Georgia’s vaunted HOPE Scholarship has become welfare for the state’s rich

I know many families who make just above $75,000/year who would not be able to afford to send their children to college. These aren’t families who live beyond their means, either. Reinstating income caps for HOPE may make sense, but it needs to be much higher than $75k and credits for families with more than one child in college at a time should be considered. Personally, we would be struggling to send one kid to college without HOPE, much less all three. I guess we could always tell the youngest two, “oh, well.”

I thought part of the idea of HOPE was to keep students in state?

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I am a high school teacher. I received the HOPE scholarship throughout my undergraduate degree. I am politically pretty moderate, but a little left of center (which makes me a flaming liberal in the context of GA politics, I guess).

While some of his points are valid, I respectfully disagree with Mr. Bondurant. I think there’s some amnesia tied to the statement that HOPE affects where students go instead of whether. The way I remember things, college has become much more of an expectation (as opposed to a privilege for only a wealthy few) for lower and middle class students over the last two decades — since HOPE was enacted. I suppose perhaps I COULD have attended college without HOPE, but it would have either put my family completely in the poor house or left me with a mountain of debt. I think my older sister (too old to get HOPE) is probably still paying on all the loans she had to wrack up to get through. HOPE makes college do-able for families on the bubble like mine was (and who apparently Mr. Bondurant classifies as “rich”). That’s what it should do, if you ask me. I know that I was a better student for it, both in high school and college, because I was squarely motivated both to qualify for it and to maintain it. I understand the narrowing lottery revenue vs. increasing tuition costs equation. If anything, I’d say make the criteria for qualifying stronger before resorting to making it income-based. A B average? A kid leaving high school with just a B average is going to have a pretty tough row to hoe in college. Make it an A average. Add a minimum SAT, minimum number of AP exams passed, etc. The column also seems to ignore the fact that the lottery is a 100% optional tax — my favorite kind.

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BB, there are many of us in Georgia who are “middle of the road.”

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I do think that something needs to be changed to keep HOPE alive, but I think this solution might be too blunt. The problem is, no matter what you set the limit to, there are always going to be families “on the bubble” of the cutoff. What about, instead of all-or-nothing, your HOPE scholarship became less and less with increasing levels of income? Sure, we’d have to decide about the levels, but that seems a little more fair to me. That way people with low incomes get the full ride, families with super-high incomes can handle themselves, and people towards the middle still get some help.

Just a thought.

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I’m a retired teacher with a son entering his Soph year at Georgia Southern on HOPE. My out of pocket expenses for his first year after HOPE WERE $8,300. That’s not a fortune, but still a significant sum. I began a “college fund” savings program for him at age six months. I estimated that the after HOPE expenses would be about $30,000 for four years. Got it about right as things now stand. My pet peeve about HOPE is not that it subsidizes people wealthier than I am, but that it subsidizes a year of “partying” for many “students” of all income levels. I would favor making HOPE a reimbursement program. If my son makes the grades his frosh year, the state sends me a HOPE check. If not, he partied on my dime.

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William: That’s a really cool idea, and would probably go a long way to making sure students don’t slip up while on HOPE.

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Apples and oranges. The purpose of the Hope for college bound kids is to keep college educated young adults in Georgia. The purpose of the pre-K program is to boost school achievement of those who are less likely to succeed in school. Frankly, he lost even on his own terms. HeadStart has no lasting benefit, neither does the preK program. The Hope scholarship has helped Georgia retain its college educated.

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The HOPE scholarship should continue to be available to all students that maintain the B average regardless of parents income. Parents do not always pay for the students college & this prepares the students for life w/o a huge student debt after graduation.
PreK is a parents responsibility and is educationally enriching, but is replacement for day care in the end. We can’t look to the government for free daycare.

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UNDER OBAMA…& the LIBERAL DEMOCRATs…everything is free.now….pay for it later..in HIGH TAXES.

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The basic question is almost ridiculous….HOPE scholarships for funding college degrees or Pre-K for 3-4 year olds? A college education has tremendous value not only for the individual (in terms of career opportunities and related compensation), but for society overall. Pre-K, although beneficial, is just a step above daycare. The Pre-K “student” would derive very little net benefit from this program.

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Let me take a little different approach here. A welfare and entitlement state we already are. The HOPE scholarship program was sold to the public not so many moons ago as a program benefiting everyone – not only the needy. Is this to be another of those “the one hand giveth and the other take away” for entitlement programs? Give those of us in the middle and lower upper class a break! And let’s give the students who work hard for their grades a break – regardless of family income. Rewards for hard work and pride in accomplishment these days are hard to come by. Dang but I have come to hate the term “entitlement”.

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I came from a family situation that did not allow for me to have anyone pay for my college. Because of a slightly above average income for my father (who was strapped with medical and other expenses) I was unable to qualify for most assistance. I worked hard and put myself through school and excelled. I do not believe higher education should be linked to family status. A rich kid is not rich if his parents cut him off because he wants to study religion instead of business. I favor partial reimbursement and a tax on those higher income families to resolve this.

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That’s a great way to drive excellent students from upper-middle class families out of Georgia. If you’re paying that much to send your kids to school, why not pay a little more and send them to a private school out of state?

One of the great things about the HOPE is not just that it made college accessible to anyone in GA but that it kept some of the best and brightest students here. You dismiss that so easily and I think that’s a huge mistake.

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Pre-K is nothing more than a babysitting service for those too sorry to take care of their own kids. When are the so called poor going to start making a contribution. Medicaid,Food Stamps,SSI checks,Earned Income Credit,Public Housing???? We all should sit on our butts and not work. Everything is done for the so called poor.

