HOPE cuts also affect students in private Georgia colleges
Many students and parents are upset that the new HOPE limits revealed yesterday by Gov. Nathan Deal will be applied to students already in college.
Those students may have chosen Georgia public colleges based on an expectation that HOPE would cover full tuition as it has since its inception. Now, most will be downgraded to HOPE Lite, as they lack the required 3.7 GPA in high school and the 3.5 GPA in college to qualify for the full funding. Those students with the mandated GPAs to retain full funding have a new name, Zell Miller Scholars.
(Wish the governor had not thrown another name in the mix. I think Full HOPE and HOPE Lite are clearer in their intent.)
HOPE Lite students will get around 90 percent of their tuition covered minus any money for books and fees, which means about $1,500 a year more out of pocket for students at the research campuses.
If you are among them, please call my AJC colleague Laura Diamond who is writing a deadline story today: She is focusing on student/parent concerns on how to pay for what HOPE won’t cover. Will you rely on loans? Will you attend a different, less expensive college? Will you take fewer courses to save money? We’re interested in the different options students and parents are considering. Please contact Laura Diamond. ldiamond@ajc.com.
Now, back to the blog:
The state is also cutting the funds for Georgia students attending private colleges in the state, a decision that hasn’t stirred much response. If private college students had the 3.7 GPA in high school, the 3.5 in college and the required test scores, they keep their full private school HOPE amount. If not, they will see a $400 cut per year. I understand the argument that a $400 cut for the privates is actually a good deal, considering that the dollar loss to the UGA and Tech students is more than three times that amount.
But here is one student who says it will hurt:
It is very troubling that they have raised the GPA requirements for full financial coverage. I am a freshman, with 18 hours and a 4.0 under my belt. My mother is fully disabled and I can barely afford school as it is with the price for a private school.
It’s hard to see that they are raising GPA requirements and cutting the amount given to private schools by $400 (that I don’t have) so, I guess I will have to get a job that could interfere with my GPA. I’m hoping people will begin to realize that the PELL grant and others barely help cover tuition and for students like me, so HOPE is a blessing.
Reinstating the income cap would be the most beneficial thing. The higher the income, the lower the amount offered. I feel as though students who worked hard to earn HOPE, no matter their family’s income, should be rewarded, but others do need it more.
They could still offer some incentive for those families who make a large income without giving them the whole shebang. We are all scared, because losing money from HOPE could mean a lot of us will not know what it feels like to see a college diploma in our hands.
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get School blog
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89 comments Add your comment
Tonya C.
February 23rd, 2011
12:19 pm
As bad as I feel for this student, knowing her/his family’s financial situation should have dictated the school chosen. Community College is a great option that would have saved money and given him/her a good foundation.
Catherine
February 23rd, 2011
12:44 pm
I agree with Tonya. If the budget was so tight that $400 could make it or break it, then perhaps a cheaper school (or horrors!, a public school) should have been the first choice anyway. I say eliminate the private school stipend altogether.
KMHSmom
February 23rd, 2011
12:52 pm
I understand the disappointment and fear a change like this causes. But the HOPE system must reform to stay solvent. We all have to deal with disruptions in our lives for time to time. Get over it and start working on your solution. If you are worried about a drop in GPA while working during school, take a semester off to earn some money, then go back full time. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
United States of Mediocrity
February 23rd, 2011
1:03 pm
I hate that we reward mediocrity. We give out awards to students who have all B’s at my school. What message are we sending? Your kinda good, but not great? Shoot, if that was me, I wouldnt bust my hump to earn more, and it shows.
I have been talking about this all day in my classes today and they are scared about it. Why because they got to earn it. Some students say they will go out of state instead. And then they realize that its even more to do that. And like students normally are they come up with some excuse about why Georgia universities are a joke.
Economic Laws
February 23rd, 2011
1:07 pm
As with every market that the government has involved itself it, we see unexpected and disasterous economic distortions. Private colleges are overly costly as are the government run institutions EXACTLY BECAUSE OF GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT. HOPE, guaranteed student loans, grants, etc. have all allowed massive price inflation at these institutions because someone else other than the parents and the students is picking up the cost. What seems like a helpful hand only worsens a problem that competition, limits on available monies, and other market pressures would have already fixed. In every market in which govenrment has little to no involvement we see quality going up and prices going down (of course the Federal Reserve printing press and govenrment created inflation undermine these processes). Yet everywhere government control is present, and in direct relation to the amount, we see failure, lowering quality and rising costs. Medicine, education at all levels, defense, public services. Feel free to add more.
