ways for lawmakers to reduce the drain on lottery revenues. First, lawmakers should cut out welfare for the rich, and let families that can afford to send their children to college pay their own way. If the General Assembly were to reimpose a $75,000 means test for HOPE, for example, 73.5 percent of all Georgia families would still be eligible for HOPE Scholarships. The only families affected would be upper-income ones fully capable sending their children to college without a lottery welfare check or hand-out.
The idea of eliminating unneeded welfare payments to the rich should appeal to true conservatives who are willing put principle ahead of their own selfish interests.
The state could also save tens, if not hundreds, of millions in lottery revenues by cutting HOPE Scholarships to attend both public and private schools by $2,500 each. Such a change would cost the parents of HOPE recipients nothing, since they’d then qualify for the $2,500 American Opportunity Tax Credits against their federal income taxes. Then, the federal government, rather than the Georgia Lottery, would contribute $2,500 of the cost of each Hope Scholarship.
If our new governor and General Assembly don’t take the lead in reforming HOPE and pre-k, who will?
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211 comments Add your comment
Ray
July 23rd, 2010
12:38 pm
If this were really a Christian land, we’d be more than willing to help out those in need.
BB
July 23rd, 2010
12:41 pm
@ College Student
You’re absolutely right to point out that wide gaps exist among high schools when it comes to AP offerings . . . based on school size, tax base, and geography.
But I think you’re overreacting a little. Nobody in their right mind would suggest 21 hours out of high school for HOPE eligibility. I’d say something like 3+ on at least 1 or 2 exams, or at the VERY LEAST, at least have taken some AP courses. I think that’s perfectly reasonable.
Maureen Downey
July 23rd, 2010
12:53 pm
@BB, I have to note that the disparity in AP offerings is recognized by the state, which is why there are now options for online AP courses for Georgia high school students.
I was talking to someone from UGA who told me that many kids coming into its honors program have six or seven AP courses, so I do think there is increased pressure on students to show AP courses on their transcripts. I was stunned four years ago when a babysitter – an Agnes Scott student – told me she had taken 11 AP courses, and most in math and science. She was from a high performing public school in Illinois. ANd had scored three or better in every one.
Maureen
Freedom works
July 23rd, 2010
12:59 pm
Wow, unintended consequences of another government program. Who could have seen it coming. Well, everyone who believes in freedom, small government, etc. But then they are the same folks who were warning about the Federal Reserve, acurately predicted the first Depression, accurately predicted the inevitability of this Depression, argued against a fiat currency, and every other failed government program (is there any other kind).
We rail against private business monopolies, yet we tollerate, even applaud and praise government monopolies yet expect to get something different from government monopolies than we get from business monopolies. Doing the same thing over and over yet expecting different results is called insanity.
BB
July 23rd, 2010
1:16 pm
Was it Stevenson High in IL, Maureen? It’s one of the top AP performers in the nation for sure. On the other hand, it’s huge. My school is exurban Atl., approx. 1,400 enrollment, and we offer 12-15 AP courses. Students logistically can’t really fit ALL of those in, but it has become routine for a significant number of students to graduate with 5 or more AP credits.
My point, though, was just that AP is a pretty good barometer, at least as good as there is available. If a student can’t hack it in high school AP courses, odds are he isn’t going to fare too well at one of the flagships. So why not add SOME kind of requirement so that we eliminate more of the wasted money on the front end. (Same basic premise as a reimbursement plan that has been mentioned, just attacks the problem from the other end. Why not a combination of both?)
catlady
July 23rd, 2010
1:26 pm
College Student: I don’t think anyone is suggesting the requirement to come in with massive AP credit for HOPE. However, one or two courses with exam grades of 3 show the student IS actually a student, not just a live body. AP classes approximate the rigor of college courses, and a 3 would show the student is “college level” in that area. It isn’t about how much you have “overcome”, but is the student ready for college work at a high level. Do they have what it takes to make the HOPE investment in them worthwhile?
How did your school offer 10 and you brought in no hours, BTW? I would think the average GT person would come in with AP Calc and Physics. My daughter says that Diffy Q is pretty tough!
Ms. Downey, I think your babysitter was a classmate of my daughter’s at Agnes Scott.