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PreK at best, is a glofified baby-sitting service… a pre-k child thinks “Hope” is am I gonna get a cookie, or a cracker at snack… Hope was intended, for the most part, to get our kids into a college when most of Georgia (outside of the metro area), could not afford the cost of furthering an education. This would, fortify the work force an educated employee, that could attract business to the state, beyond the minimum wage factory laborer. Part 2 was to fortify the primary education system.
But like every other system that has money, seen, and in a pot, we siphon a bit here and then there, and then say, “where did it go!!! we need to cut back!!! and reduce its intended purpose!!!

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All rich children don’t make the grades for HOPE funds. HOPE is given to ALL students that makes good grades . It’s NOT base on how much money you have BUT how smart a student is. I don’t see a problem with this. And what can be done to improve lower education- MORE parents that will help their children.

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I need to add to my comments above. My point about the graduation rates is that kids are clearly getting through those schools without HOPE and graduating at the same rate as UGA/GT.

When you leave the two flagships and start looking at other public colleges in GA, the graduation rate at public 4 year colleges and universities is dismal. Albany State comes next after UGA/GT with a 50 percent 6 year grad rate and it goes down from there to about 20 percent at Augusta State.

Interestingly, North Carolina has 6 non-flagship public universities that have graduation rates higher than Albany State and have none as low as Augusta State.

The question might be asked is HOPE a good investment for most students?

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I graduated from college last year, after 17 years of going to night school that I paid for myself while working full time during the day. I was in the 1st class elgible for the HOPE when I graduated HS in 1993. I have wittnessed first hand the significant improvement of several state schools. My GPA did not qualify me for HOPE and my parents would not pay for college.

You don’t have to earn a certain GPA for wellfare. Families are attending college, young adults who worked very hard to earn and maintain HOPE. The last time I checked HOPE was performance based. I guess welfare is performance based too.

My younger brother earned and maintained HOPE through college and knowing how he worked to earn and maintain his HOPE it disgusts me to mention those 2 programs at the same time. The real issue here is the veiew point of entitlement.

As the father of a 7 month old baby, I highly agree with providing all 3-4 year olds the opportunity for preschool. But if you really want care about GA then find your funding some where else. Zell Miller did.

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Mike: “What about, instead of all-or-nothing, your HOPE scholarship became less and less with increasing levels of income? Sure, we’d have to decide about the levels, but that seems a little more fair to me.” — this is actually what I was hoping the author was going to suggest.
Also, pre-K is one thing that will help students eventually make it to college.
Finally, having taught @ both KSU & GSU, you all do realize that keeping grades up in HOPE is a joke for many marginal students? They have to maintain a certain grade (can’t remember, it’s been a few years) & if they don’t have that grade by mid-semester, they drop the class(es)!! It’s a game! At both of these schools I had some of the best & worst (marginally literate) students of my 15-year academic career.

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I think a lot of you have forgotten the intended purpose of this scholarship. The name should remind you that this was meant for students that have the grades but don’t have the funds to attend college. It was never meant to supplement the funds of those that can afford to send their kids to school anyway. There needs to be an income restriction, but I wouldn’t be opposed to other requirements as well (higher GPA, more AP classes, etc…)

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You can’t decide who gets the scholarship and who doesn’t based on income. That is ridiculous. The lottery is funded by anyone that purchases a ticket, regardless of how much money they make. Does this mean that there will be an income cutoff for purchasing lottery tickets? “I’m sorry sir, I need to see your prior year’s tax statement before I can sell you this lottery ticket.” After you win does that mean you are now exempt from ever playing again? Or will they just skim an additional 10% off the winnings to pay for everyone else’s kid but yours?

I am amazed that folks just don’t get how wrong it is to discriminate against people simply because they are successful. Did you for once think that someone busted their tail to get where they are and very few of the “rich” had ANYTHING handed to them? Long days and nights building something, time away from family to make their lives better, investing your own money when you don’t have it to invest, beating the bushes with hundreds of rejections just to get a solid client base all because you wanted to make a better life for you and your family? Now folks are telling you that you don’t really matter because you tried harder than someone else and you need to accept that you have to shoulder the burden of society. And now you won’t even get the benefits of a public fund simply because you did well?

HOPE scholarships were created to help any student that did their work in class. So now you’re saying that they can be lazy, get bad grades (or not as great) and that is acceptable because mom and dad will pay their way? Condoning stupidity and laziness…amazing.

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Yes, and HOPE is also racist as it doesn’t include grades from PE, so says Frank Ski.

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What are you all complaining about? Georgia has meanwhile terminated the Hope Teacher Scholarship Loan program, so that I’m paying completely out of pocket for my teaching degree in a critical shortage area.

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I would not make HOPE a graduated-level or reimbursement program. The purpose of HOPE was to encourage GA students to stay in state to complete their degrees and prevent a “brain drain.”

I would propose that for students who didn’t complete their degree within a period of time, say five years, HOPE reverts to a student loan and must be paid back.

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Make HOPE yet another entitlement program, with benefits cut-off starting with the middle class??!! Is this a joke?

The cost college tuition is all but out of reach for “middle & upper-middle income” families. And the idea that we need yet another entitlement program is frankly disgusting, especially coming from a limousine liberal like Mr. B.