ConcernedTeacher
February 23rd, 2011
1:08 pm
Change is never easy. It is often a necessity. Students today are part of a system where grades are inflated. Schools cannot give a “0″ to a student for not turning in an assignment or refusing to do an assignment. Teachers must offer to take the assignment at a later date, or give the student an incomplete until the assignment is done. This only benefits those with poor work ethics, giving them a chance to keep their grades up. Schools also offer recovery. Some schools require mandatory recovery for any student who fails a test. Students get an opportunity to study longer, and pass on the second go round. The idea is great, but most students see recovery as an opportunity to not study the first time, there is always another chance. Grades are not reflective of a students ability anymore, so a 3.7 is not too hard to get. If I had gone to school with an opportunity to recover, I would have had higher grades too.
Tonya C.
February 23rd, 2011
1:09 pm
And HOPE was never meant to fund private school (or at least it shouldn’t have). As long as there are options, this student needs to take a realistic look at his/her finances and understand the end goal is a degree.
Simple Mathematics
February 23rd, 2011
1:12 pm
What you all ignore is very simple — yes you can take HOPE away or further reduce (they already receive less than half of what students get to attend public institutions, but your solutions are all the same and won’t work:
The public University system cannot service/accommodate all of the GA students who qualify for HOPE every year. They already turn away 1000’s, many of whom end up at private colleges in GA where HOPE makes the difference in them going or not — if it was your child are you going to accept that they can’t go to UGA, Tech or any 4 year public school due to admission limits — and just say “oh well, go to a technical college or two year community college” which isn’t designed for these top academic students? To even say you’d do that to your own child is ridiculous and false.
And the only way for GA Public Univerisites to serve those 1000’s — uhhhh hello – more professors, more residence halls, more staff, more everything — i.e. 10’s of millions in additional spending every year.
You people just don’t get it — cutting the amount HOPE pays for students to go to private schools but at least stay in state would COST GA ASTRONOMICALLY more than what would be saved — plus then alot of those best and brightest would go out of state and never return.
Why do you think state budget writers didn’t mess with it as much — they’d actually be better off financially right now if MOOOOOORRRRREEEEEE GA HOPE students went to private colleges.
Wow
Goal Digger, Ph.D
February 23rd, 2011
1:17 pm
I was low SES and received a full scholarship to a private school. The private school was my first choice, and I knew it cost twice as much. Had I not got the full ride there was one waiting on me at state schools as well. Despite all this, I continued applying for scholarships and ultimately received $40,000+ in separate scholarships above what the university had already awarded me.
Sorry, no sympathy here.
A lot of these kids are getting ready to learn a lesson in diligence. Be diligent about your scholarship searches, never simply rely on HOPE or federal $. Or, work hard enough to get your GPA and SAT scores where they need to be so that you don’t have to rely on federal/state $ at all. The university can just pay you to come to them. That’s what I did.
Jack
February 23rd, 2011
1:21 pm
An old saw: life ain’t fair and you weren’t promised a rose garden. I didn’t have HOPE or any other assistance back when, but I managed by working at night- jobs that today’s students would never consider.
DeKalb parent
February 23rd, 2011
1:22 pm
“Deal’s proposal includes allocating $10 million to offer loans, carrying a 1 percent interest rate, to students who can’t maintain a 3.0. The loan, he said, would be forgiven for those who teach math, science, technology or engineering in Georgia’s public schools. One year of the loan will be forgiven for each year spent teaching, he said. The program is based on one lawmakers passed in 2008 but never funded.”
Am I reading this correct? Deal wants give incentives to the lousy students to stay in Georgia and teach our public school students math and science! Wouldn’t we want to incentivise the top students to consider teaching as a career? Many of our state schools of education are already turning out graduates who are not prepared to teach middle or high school and struggle to pass the certification exam.
I agree with the other writers, that college should not be a free ride, academically or financially, for any student. I really don’t consider $400 or $500 a year as having that much “skin” in the game.