BB
July 23rd, 2010
1:29 pm
filter got me, i guess, but catlady basically said it all for me
ScienceTeacher671
July 23rd, 2010
1:59 pm
Some years ago, students who wanted to go to college but couldn’t afford it went to Berry College and worked their way through. I had several wonderful teachers who grew up in very limited circumstances but obtained their educations in that manner.
Northview (Ex)Teacher
July 23rd, 2010
2:16 pm
@Forsyth Mom (and all other entitled parents):
What makes you all think that you should be exempt from all the cost-cutting measures going on in the state? Teachers, whom you entrust to prepare your children for college, have seen flat or reduced incomes for years now. I don’t remember you all protesting about the unfairness of that. NBCTs lost their supplements, which had been explicitly promised by the government of our state, and you all were equally silent about that. I don’t remember you protesting when teachers were forced to take furlough days. But when you might have to pay for something you could afford, you are ready to scream bloody murder.
If you all are such great successes in the game of life, why don’t you pay for your own kids’ educations?
The irony here is that the class of people who are always the first to complain about the government and taxes is also the first to demand its entitlement. You come across as just another say one thing and do another group of malcontents. Why not just be honest and say that you only object to government action when it does not directly benefit you?
I’m not sure that I put all that much credence in AP courses anymore. The College Board has become just another dumb-downed educational group seeking as much money as possible. Many of the AP teachers I know would never be hired to teach a real college class. My friends at Kennesaw, Tech, and State have told many tales of kids coming in with AP credit who were not able to perform at all; most of the kids who pass the exams could have passed them on the first day of class.
I agree with others who have pointed out that the pressure for a B average pervades the secondary system. In my experience many of the parents who could pay are among the most active in pushing for undeserved high grades for their kids. Also, there is a huge difference between what many students demand and what they need. Many of these Hope babies are driving nice cars and taking repeated expensive vacations through their college years, all the while complaining that they cannot afford to pay their tuition.
I came from what used to be called “reduced” circumstances and worked 40 hours a week all through college while maintaining a 4.0. I didn’t expect anyone else to be responsible for me, and I do not understand why the most privileged expect us to be responsible for them.
Maureen Downey
July 23rd, 2010
2:24 pm
@BB, It was Hinsdale, if am remembering correctly.
@Catlady, My sitter would have graduated last year. She spent a full year abroad her final year.
Common Sense
July 23rd, 2010
2:35 pm
First, what’s the rationale behind cutting off all funding at $75,000. So a person makes $75,000 gets nothing and some one making $74,999 gets the full benefit. That makes no sense.
How about a graduated scale?
Common Sense
July 23rd, 2010
2:41 pm
Has there been any research of the effect on college tuition and the HOPE Scholarship? It is my opinion that HOPE has been behind the unrealistic rise of college tuition. I don’t care if you make $100k, Paying $20,000 out in college costs is hard to swallow.
Georgia Teacher
July 23rd, 2010
2:50 pm
The idea that families with incomes above some preset limit are “fully capable” of sending their kids to college is inaccurate at best. It’s not easy to determine who can “afford” college, but fortunately, most colleges use evidence from many sources to decide how to distribute scholarship funds. Have you ever filled out the FAFSA? It’s a government-mandated form that shows what an ideal family can pay for college and vastly overestimates the amount because it doesn’t take into account expenses like having another kid in college.The Hope is for anyone who qualifies, and all it requires is a B average. With the ongoing reduction in gifted programs and the limited access to AP classes throughout DeKalb County, higher-achieving kids will just continue to leave. You have to help them, too–do you want to penalize middle class kids because they are middle class? Better pre-K education is definitely needed: studies show that it’s the best insurance against dropping out of school, but the quality needs to be improved, and funding for it should not come out of the pockets of families just based on having a certain income.
high school teacher
July 23rd, 2010
2:54 pm
How about a re-imbursement to the state for those who lose HOPE? It turns into a student loan instead.
Steve
July 23rd, 2010
3:04 pm
I teach elementary school and my wife’s a nurse. I feel strongly that one of the main reasons for trying to keep HOPE intact is to keep quality kids IN STATE. If the state does away with Hope we will start looking at other college options outside Georgia for my son. Our salary just barely exceeds the 75 K “cut off” that’s being thrown about-I guess that means we’re rich ! We’ve been saving for my eldest son(entering his senior year in high school) to enter college for many years now. We drive Kia’s and save more than any people we know. My son is top 5% in his rural high school and we’re already focusing in on any / all merit based scholarships we can find. ( We will NOT qualify based on salary) We’d like to have Hope help as it would make our daily lives a little easier. We WILL do what it takes to get my son through school however. It seems that many bloggers weighing in today seem to think anyone/everyone that would like to take advantage of Hope is a lazy “rich” person. Many of us give back LOTS to the state everyday AND make sound financial decisions/sacrifices to aid our child’s education.