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“And as the quality of the students has improved, so has the quality of the universities”

Hmm- so in the k-12 grades- it’s the SCHOOLS that make the STUDENTS- but suddenly in college- it’s the STUDENTS who make the SCHOOLS,

We teachers say it over and over- give us good students and we will have a great school- give us low performing students and we will have a low performing school. Why is this heresy in k-12 but truth in college?

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I just want to know when people making 75k became “rich”. Obviously no one informed me about it. I am struggling just like everyone else. I don’t live above my means. This is ridiculous!

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Once again people want to make the rich pay for more. Now I am not even close to being rich but this HOPE is earned by kids for good grades. People say well kids take remidial classes and get into college with HOPE and use it BUT if the kid is not prepared in college and does not make the grades he LOSES the HOPE next year. The bottom line is if the kids make the grades and earn HOPE they should get it regardless of how well off there parents are.
This is something the kids earn and not there parents. Why punish kids who made the grades and EARNED it because there daddy or mommy is rich. That only teaches them if you earn more your going to be responsible for more. It’s not the parents fault they worked hard to earn what they have and now should have to work harder to pay for their kids education even though the kid worked to make the grades so some kid could get a free ride to college because his parents are poor and live off wel fare.
Not that all parents live off wel fare but the bottom line is people need to stop saying the rich is responsible for more because they have more money. A lot of rich folks earned the money they made and took risks to get rich.

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Please keep in mind that there are people of all races who have worked hard to attain a certain income level.This change would not exclusively impact “white” people. That is a misconception. Instead of being jealous of people who make this type of income, you should figure out what career choices/educational choices you can make to obtain this income. Believe you me you don’t get to this level or above with working your butt off!

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Amazing anytime the acquistion of something requires a little effort (and it requires painfully little effort), and is open to anyone who chooses to vie for it, it is labled unfair. Why because the fact is generally people with the work ethic to achieve something don’t need people to help very long

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Some points.
1. The Hope Scholarship is only good for “state” colleges. Rich people don’t send their kids to state colleges, they go to Emory, Agnes Scott, Harvard, Duke, etc., etc.
2. It is not for partying students. If you don’t maintain a B average in college, you are given one term on probation, while only “one” reinstatement…then out you go.
3. I have been involved with Georgia Tech for 40 years, and Tech’s undergraduate enrollment has only increased about 20% in the last ten years. More from increased demand for technical education than HOPE. And almost 50% of Tech undergrads are foreign or out of state.
4. The real beneficiary of the HOPE program is the Georgia system of community colleges, which have expanded and are providing college for kids other than at UGA and Tech.

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I agree with those who see pre-k (especially for 3 year olds) glorified baby sitting. As the mom of a GT student I can say that Hope helps, but is by no means a free ride. Without Hope, he would have taken the scholarship offered by Auburn and would have gone out of state.
As for the comment about “inflated grades”…my daughter, who is in a private college (on scholarship) out of state, has had professors comment on her high school and her level of preparation for college (starting w/32 hours from AP courses).

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I came from an upper-middle class family and without Hope it would have been extremely hard to get through college. (I had to take out a student loan as well.) I believe what Emmet is missing here is simply that he would be punishing the students, not just mom and dad. Most 18 year olds do not have access to the kind of funds that their parents do and HOPE gives those 18 year olds an opportunity to go to college, get a degree and not have to swim in debt due to excessive student loans. (Have we forgotten the little debt crisis we have right now?) I’m all for supporting Pre-K programs, but you’ll need to find another means to support that venture. Here is one other thought: if you redirect funds to Pre-K programs, at what point does that become unsustainable by the state budget as Emmet claims has happened with current Hope funds and college tuition? Just a matter of “pick your poison” isn’t it? Besides, I don’t believe for one minute that all lottery funds go to Hope as it is supposed to; I don’t believe in my state government enough to believe that anymore.

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So, does Emmet J. Bondurant have very young children or relatives, and make less than 75,000 per year? That’s the only way his proposal makes since. I don’t have a problem putting more money towards pre-K programs, but capping HOPE availability for families that make over 75,000 a year is way over the top. He groups the middle class with the rich, and we all know there is a huge gap between the two. I make more than 75K a year, and I face a financial struggle when my child (who by the way has been a straight A student for the last 3 years) goes off to college. I think we should look at WHY this guy is making such an outlandish proposal before we give it much merit.

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The problem is college education cost has sky rocketed. When I went to school it was 3k a year for room, books and tuition. And most kids with little help from home and or a part-time job could go to college.

Now it is 50k to 60K for private schools and 25k to 35k for public schools, the numbers are staggering! And if the kid uses student loans in many cases it is questionable if it pays for itself.

This is the similar problem with healthcare. The inflationary cost of the product is out stripping the ability to pay for the product.

This is one of the reasons I have been such a strong advocate of cross utilization between the high schools and colleges, vocational schools…..If we do not coordinate the two more and more kids will fall through the cracks.

Not only with above idea help with the drop-out rate by matching kids quicker to their abilities it would save money by being more efficient.

For example:

1) If a student graduates with vocational certificate while in high schools the students becomes at tax payer quicker and the amount of years paying for school is less.
2) The above logic would also apply to four college bound kids.
3) If you cross utilized facilities as well teachers not only would we be matching the best teachers with the right track, we would save money in building, facility up keep……

We are facing tough times and we need to be smart about how we budget and implement or we will leave a generations of kids behind.

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HOPE is a privilege for students who work hard, parents should take an active role in their kids lives if they want them to receive the HOPE scholarship, not just funnel money into early childhood development. Parents should get off their lazy rears and teach their children, not rely on the under-qualified teachers.