Old Skool
February 23rd, 2011
1:24 pm
Ummm, has that student ever heard of Pell Grant’s or student loans. That is how I financed my entire education (not having grown up in a state that gives away free tuition in exchange for grade inflation).
Also, if this student has a 4.0, why not consider applying for private scholarships.
Just more examples of people wanting the government to fully provide for them. Earning your education is not supposed to be cost free. It appears that this student still has quite a bit o’ learnin’ to do.
lucylu
February 23rd, 2011
1:31 pm
Cut out any funding to the 4 yr Pre-K. Is it really necessary to send a kid to school at 4. I feel that a secondary education is much more important than starting a child at 4 years of age. The HOPE should not fund anything more to a private college than it does a public university.
Tommy Gunn
February 23rd, 2011
1:34 pm
Ok, Why give ANY money to ANYONE attending a private school? This should have been cut first, THEN set a scale based on income. Heck, who do you think plays the lottery anyway? Think about it? Don’t forget, they are cutting pre-k too. The idea that cutting to 4 1/2 hours and getting some people off the wait list sounds good, but in REALITY, a school system will have to think about cutting the program altogether, because you can’t pay people to work part time. Good work politicians!
CobbParent
February 23rd, 2011
1:39 pm
Back in the old days (late 80s, early 90s) when I went to college, my parents were middle class so I did not qualify for any type of financial aid other than loans. I selected a local campus of the state university system, lived at home to save money, and worked one or two part-time jobs at a time to pay my tuition so I wouldn’t have to take loans. I managed to get two degrees with honors. I got married and worked and took minimal loans in law school also attending a lower priced state university and graduating near the top of my class. I understand that tuition increases have gotten a little bit out of control (thanks to all of these scholarships), but I am really sick of hearing from students (and parents) who act like having to come up with a few thousand dollars a year would make college unattainable. Get real. Get a job. Take a loan. Make an investment in your future. Have some skin in the game. Someone besides you has already invested in the first 13 years of your education and you whine and cry and stamp your feet when asked to make an investment in the next 4 years (yes, I said 4 years…..get your damn degree instead of screwing around for 6 years). How sad that our nation is full of people (children and adults) who don’t know how to manage things for themselves and endure some hardship to make their way in the world. sigh
full disclosure – I put money in a college fund for my child, but he doesn’t simply “get it” – choice of major and maintenance of grades will determine his fate.
jconservative
February 23rd, 2011
1:42 pm
The only change I would propose to the Deal plan is to convert the HOPE award to a loan if the student fails to obtain a degree. It can be a principal only repay with generous terms, but we need to recover the funds from those students who do two semesters and then drop out.
Atlanta Mom
February 23rd, 2011
1:44 pm
Simple Mathematics,
You stated “and just say “oh well, go to a technical college or two year community college” which isn’t designed for these top academic students”.
If they were top academic students, they would have been accepted into one of Georgia’s 4 year Universities.
Margaret
February 23rd, 2011
1:45 pm
Life is not fair. What you aspire for is not fair and comes with sacrifice. When I attended private college out-of-state, I was happy with the partial scholarship and worked my butt off attending school full-time during the day and working odd jobs at night and still consistently maintained a GPA greater than 3.6. These parents are crying about having to pay $1,500 in fees (about $125 monthly) when these kids are carrying iPhones, iPads, Mac Laptops, driving high powered cars, wearing designer clothes, etc. but you can’t save $125 monthly for your future? I’ve run out of strings to play on my violin for their “sob stories.”
Regarding the regquired GPA in high school and college, yes you should be able to maintain this. I want to see the money go to high achiever than to students to do the bare minimum just to get by. You don’t deserve it! As far as trimming down pre-K, why aren’t parents taking this responsibility themselves instead of passing this off on others? Oh I forgot, many of the parents are were babies when they had babies so there’s not much of experiences to pass on.
Simple Mathematics
February 23rd, 2011
1:46 pm
The entitlement mentality is a different issue. I financed 3 degrees and 89 years of school on my own – so what. Times change. I agree students should not be taught it is a right or entitlement.