Here are a couple of suggestions that might extend Hope for those of us with “bubble” incomes.
1. Give out Hope as a set grant amount (EX: 3 or 4 K per year) This way the amount does not vary by public school attended and does not have to go up EVERY year with raised tuitions.
2. Give Hope out at the END of every semester after being earned
3. Tie “readiness” to SAT/ACT scores/ a FAIR way to measure up candidates
4. Raise required high school GPA
5. Do NOT give out HOPE for private schools
6. STOP bonus payouts to employees of state lottery ( whose getting bonuses in this economy ?)
7. Allow Bingo and expand other gaming activities that could generate more income / other states do it-get off your principles and allow those who want to gamble to do it legally
8. If the state does put in a cap-do not cut off those with kids that are just due to graduate
I know many may not like all of these ideas, but perhaps we can adopt some to continue this worthwhile program. Feed back on these ideas would be welcome
catlady
July 23rd, 2010
3:09 pm
Georgia Teacher–your EFC would be cut in half if you have two in college at the same time.
I am guessing you have not sent a child to a private college. They generally use a formula even less generous to determine how much aid a family can get.
ST671–there’s always Berea, if you can get in!
Ms. Downey, I’d bet they had some classes together. My daughter finished in 2007.
Common Sense: how would you explain the steep rise in tuition in other states? I think our abundance of fees is thanks to the Regents putting a kabosh on the continued rises in tuition for the purposes of HOPE. I’d like to see the Legislature putting the brakes on these fees.
What about the students?
July 23rd, 2010
3:14 pm
What a stupid idea. You should get something because you EARN it, not because your parents do not make six figures. And you should not be denied something that you EARN because your parents make six figures. This is about the students, not their parents. Should adults with trust funds not get a pay check because their family has given them money? When did the USA turn into a welfare state? You earn what you get, no matter who or where you come from. It should not matter if you are black or white, rich or poor, male or female. You have the same chances. Is that not the law?
SSTeacher
July 23rd, 2010
3:55 pm
First, lotteries always fall short of their ability to fund their original selling points as time passes. But in order to sell it to voters a couple decades ago, we were made promises of HOPE, technology in all schools, etc.
Second, when it is time to choose between programs that will see reductions in funding from “gambling” money, then it makes sense to “gamble” on which program has better odds. So I would choose cutting Pre-k because these students have yet to show the desire to contribute to society or the economy, whereas students who maintained ‘B’ averages in high school, and must maintain them through college are demonstrating their desire to contribute.
Welfare for the rich? Are you serious? The “rich” middle class people are the ones paying the taxes for the many children who receive free and reduced lunches, which I don’t mind doing. I see HOPE for my child as a payback for supporting families who cannot afford to feed their kids.
We voted for a lottery, now it’s time to gamble on the kids who have proven their value. The idea of a three-year-old in government-run school instead of with their parents/families is another case of the government trying to do things that families should be doing. Let the arguments continue.
1992 and beyond
July 23rd, 2010
4:03 pm
Ok,Here is the big savings for Hope each year. YOU do not receive Hope until you complete 30 Hours in college with a 3.0 and above.Period. If you have a 3.0 you will get reimbursed for the 30 hours from Hope. After 30 hours you qualify for Hope as it stands now. Current estimate on savings from OPB/LBO is around 250 million per year. Over 50% of all incoming College freshmen lose HOPE the first year in college. Those funds are lost FOREVER. THe only benefit from these funds are the universities and colleges for increased revenue. You perform the first year;you will benefit.After that you must keep the 3.0 for all 90 hours left to complete degree. On the subject of PK,five children went to college,only 1 went to PK.I know it is a daycare for everybody–What a waste of money.
catlady
July 23rd, 2010
4:17 pm
What about the students?: Except, in fact, you DON’T have the same chances to get HOPE. Simple cross-tabs done by GA State determined that something like 60% of the students who get HOPE are in the upper QUARTILE of SES. If you really have the same chances, it would be 25%. Seems like it was 85% for the upper half of SES. I bet someone can come up with the exact findings. WAAYY disproportionate.