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How much money do I need to make to be “rich”?????? $75,000, $100,000, $ 300,000????

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My wife teaches in a headstart pre-k. It is daycare 2.0, and all the pre-k teachers know it.

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AJinCobb:

“Completely cutting off HOPE at some income level like $75K would be very unfair to families who have been factoring HOPE into their education savings calculations.”

That’s the problem with HOPE. As soon as HOPE was created, many families saw the government check coming, and ceased to plan for college. I can’t tell you how many times I heard parents say, “Well, we don’t have to pay for college anymore!”

HOPE is a joke. Like a lot of Democratic ideas (thanks, Zell), it sounded like a good idea at the time. But now, it’s just another entitlement.

I think it should be converted to a tuition reimbursement program, much like the ones that many companies offer to their employees.

BTW, I’m a little left of center, which makes me a flaming liberal in this state, according to a previous poster.

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The HOPE Scholarship is an incentive for students to do well in high school and to keep doing well in college. It also allows some of our best and brightest to stay here instead of going out of state. If some of our best students go to UGA “for free” instead of paying to go to UNC, Vanderbilt, etc., it also helps keep them in the state of Georgia after they graduate and they can contribute to Georgia’s future.

The HOPE Scholarship is not a welfare program for the rich. Besides, in what world is $75k/yr rich?

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Fyi, the research has shown pretty clearly that pre-k is ONLY valuable IF one of the effective curricula is followed accurately AND done by very well-trained teachers. Otherwise, we’re simply subsidizing daycare – no doubt of great value for the economy, but not for preparing kids for later schooling.

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OMG……..another hand-out for the po po people of Georgia. My child received the hope and without that college would not have been affordable. I PAID for my child to go to 3-4 year old programs and I’m tired of paying for free childcare for those that go to State funded pre-k programs. Get a grip people…I’m sick of paying for those that DON’T work and pay taxes and receive FREE handouts constantly!!!! Save it for those students that work hard through high school no matter how much freakin money their parents make!!!!!!

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Why does everyone here think that society exists for their personal benefit? I would personally be hurt by the suggested change, but if it is better for Georgia it is better for me. After the second world war, we had the GI Bill. The idea was to make college accessible, not because it was in individual benefit, but because it was a societal benefit.

Our family income is not far above the proposed cutoff, and I would prefer a sliding scale, but I think the idea is sound. Pre-K is a sound societal investment – NOT glorified babysitting. Children who have been to a quality Pre-K do better in school, are more likely to go to college, and less likely to end up in prison where they cost us $30k per year.

Finally, everyone has ignored the very best part of this proposal. Drop the HOPE benefit by $2500, and you qualify for a federal tax credit for $2500. The cost to the family is the same. The cost to the HOPE fund is much less.

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How quickly HOPE has become an entitlement. How do kids in other states go to college? Kids will continue to go to college with or without HOPE. Stop acting like HOPE is a right – it can (and may have to be) altered as we go through tough times.

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Cinfy,

True, HOPE was designed to be merit based. Over the last 30 years there has been a significant shift from need based aid to merit based aid. On the face of it, this seems perfectly fair, but it is not. The greatest predictors of academic success are parents income and educational level. Much of the “merit” comes as a result of these advantages students are born to. As a result, the amount of aid provided to students in the highest income quartile exceeds the average amount provided to students in the lowest income quartile (Hossler, 2004; Rosenstone, 2004).

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Good morning,

Sixty percent of all freshmen lose the HOPE scholarship. That is about 254 million dollars a year. If we go to a reimbursement plan, the onus will be off of the high schools to inflate grades, and we will save ourselves 254 million dollars a year.

At the end of the student’s college or university career, students can use the reimbursement of their last semester to pay back the original loan, or they can use that money to start the next chapter in his or her life.

http://www.willisforstatesuper.com

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Don’t make this yet another handout for the undeserving…

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I pay for the free education of a lot of you peoples’ rug rats every time I play the lottery. I also pay school taxes (in my property tax) on my mortgage payment each month. Yet, I am discriminated against by the govt. and many of you ungrateful people whose children get a free education, at my expense. I can’t serve in the military, can’t get married, can’t share MY social security with my significant other, who I have been with for 28 years. It seems marriage is too sacred an institution for us. It must de “defended” against us….so as to be held up high for Las Vegas quickie weddings, or The Bachelor…or “Who Wants to Marry a Millionaire” or the rest of the mockeries of marriage . Not to mention, you heteros are doing just fine wrecking “traditional marriage” on your own. Have you seen the divorce rates lately? If you are so for “preserving ” marriage- OUTLAW DIVORCE!
But I digress…in keeping with the article, I am for means testing. Let the rich pay for their own childrens’ education with all those tax cuts they have enjoyed at my expense the last 10 years.

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HOPE may need tweaking; but, funding more preK is NOT the answer ~ nor is making eligibility for college scholarships income-based. The reality is that the Georgia preK program is lottery-funded babysitting. (Isn’t Headstart available for low-income families who desire to have their children attend preschool?) I’d be very curious to see any stats on the impact the lottery-funded preK has had on the future of students who have attended v. those who did not attend preschool. My guess is that it is little to nil. Comparing whether one should fund preschool or a college education is a no brainer, IMO…The value of college far exceeds a preschool education, IMO. (What children are exposed to in preschool can *easily* be taught in the home and from a good childcare provider.) What one gains from college cannot be so easily replicated at home.

IMO, the lottery-funded preK program should be ditched all together and more funds directed to funding merit-based college scholarships, regardless of income.