But to Tommy Gunn’s point — if those 1000’s don’t attend a private school with HOPE where will they go? To public schools — where more students will get told no because we don’t have room. So more go out of state to public institutions who have tuition equalizing grants for good students – and never come back.
It’s not a zero sum game people — either those students stay in GA or they don’t — spend $20 Million a year (not including the capital/construction costs of new facilities) to make room for all of them — or pay a small fraction of that and no capital costs so some large portion can afford to go to a private GA college that has room. Or go back to exporting our best and brightest to other states.
And you all act like if a student goes to a Private College with HOPE it’s helping the rich kids…. not a chance. “Rich” kids go to school wherever they want because mommy/daddy/insert relative here writes a check.
The great majority of kids who go to college in GA don’t fit that category people. Private schools provide TRIPLE the internal financial aid state schools do and a much higher “discount” rate (look it up if you don’t know what that means).
HOPE is still helping low SES kids – maybe even more at Private Colleges (where they get more need based aid) than at State Schools.
Simple Mathematics
February 23rd, 2011
1:49 pm
Atlanta Mom — you miss the point entirely — yes those students would likely be accepted into a top state school — EXCEPT that they can’t accommodate everyone. So top qualified students get denied from state 4 year schools EVERY year now that HOPE is in place.
I would agree with your point completely — except USAG simply can’t accept everyone that applies and qualifies for HOPE. THat’s just reality – call their admissions offices and ask them.
jarvis
February 23rd, 2011
1:49 pm
There is only one exceptional private school in this state. The others are generally inferior to the upper echelon of the State’s public offerings.
Unless she’s going to Emory, she could have gotten a better cheaper education in Georgia.
jarvis
February 23rd, 2011
1:51 pm
@Margaret, you sound old and bitter.
Simple Mathematics
February 23rd, 2011
1:52 pm
8 years of school ( trying to change the 9 to an
89 years of school and I wouldn’t be commenting… I’d be elsewhere..
Campbell
February 23rd, 2011
1:54 pm
The student with the disabled mother is laboring under a false sense of entitlement. My father died when I was 10. My mother never re-married and raised four children on my father’s military pension (a small amount as he died in 1968). I worked and put myself through university and graduate school. I supplemented that money with earned scholarships and student loans which took a number of years to pay back. When I graduated I entered the teaching profession. My first job was in a private school making 10,000 per year –which had to cover living expenses as well as student loans. I was accepted at a number of universities but my choice was based on affordability. If you want the education you will make it happen. You are not entitiled to a free ride. Your belief that you should have a free ride will not work well for you in the future.
Simple Mathematics
February 23rd, 2011
2:02 pm
My guess is jarvis is an Emory alum? Maybe? “generally inferior” eh? and you back up that statement how? Emory is a Carnegie I research University – your rankings profile isn’t comparable to Agnes Scott, Brenau, Berry, Mercer, etc.
2 cents
February 23rd, 2011
2:08 pm
have to say around $1500 per year for a college education still aint bad. truly needie students can still get Pell money; other scholarships; and of loans.
Finishing a four year degree and only owing $8000 or less in loans will not bankrupt any student
Techmom
February 23rd, 2011
2:09 pm
I hate to see these changes being made as my son is a sophomore in HS but something has to give. I still feel like a 90% scholarship on tuition is a great deal. Especially compared to much of the nation who has no program like HOPE. I kind of figured fees & book funding would disappear but compared to some of the other proposals, I like the idea of having to personally fund 10%. It makes the education something to work for versus receive and I think more students will think about screwing around, partying, dropping out, just getting by with a B if they have to fund some of it.
To the girl in the blog, get over it. You’ve already learned life is not easy. Coming up with a few hundred dollars a semester is not going to kill you or make you drop out. Take out a loan, get a part time job (I worked full-time my entire time in college and still graduated from college in less than 5 years).
What I didn’t understand is that the Pre-K extended care and transportation were being increased! Someone explain to me how this isn’t simply paying for babysitting services?
pete
February 23rd, 2011
2:10 pm
private schools should not get a dime,and I will never buy a lottery ticket in ga again.People should pay for ur own childs education and stop welfare for the rich!
navy person
February 23rd, 2011
2:12 pm
how about enlisting in the military for a few years then get a full ride on the GI bill. Kill two birds with a stone (service to your country and then education)
MannyT
February 23rd, 2011
2:14 pm
Kudos @Simple Mathematics. I’m glad someone sees the costs behind the situation.