SSTeacher: I love that rationale, that I pay for Free Lunch so their parents can pay for my kids’ college tuitions.
Ole Guy
July 23rd, 2010
5:55 pm
Let’s stop with the “poor kids/poor parents” rhetoric and realize just how damn spoiled we have become. I realize there are many who do not wish to read of the “good ole days” when kids walked to school, barefoot in the snow, uphill…both ways. You’re about to receive a derivative of this “back in my youth” story.
There was a time in U.S. history when (as Archie Bunker extolls) MEN WERE MEN. The kid, following hs graduation, would sign-up, not necessarily because he wanted to, but most-suredly, it was a traditional expectation, a rite of passage into MANHOOD (something which today’s youth seems to view with the typical NIMBY attitudes so prevelant in today’s society…let someone else expend themselves…I’ll remain within my personal comfort zone). Following a period of service, our government would award the kid with the GI Bill which, along with a little part-time work and a few bucks from Mom and Dad, seemed to work just fine. Now, the kids are like the birds within the nest awaiting the parental return with the goodies. All the birds do is sit there, heads cocked rearward, mouths wide open, imploring “feed me feed me”…ok in the birds’ world; not in the world of future movers and shakers.
I know I know…things have changed. Tuition has gone outa sight, part-time jobs are both scarce and, in all honesty, do not offer the ROI that could probably best be expended at the desk. So to has the military changed (sometimes to the chagrin of ole warriors). Educational assistance programs have become quite lucrative, not to mention growth opportunities in the medical field (full funding for PA school, among other areas).
The entire issue remains, like those birds, kids are content to simply “open wide” and await help. The desire to “jump in the pool” is no longer there.
To paraphrase James Michener…”Where are the men”?
NWGA teacher
July 23rd, 2010
6:19 pm
Many college students do not receive financial support from their parents. Does Mr. Bondurant have a plan for those students?
bootney farnsworth
July 23rd, 2010
6:20 pm
I will actively advocate for the abolishment of HOPE before
letting it become another welfare / class warfare program.
ScienceTeacher671
July 23rd, 2010
7:03 pm
@Ole Guy: “Now, the kids are like the birds within the nest awaiting the parental return with the goodies. All the birds do is sit there, heads cocked rearward, mouths wide open, imploring ‘feed me feed me’”
A good observation, and I’d posit that it’s applicable to more than paying tuition. In the classroom, we have the birds who are actively hunting for knowledge, the ones who are sitting with their mouths open waiting to be fed, and those with their mouths closed refusing to eat…and when the teacher is unable to pry their mouths open and insert a sufficient amount of “food”, the teacher is blamed.
bootney farnsworth
July 23rd, 2010
7:43 pm
gee, Maureen’s left of center hobbyhorse of the day.
imagine.
What about the students?
July 23rd, 2010
7:44 pm
@ catlady: know this is a very well thought out rebuttal, but…So?
It is not news that students from higher SES do better in school. The HOPE was not established so that students from all SES receive college funding equally. If anything, it levels the playing field considering most scholarships exclude students from higher income households. (Trust me, I was a student entering college with an unemployed father. But, I could not qualify for most scholarships because he was employed the prior year.) What is wrong with giving money to those who earn it? That has still not be answered.
stop whining
July 23rd, 2010
7:55 pm
We have been engaged in class warfare for years in this country….and the poor and middle class are losing. Why is it that people who have piled up money off the sweat of OUR brows, while they counted “their” money, are always whining about class warfare ? I will be glad when the ones who have been under attack by the “upper class” wake up and FIGHT BACK !
It is time to soak the rich in every way possible. They have raped us long enough. If you don’t like it MOVE TO CHINA !! You’ve already sent all the jobs there!
What about the students?
July 23rd, 2010
7:56 pm
filter?
stop whining
July 23rd, 2010
7:56 pm
Let Kippy and Buffy pay for their own college tuition.
stop whining
July 23rd, 2010
7:58 pm
class warfare, wealth envy….boo hoo
What about the students?
July 23rd, 2010
8:00 pm
Stop whining…you ARE talking about China. If you don’t like free enterprise, YOU can move there.