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Georgia Pre-K is a joke. No reason for it whatsoever. How do I know this? I am a foster parent. We have chosen NOT to put any foster child into the Pre-K program and teach them at home for that year. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM has enterered Kindergarten at the top of their classes. Remember, these are children whose lives have been in complete turmoil and most of them have suffered abuse for years at the hands of their parents. We work with the children about an hour a day and they thrive. We have had a total of 7 children we have kept during their 4 year old year. Use the money for college, not for babysitting. Let the parents do their jobs at home with their preschoolers.

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The colleges and universities have taken advantage of Hope by continuing to raise “fees” in addition to HOPE. With nominal new enrollment at UGA, it is amazing the number of new buildings that have been built. A parking deck for the fine arts building? Not necessarilly saying they are related but that there are limited resources and the colleges are redirecting because of Hope.

In reality, the state likely needs less Hope money going to liberal arts schools and more toward those that are seeking training for actual careers whether that is from a technical school (Hope Grant) or a four year institution. Hope is a valuable resource and shouldn’t pay liberal arts degrees, including the one I have.

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@North GA Jimmy: LOL! The most I’ve ever won on the lottery was $7…have lost much more. Started buying the occassional ticket after husband was laid off in March…I figure it goes straight to my kid at UGA when I lose. We would’ve been “rich” before March…two teachers making almost 100K combined. Husband was RIF-ed…now we’re just s-c-r-e-w-e-d.

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Make way over 75k, not even remotely rich, struggle for everything, work many 18 hour days, daughter graduated from UGA in three years with hope all three years, no debt; one year of Grad school got her masters (South Carolina) 50k in loans. While at UGA like everyone else out bill was around 9k for room and meals, this is a student that had full ride offers to many other out of state schools, is in hospital administration now and doing very well and we are thankfull for her HOPE. Son is a athlete at a state school, lost his hope after the first year, too much missed class and 20 hour bus rides in the spring eroded his GPA we struggle to pay his tuition and he works in the summer to help out. I don’t think he was “unprepared” for college because he hasn’t kept a B average, he’s on track to graduate and if he were a non athlete probably would have kept hope; point being folks that think paying back for kids losinig HOPE aren’t looking at the entire picture. HOPE is perfect the way it is changing it is a bad idea, it works with all the money going to the students none going to extra govt. school administration (as would be required to expand pre K programs).

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perhaps if the millions of dollars we spend on illegals was halted, the state would
have more revenue for pre-k. plutocrats like emmet bondurant, who is a multimillionaire,
have zero care, compassion or empathy for the american middle class. although, he can afford
to live like a king(like his partners do,) he seems to feel that that people earning $75-150,000
have more than they need. he might be surprised to know that those people have a hard time paying for state university and not because they are living the high life. we are ruled by multimillionaires now who carp that middle class americans are “greedy.” i’m sick of these people
and ones like maureen downey who support the idea.

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I don’t understand the resistance to return the income cap to HOPE. Yes, return. The program initially was limited by an income cap. Returning the income cap requirement would not change HOPE, it would simply return it to its roots.

Believe it or not, students who WANT to earn a college degree can do so. I earned three and left school with $800 in student loans. It’s simply a matter of working while in school and minimizing expenses. I am now faculty at UGA. I can tell you most of the students here live much better than my friends and I did when we were in school. We did not drive new $30,000 cars. We did not go on Spring Break to Mexico. We spent a lot of time together having fun without spending money. As a result, we all graduated. We all have successful careers. We also have memories of fun spending time together, not spending money.

As a person that completed college with no help from my parents and no HOPE, I can say it is possible. I also have am aware HOPE was a need based program when it started. My vote is to institute at least some graduated income cap. That is not change, it simply returns HOPE to what it was.

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@color me confused. “The lottery is actually a poor man’s tax.” A tax is a payment demanded by the government for services and must be paid and failure to pay a tax is a criminal offense. The lottery is a game of chance that happens to be run by the state. Failure to play the lottery does not result in criminal penalties, so the lottery is not a tax.

Also, you stated that “The rich actually buy very few lottery tickets.” You are generally correct in that statement. One big difference between “rich” and “poor” is how “the rich” use their resources (money). The lottery promises but does not deliver a nice return on your money whereas saving, investing (stocks, bonds, mutual funds, even real estate) generally delivers a better return. For example…Lets say we each have $100.00 and I buy lottery tickets for the Fantasy 5 or Powerball and Mega Millions. After the drawing most likely will be out the $100. You put your $100.00 into the bank. At the end of the year you will have $102.00 in the bank with interest. We each made a choice.

Mr. Bondurant is obviously playing the class warfare strategy. Out here in the sticks we have Head Start, Pre-K, and private preschools. IMHO, the students in private preschool generally do better in K-12 than do the Pre-K and Head Start students. Why? because parents who are paying for it get into the habit of being involved in their child’s education than parents who send their kids to the lottery funded programs. I’m skeptical that diverting money away from HOPE to pre-K is going to deliver the “bang for the buck” Mr. Bondurant claims will happen.

2 of my children are in college (1 on HOPE and 1 lost it) and 1 is in high school. The provisions allowing students to get back on HOPE after losing it should be done away with. My child that lost HOPE is doing better now that he has to pay for college himself and it motivates him to do better. The child that is on HOPE is a self motivator who wants to be an M. D. He sees that HOPE can help him get there while lessening his burden.

Sorry for the rambling post.