To the rest…let’s not be even more penny wise & pound foolish!
A student that gets into a good private college, probably would have gotten into a good state university. Had that student stayed here, the HOPE burden would have been much more…so the fiscal problems of the HOPE program would have been higher. This student actually does a favor to the HOPE program by going to a private school. Furthermore, some student that barely got into a state school (probably without HOPE funds, thus less of a fiscal burden to the taxpayers) was not bumped from admitted to wait listed or rejected.
For all you who chiseled wheels from stone to pay for your education…are you saying you would not have used a program like HOPE if it existed in your day?
You cannot blame students for using resources that are made available to them. While I won’t root for extra entitlements, I won’t blame people for using them if they are available. That’s why most folks use employer subsidized health insurance instead of buying it on their own.
Techmom
February 23rd, 2011
2:16 pm
@ pete – that’s just an ignorant comment. Not everyone who sends their kid to a private college is rich and not every rich kid goes to a private college.
Vote Republican
February 23rd, 2011
2:17 pm
Pay your own way, all of you Republican voters and Republican lovers. That’s capitalism. Less government involvement in your lives: isn’t that why you voted Republican in the first place. Well, you are getting what you wanted and what you voted for. Get happy. In another 4 years, re-elect the same group and see what you get—more of the same.
CobbParent
February 23rd, 2011
2:18 pm
@navy person – you are absolutely correct. My beloved was a recruiter for many years (among other things) and helped a great many young men and women realize their dreams of a college education along with service to their country and learning skills (including how to be an adult). He was pleasantly surprised by the number of people who joined “just to get college money” only to hear years later that they had re-enlisted because they decided that the Army was where they wanted to stay.
jd
February 23rd, 2011
2:18 pm
HOPE was a promise that should be kept. We are changing the rules in the middle of the game — and think that our students will be better than us when they make promises in the future…
pete
February 23rd, 2011
2:20 pm
children learn more in the first five years of life than anyother time.Tell ur big kids to get a job and pay for their education like mine had too!
UGA Student
February 23rd, 2011
2:20 pm
There should be no cuts to HOPE until the lottery created to fund this project does so at the rate perscribed in the law creating it. The lottery officials are walking away with 6 figure bonuses while they are 10% under the prescribed amount that they are supposed to fund hope with. If this problem was corrected the HOPE fund would have a surplus.
gagrad
February 23rd, 2011
2:26 pm
As the PARENT of 4 children who attended public colleges in GA (and how many of you who defended HOPE cuts actually are current parents of college students?), I see one major unfairness to the required GPA. A 3.5 in an engineering program at GA Tech or even at UGA is a lot harder to attain than a 3.5 at Kennesaw State. I have a transfer student who left KSU with a 3.8 GPA. She has studied much, much harder than she did at KSU and has still watched her GPA drop to a 3.46. She will now be eligible for only HOPE lite. What is the answer here…stay at KSU or another weak public school in order to keep HOPE? We are not a 6 figure income family so HOPE is greatly appreciated. And yes, my children do work to pay their own spending money and I cover their room and board. I think that the income restrictions are a better way to go. If we made over $100K a year, then we could afford to shoulder more tuition. BTW…2 of my 4 children did lose HOPE. They took out loans to cover their tuition. They both graduated with engineering degrees and got decent jobs but have approximately $28K in loans to pay back. It is a struggle for them to make that monthly loan payment….here’s a shocker for you heartless people who think kids need to struggle in order for their education to mean something…the economy is bad and they did not find 6 figure jobs to soften the blunt of the payments.
Georgia Matters
February 23rd, 2011
2:27 pm
TO DeKalb parent – Im not sure I would want a teacher who could not maintain a 3.0 in college teaching my kids. Thats the problem that we have here now. To many C-D college students who have moved on to teach our kids. Not good enough, not good enough at all.
2 cents
February 23rd, 2011
2:30 pm
@Navy person
can do; thats what paid for my college and being a CE2 (Seabees) really helped in becoming more mature and it also kick started my brain into critical thinking
Peadawg
February 23rd, 2011
2:32 pm
“Many students and parents are upset that the new HOPE limits revealed yesterday by Gov. Nathan Deal will be applied to students already in college.