What about the students?
July 23rd, 2010
8:07 pm
@ Catlady: I know this is a very well thought out rebuttal, but…So?
It is not news that students from higher SES do better in school. The HOPE was not established so that students from all SES receive college funding equally. If anything, it levels the playing field considering most scholarships exclude students from higher income households. (Trust me, I was a student entering college with an unemployed father. But, I could not qualify for most scholarships because he was employed the prior year.) What is wrong with giving money to those who earn it? That has still not be answered.
What about the students?
July 23rd, 2010
8:09 pm
I still have a comment to Catlady stuck in the filter…Maureen?
Northview (Ex)Teacher
July 23rd, 2010
8:47 pm
@stop whining:
Good for you. Go get ‘em, and don’t let the repubs get you down. They were in charge for years, and what did they do?
Sonny has been in charge ( Sonny done been in charge) for eight years, and the state is in free-fall.
These are the same people who whine when they are asked to pay for their own kids’ educations, so consider the source. If they want to live in a banana republic so bad, why don’t they move to one?
Another William
July 23rd, 2010
10:34 pm
I’m with William. Give them the money after they make the grade. The reason the HOPE is in difficulty is because it has become a handout, an entitlement, another program….. A simple principle is that ultimately the value of any commodity (including education) approaches what one pays for it. Give it away long enought and it will have no value. Education is a commodity, a good for which one pays a price. It is not a right. Opportunity to pursue and education may be a right, but not the commodity itself.
Sam I am
July 23rd, 2010
10:43 pm
Why hasn’t someone ask how much $$ goes to HOPE Grants at technical colleges? Before we impose a whole new set of standards on real college students, what about those at the technical colleges. They don’t have any academic standards for HOPE Grants. I’ll bet many of those nice new buildings were built with HOPE $$ for students who never completed their “studies”.
ScienceTeacher671
July 24th, 2010
9:47 am
I used to work for a company that would reimburse employees for taking college courses. If the student made an A, 90% of the cost was reimbursed. B = 80%, C = 70%, below a C = no reimbursement.
A similar program might work well for HOPE, if it didn’t lead to grade inflation in colleges…of course, I understand that significant grade inflation already exists at state colleges in Georgia.
Here's a thought...
July 24th, 2010
11:48 am
Well-off people are complaining about losing the HOPE scholarship because they didn’t plan for their kids college expenses. I guess they were too busy buying designer handbags and such. However, I do believe that family size should be considered for the cutoff. A family making 75k a year with three kids in college can’t possibly afford it.
Jordan R.
July 24th, 2010
12:18 pm
A baseless opinion by, I’m guessing, an unmarried liberal with no children. To think that 75,000 is the “rich” level is the type of rhetorical dribble that we hear everyday from our socialist leaders in Washington. The bottom line is the lottery funds are outside of the funds the state receives through normal revenues- which is all it should need to run the state. If the lottery funds run low, cut out the money for books, raise the GPA requirements or do a better job of increasing lottery revenues. By having the lottery, Georgia has had an incredible increase in the education levels and UGA, GT and the smaller schools. Georgia is now a top academic school due to the competition to get into the school.
Why not just have everyone making above 75,000 pay 75% taxes, fund pre-pre-pre K so that we have a free day care system for the state and watch everyone that makes any money flee the state so that it would then go bankrupt.
How is that Hope and Change working for you these days!
Ole Guy
July 24th, 2010
1:29 pm
Thanks for the feedback, Sci Teach. It is for this very reason that I feel, at a certain point, public education should no longer be considered a right, but a privilege. Those who continue an active pursuit…that is, students who want to learn…may remain within the public ed system. Inasmuch as the kid, at a certain age (I believe 16 y/o), may drop out of school without being considered truant, that very same age should be considered the point at which the kid who has a continued history of “refusing to be fed” be no longer eligible to receive a free education.
This measure, draconian as it may seem, would have the immediate result of improving the quality of public ed. It could, and probably would render the term “bad teacher” obsolete.
Drop it
July 24th, 2010
5:46 pm
Drop HOPE. I did it fine with student loans. Pay for your own schooling.