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Everybody wants a piece of the pie and the pie remains the same size. Deciding which programs are more beneficial is a critical decision that must be made for the future of our children! Many people decry the PreK program by calling it a “baby sitting service”. This is so far from the truth, yet so many people buy it – hook, line, and sinker!

The PreK program does provide huge benefits for children, especially the children from families affected by poverty. In short, it levels the playing field for these children and there is the rub. Those in power do not really want to increase the competition against their own children by improving the opportunities for the underprivileged. The PreK program benefits all children in many respects, too, but these effects are not as dramatic as those for the children who have little access to enriching activities.

HOPE, on the other hand, has OBVIOUSLY become an entitlement for the middle class. Simply by the discussion here one can tell that even those families with means have set themselves up to depend on the HOPE as they send their children to college. Simply taking the HOPE away based on income is not really the way to go, either. There are many students who are deserving of the benefits of an education and we should find ways to provide scholarships for them.

Earning a college education takes a lot of hard work. It seems to me that the idea of working hard as a part of our value system is where our society is really taking a hit. Entitlements undermine that value, and HOPE has become an entitlement.

While we continue to debate on the various aspects of public education, college education, vocational education, and the merits of putting tax money into those programs, we have focused only on the providers. We have generated considerable criticism about what those providers should be doing, what they are not doing, and how we should be expecting more from them. What we have not focused on are the ways our communities should be working together to promote better values especially when it comes to learning.

It is my opinion that until we have more serious discussions about the work ethic of the students we will not see much improvement in our achievement rankings. If you ask me, this is where many of the other countries in the world are “beating the pants off of us.”

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@Skram30082:

“That’s the problem with HOPE. As soon as HOPE was created, many families saw the government check coming, and ceased to plan for college. I can’t tell you how many times I heard parents say, ‘Well, we don’t have to pay for college anymore!’”

Including HOPE in the family’s college savings plans is not “ceasing to plan for college.” It’s only rational to plan based on reasonable expectations of the environment, which includes government programs. You have to plan based on current information and reasonable projections. That’s the difference between planning and fantasy.

Your criticism reminds me of a pet peeve of mine: People who accuse parents who complain when they are inconvenienced by unexpected school cancellations, of regarding schools as “babysitting” and betraying that their “true colors” i.e. that they don’t really care about education, just “free babysitting.” If your child is registered in school, it’s only rational to expect that your child will be at school on scheduled school days (unless they are sick, of course) and you don’t need to make any additional arrangement for child care during school hours. What are people supposed to do to prove they value education? Hire a babysitter to sit in their empty house on school days, to be available just in case school gets canceled?

Likewise, if you have an A student in high school who intends on attending a public college in state, it’s rational to plan for college funding including HOPE. What would you recommend instead? Putting more money into a 529 plan than the student can use for educational purposes, if they get HOPE?

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It’s really no surprise the anti-American government rightwing totally discounts research in their ‘evaluations’ of pre-K.

Face it, an educated electorate would mean the death of the GOP.

And they know it. That’s why the republican line blooms in the South, where the fat, lazy, AND stupid provide fertile ground for rightwing snake-oil.

But then, that’s just more of that research stuff….

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PLEASE do not take away one of the few programs in this state that does not punish hard working middle class citizens. Sure there are those in the very upper class who can afford to pay but in restructuring this program you will hurt the middle class who are squeezed to the limit now. Keep your socialist ideas in the federal programs where they already are and leave the Hope Scholarshoip alone! All Georgia students qualify for this program on an equal playing field. At some point we’ve got to stop penalizing the people who work to succeed in this country.

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The logical extension of Mr. Bondurant’s opinion is that Pre-K programs should be cut because they are corporate welfare for daycare franchises and a subsidy for families with two working parents.

Certainly the formula for how the HOPE funds are distributed needs to be evaluated and reevaluated constantly depending on the size of the population is serves (both college and pre-K) and the funds available in any given year, but a lobbyist and “education activist” lawyer is the last person I’d put in charge of those decisions. Let the Georgia Student Finance and Investment Commission work with the Georgia Lottery, Technical College system, University System and Department of Early Care and Learning to make professional and balanced judgements on these matters. They are all highly professional state agencies who do a great job of making these services available to students and keeping them running smoothly.

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The difficulty I have with the proposal is the gains made in pre K are subsequently stiffled in K and 1st grade a large number of cases as these early primary levels have been “dumbed” to the point were many students are kept in a holding pattern re-learning information they have already been introduced to. Unless this proposal includes a restructuring of cirriculum from prek – 1st grade, I don’t think the it buys nearly the value projected.

Fact of the matter is HOPE originally had income cap limits and those limits should be placed around the award again. Problem is no one wants to engage the tough fight to re-establish a limit. I think the idea of restructuring the award such that its a loan to be repaid by the student if they fail to mean early bench marks or drop out could be added as well to balance things out.

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It’s good to see that class warfare is alive and well. Well since HOPE is still in place I will let you people send my daughter to school and I will buy a boat instead.

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@ Dawnstar: Your idea of Why not develop a superior system of career-vocatioanl schools is a sound one. I went to high school in VA and this concept was in place when I was at that level. In fact, I went through that particular pathway in getting my high school diploma and it was this experience that inspired my career in Information Technology. Coupling a high school diploma pathway with the technical college system in GA would be an easy win for all. I believe it will spawn a more productive workforce and spur along more grow in the green job sector which in increasing numbers is settling roots in GA.

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@ Gone Fishin: I have literally sat in conference rooms with former co-workers who have described explictly what you’re comment refers to. In fact they were upset at the time that they couldn’t get out on the boat because of Lake Lanier water levels.

@ My Own Two Cents: Excellant idea (ie. if you lose HOPE you don’t regain it). Couple that with being required to pay back what you got and squandered and now you’ve added a degree of accountability to equation that will work wonders.

Lastly, I think the state has to account for the fact that the rising costs of the University system is a key contributing factor to the HOPE programs woes. Has anyone done a correlation of tuition cost increases and the financial strain on HOPE.

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It is still questionable whether GA pre K actually gives these children a “boost” In kindergarten every kids starts at a different level. My daughter did not go to a lottery funded pre K and could run circles around the kids that did. Also, how can we guarantee that these children actually go to college? A lot of the kids respond to bad environments and all of the state funded pre K in the world cannot stop it. For a lot of parents Georgia pre-K is nothing more than free daycare.

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75,000? Really? So, a family that makes $80,000 (abt $66,000 after taxes) with 3-4 children would be able to send them all to college on their own dime? In what fantasy world does Mr. Bondurant believe that this is possible?

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Kira Willis has been an advocate for making HOPE a reimbursement plan since she announced her candidacy. Read more about this and other topics on her website.

Kira Willis for State Superintendent! The people will speak! New blood needed!

http://www.willisforstatesuper.com

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Research locally as well as unbiased research shows HOPE has changed the destination. It has had a minimal effect on encouraging kids to try college who had never planned to go. (I am talking about the scholarship here, not the HOPE grant that goes to tech school students. That award HAS proven effective in getting folks into postsecondary ed who might never have tried it.) So saying, is that a BAD thing?

I think keeping it a merit award is a good idea. Yes, higher SES kids have an advantage–they always have and always will. I’d like to see the requirements tightened, so that it is really a SCHOLARship, given to scholars. That might include looking at the GPA only with certain classes, or having an SAT/ACT required minimal score, or, as I would advocate, requiring candidates for the scholarship to take at least 1 AP course and exam, with a B average and a 3 or higher on the exam. This requirement would help indicate if the student is actually “college material”. I would not require more than one AP, as many small high schools do not offer many AP classes at all (I think our local hs offers 4). IMHO, the requirements are too low, and we have too many students of less than stellar “scholarship” getting the award. In addition, that many “honor grads” do not present an excellent SAT, and that so many students (is it 2/3?) lose the award after a year of college shows that there is too much grade inflation, IMHO.

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Here is my view for what it is worth. The HOPE scholarship program is a complete waste of tax money and should be eliminated entirely. I came from a working class background and had to work very hard to pay for my 2 degrees. My parents did not pay for my college education because they couldn’t afford to do so. Since entering the teaching field, I have seen expectations in the classroom eroded by this program. According to the grading outlines written for the school system where I am employed, an A is to be given to reward excellent or outstanding work, a B is to be given for above average work, and a C is earned for doing average work in the course, and a D is to be assigned for doing work that is below average. However, following those guidelines is impossible because every parent believes their child should receive an above average grade. That is ridiculous! How can everyone be above average in every subject? I am not a mathematician, but I do understand a little bit about averages. If we followed the appropriate grading guidelines in K – 12 education, this would not be an issue since so few students would actually be eligible for HOPE. But since this is not the case (and won’t be until we stop trying to appease parents who feel their children are ENTITLED to a free college education in Georgia), the HOPE program should be disbanded entirely.

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Of course it’s a regressive tax paid mostly by the poor to support the middle and upper class. But it’s a VOLUNTARY tax. While seeking a nanny state solution, why aren’t people like Emment seeking a personal responsibility solution as well. Why not some billboards placed in low income communities that say Thank You. Thank you for paying for Buffy’s education, while your child falls even further behind because you spent your paycheck on the lottery, instead of a book for your child.

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Don’t give in to the pressure, Just A Teacher. Your grades can still mean something, even if many other teachers’ don’t.

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William Casey, I like the idea of a loan cancellation after a student shows they can do the work. However, what you will see is parents UNWILLING to take out the loan precisely because they know the kid isn’t going to “make it.” Of course, I think if it is important, you will climb any mountain to get that degree. People do not realize HOW VERY MUCH MONEY of their taxes is lost by 2/3 of the freshmen losing HOPE. It is about $12,000 per student for a year at UGA/GT that comes out of taxes, (Not counting the hope, the books, the room and board, etc). (so if there are 6000 frosh and 4000 don’t cut it, that is almost $50M per year wasted on putting on classes, etc, at just those two institutions!) I for one have a terrible problem with wasting that kind of money on kids “finding themselves.” Let them do that on their own dime. Let’s focus on sending SERIOUS SCHOLARS to college from the taxpayers’ pockets.

An advocate: Did you know for longer than there was an upper income cap, there was a LOWEr income cap? My elder daughter, an A- student, would not have gotten HOPE had she gone to a public college in 1995. Why? WE MADE TOO LITTLE MONEY! Because she qualified for full Pell, she would not have gotten HOPE at UGA. (She went to a private college (Where she got the TIG (HOPE) and got Pell also, BTW.) YEARS AFTER they adjusted, and then removed, the top cap, they finally got around to taking off the bottom.

I am not for any kind of income cap. Privileged kids have always had a leg up, no matter what we are talking about. Even without talking about tuition money, privileged kids are more likely to have the B average, for example. They get the tutors, the SAT prep classes, the stimulation, the trips. We have to accept that those with money have an advantage (Did you ever seriously think they don’t?) However, if HOPE is to be merit based, then it needs to be applied equally. It IS a shame that poor folks tend to buy lottery tickets at much higher rates than the wealthy, thus subsidizing their education. However, lottery participation is a free choice, even if not a smart one.