Dekalbite
July 24th, 2010
6:55 pm
The fact is that many state universities in Georgia have attracted excellent students who would have ended up in out of state universities but for the HOPE scholarship. The HOPE scholarship kept them here in Georgia. My daughter was a biology major at UGA and then became a teacher here in Georgia. Another friend has a daughter who was a math major at UGA and then became a math teacher. One of the main reasons that the HOPE was established was to keep top notch students in Georgia and that has been the case.
I am torn by the idea that we could easily have afforded to pay for UGA. However, I’ll admit that the HOPE was the deciding factor for our daughter, and science students in the Atlanta urban school she taught in reaped the benefits.
flipper
July 24th, 2010
7:36 pm
Bondurant’s an idiot. Get rid of hope and watch Georgia’s best and brightest flee the state. People forget that UGA was considered a mediocre podunk school for kids who couldn’t get in anywhere else until HOPE came along. Now it’s one of the top public universities in the nation. If I have to pay full price for college, I’m sure not going to pay for it in GA. HOPE is the only reason my kids will even be considering remaining here. If it no longer exists, we can afford college… in another state.
It floors me that Bondurant thinks a year of 4 year old preschool is more beneficial to Georgia than four years of college. The uber rich really have no grounding in reality. It amazes me every time I encounter them.
I would be surprised if a majority of our legislators would vote for nonsense like this… unless they don’t want to be re-elected. HOPE rewards achievement not inability to produce income.
Here's a thought...
July 24th, 2010
9:32 pm
@flipper: The difference between in state and out of state tuition is significant. I believe some families may need to consider that before sending their children elsewhere. You are very fortunate that this is not an issue for your family (not sarcastic at all by the way). The quality of students will remain high because UGA, etc have built up reputations and prestige.
Really amazed
July 24th, 2010
11:37 pm
Let’s keep rewarding the poor. Why ever try to better yourself??? Entitlement at every turn. Then we wonder why our country is in the situation it is in???? Lottery funds already go to pre-k programs!!!! I don’t think this is how it was suppose to be??? This isn’t a daycare fund it is suppose to be for students that have made it through high school that are high achievers and that have proven themselves to be such!!!! Not a certain class, or income level!!!!!!!!!! We should all protest and move!
Agreeing with really amazed
July 25th, 2010
10:02 am
I agree with “Really Amazed”. Why doesn’t the governemnt just pay for everything – woomb to toomb!!!! This HOPE thing is just another example of politically correct, politically popular, intellectually deprived entitlement babble. You get what you reward. So, reward excellence and you’ll get more excellence. A 3.0 from a Georgia high school isn’t excellence. Trust me – - todays 3.0 is the old 2.0!!!! Grade inflation!!!!!!!
Pay for daycare and what are you going to get? More daycare!!!
Pay people to go to the Technial College rather than working and what will you get? More people at technical college and few people working!!!
Really amazed
July 25th, 2010
6:01 pm
@Agreeing with really amazed, why don’t parents in GA get the grade inflation thing??? We will see when little Susie/Johnny take his/her SAT/ACT and see if they still get at least an 1800. Some yes, will but a true 3.0 will get anywhere from 1400 to 1600. A true 4.0 will get 1800 to 2100.
Parent
July 25th, 2010
9:25 pm
@bootney farnsworth I agree with you 100%. Let’s just abolish HOPE for all if the state is only going to give it to a few. Remember most kids don’t have money their parents do.
Ole Guy
July 26th, 2010
10:33 am
On the topic of grade inflation: When the kid, with an ostensible HS GPA of HOPE quality, must take remedials in college, is not the school system from which the obviously inflated GPA was issued guilty of dereliction? I would think this would be a major concern of all who profess to be educational leaders.
Vyper3000
July 26th, 2010
12:59 pm
How about looking at the foolishness that passes for tuition and fees these days? My daughter served an unpaid internship in cooperation with and at a college other than the one where she was attending this summer, yet had to pay the tuition at her “home college”. She was required to pay a parking fee at her “home” college. Why? She was already paying $10 a week to park where she was interning! She was required to pay a $90+ “atheletic fee”….she’s an art major! Why is she paying an athletic fee? Why is she paying a $40+ “land aquisition fee” AND paying $200-$400 for books that shouldn’t cost anywhere NEAR that much? With recent tuition and fee increases, HOPE doesn’t even cover her costs any more, and I have second child about to start college as well…. it’s everything I can do to keep the bills paid and this intellectual fool wants to call me rich….