I have never bought a lottery ticket. Although I am no longer poor (finally out of grad school!) I’d rater spend the $1 or $5 or whatever it costs on something I am sure of–food, electricity, gas–than something that “might happen.” Each person makes their own choices on how they spend their money.

Ms. Downey at 11:01: Excellent points. Georgia is a mid-low tuition state. And it isn’t that kids can’t go to college without HOPE, it is that many people don’t want to make the sacrifices to send their kids without HOPE. That is also their choice, but to make the argument that they cannot afford for their kids to go is specious and self-serving. If you can’t afford it, don’t send them!

Many states have much higher tuition, but they also have significant, but more demanding, requirements for needs-based aid (see MA, for example, or NY). Other states have followed the low tuition, low aid model. NC until fairly recently charged NO tuition to instate students!

In Georgia we are pretty fortunate about our access to higher ed and our relatively low tuition. Other states limit access much more severely, or they charge astoundingly high tuitions (and redistribute part of it as needs based aid). I encourage others to look around before you complain too much.

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@BB . . . Unfortunately, that is much easier said than done. If a teacher has a high failure rate, then he or she is not considered to be a team player and is subject to retaliation from administrators. Although they would never admit it, many admistrators (and teachers, too) go by the philosophy that you need to go along in order to get along. Bucking the system is not as easy as you make it seem. Furthermore, the grading outlines that I mentioned in my previous post do not say with whom to compare the students in order to arrive at those average statistics. Should they receive a B for being above average in the class, the school, the school system, the state, the country or the world? I think the guidelines were deliberately written as to obscure their meaning. If Georgia students are to compete in a global economy, shouldn’t their grades be based on international standards rather than compare them to local or state statistics?

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I think all the posters should realize the reason the op-ed writer picked $75,000 was to find a statistically significant number to illustrate his point. The reality is there just aren’t very many wealthy individuals on a numerical basis, especially here in Georgia. We’re talking about a group that’s smaller than 2% of the state’s population. The state is not teeming with millions of rich people with their offspring. More people live in Smyrna than all the households in Georgia with incomes above $500,000 per year. Considering how few children upper income people have compare to lower income, we’re talking about a few thousand students. Drop the income to $75,000 and we’re talking about a big chunk of the state. Finally, more wealthy families send their kids to UGA than any other school (I know this because it’s what I do for a living). The official statistic for UGA’s incoming Freshman class is 25% have a GPA of 4.0 or greater. Good luck even getting in. Harvard? really? Do you even know any rich people? I thought not.

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If this were really a Christian land, we’d be more than willing to help out those in need.

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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?)

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filter got me, i guess, but catlady basically said it all for me

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@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.

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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?

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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.

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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

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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?

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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.

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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”?

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I will actively advocate for the abolishment of HOPE before
letting it become another welfare / class warfare program.

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gee, Maureen’s left of center hobbyhorse of the day.
imagine.

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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!

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Let Kippy and Buffy pay for their own college tuition.

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Stop whining…you ARE talking about China. If you don’t like free enterprise, YOU can move there.

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I still have a comment to Catlady stuck in the filter…Maureen?

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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.

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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.

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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!

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Drop HOPE. I did it fine with student loans. Pay for your own schooling.

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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.

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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!

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@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.

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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.

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Pre-K is glorified babysitting and not nearly as important to Georgia’s future as boosting students to complete college and be successful in the workforce. We already have public schools for K-12 and continuing to selectively subsidize daycare for primarily low-income Georgians does little for our future. Don’t have children you can’t take care of, period.

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The HOPE was the only merit-based scholarship in the USA! Who cares how much money parents make? Why punish for success and making good decisions?

Don’t change HOPE into yet another welfare give-away programs. What we need to do is EXCLUDE poor students who are currently having their grades inflated so that they can “qualify” for HOPE…most don’t even last an entire school year before bombing out! This goes for criminal alien squatters, too…aka Illegal “immigrants.”

Benefits should be apportioned to those best able to appreciate them!

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[...] response to Atlanta attorney Emmet Bondurant’s controversial opinion piece calling for a greater slice of the lottery funds for pre-k and less for HOPE, many posters [...]

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How about not giving HOPE until after the first semester or first year of college. If a person graduates from high school with a B average and maintains a B average through the first semester or first year, then he or she then would qualify for HOPE. TOO MANY LOSE HOPE after the first semester and first year because they take it for granted. 18 year olds go off to college and pary away their first year, wasting money on classes they fail. By their second year, most have “grown up”. We loose too much HOPE money on immature young people who have not had to earn anything their whole life. Make them earn it after they get into college (at least first semster). HOPE = 18 year olds partying and having fun (not all, but many).

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There are many scholarships and financial aid opportunities available to minority and lower income families. The Hope Scholarship is the one equalizer for middle-class white families. Many families will send more than one child to college. There should not be an income cap.

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My husband and I filed on $106,000 and we could not have sent our children to college without the HOPE Scholarship. After taxes, mortgage, car payments, insurance, etc. there isn’t anything left. The “poor” get enough free help to go to college – I should know, I work at a technical school and 98% of the students get Pell – some of them are “professional students” – they are just there to collect the check. I’ll tell you what, you take about HOPE from the middle class I for one will never buy another GA Lottery ticket again!

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