Those students may have chosen Georgia public colleges based on an expectation that HOPE would cover full tuition as it has since its inception. Now, most will be downgraded to HOPE Lite, as they lack the required 3.7 GPA in high school and the 3.5 GPA in college to qualify for the full funding. Those students with the mandated GPAs to retain full funding have a new name, Zell Miller Scholars.”
I 100% agree with this. It’s not fair to the students already in college.
BWM
February 23rd, 2011
2:33 pm
Sadly, for many of the students who are receiving the HOPE Scholarship this reduction in funds is really just a cut into their beer funds.
Otherwise, I’m proud to say that my grandfather, a man who never finished high school, whose mother died when he was 17, and whose father basically abandoned him, paid half of his younger sister’s tuition, four of his five children’s UGA educations, and the college educations of five grandchildren (so far). It seems to me that those who weren’t able to get an education value it much more than many of those who have an alphabet behind their names.
Inman Park Boy
February 23rd, 2011
2:33 pm
There are many, many ways that taxpayers foot the bill for college education (veterans scholarships, etc.) HOPE ain’t one of them. You don’t want to pay? Dont play the lottery. Simple.
oldtimer
February 23rd, 2011
2:40 pm
The lottery was a promise to students. Those that earned it, who are now in college, should be able to keep it. Students beginning HS next year can have the game change.
To those that say private schools are for the rich…You need to think again. When I graduated high school my very well paid father was not able to help due to a serious family medical problem. I did not qualify for any state aid to a public school. I was able to attend La Grange College with a work study and an assortment of scholarships. I also worked in the summer and Christmas break, I received a wonderful education at a top school. I hope this young student will talk to the aid people. Private schools will work to help her stay there.
Techmom
February 23rd, 2011
2:41 pm
I think the GPA deal should be phased in over a few years but the system is in such a dire situation that they don’t have time for a phased approach.
@gagrad, I don’t see how they could make it fair or manageable to have different GPA requirements at different schools or for different degree programs. I completely agree that it’s much tougher to graduate from Tech with a 3.7 EE degree but very achievable with an art history degree from KSU. BUT how would you implement that?
Rex Dogma
February 23rd, 2011
2:46 pm
Inman Park Boy Great point. Private Schools only get Hope Money if a Student is from GA and goes to a private school in GA. What don’t you understand. Cut the lottery brass and Gov. Deal’s salary. Oh no he’s bankrupt.
UGA Grad and Parent
February 23rd, 2011
2:49 pm
The shortage in Lottery funds is due to the lack of the required funding form the lottery officials which should be rectified before any cuts are made. Also when I graduate in the early 80’s tuition started at 350 and ended at 650 my senior year. Now the fees alone cost as much as my tuition and my gosh the tuition is over 3,000 dollars a semester. Colleges have jacked up all the costs in both areas because they could rely on HOPE to cover the rest. Now think of all the athletic sports in college who do not have full rides for their players and relied on HOPE. They will go down as well. I hope the legislature comes back with something better than Deal’s plan since we all know due to his financial problems is not a great person to purpose anything.
Tired College Student
February 23rd, 2011
2:50 pm
Everyone that goes to a private college is not rich. I attend a private college because of the fact that with merit based financial aid in combination with need based programs it was a much better deal due to the fact at a private school there would be less students and more personal attention from professors. Honestly, if the purpose of HOPE is to “keep the best students in Georgia” then it should not matter where they go public or private. I chose private because it was the best deal for the money.
Double Zero Eight
February 23rd, 2011
2:54 pm
Sonny should have paid more attention to the HOPE than
Oaky Woods and the special legislation passed that
allowed him to buy that prime real estate in Florida.
Eliminate HOPE at private schools.
If it is not a state school, it should not be supported by
HOPE..
TiffTaff
February 23rd, 2011
2:56 pm
I think many of you are missing several major points. We are looking at different times. Not every student is a 4.0 student. I graduated for high school with a 3.4 does that make me less than a student with a 4.0.
NO because I challenged myself and took classes that I didn’t need to graduate like Honors Calculus, Physics and AP English.
I got accepted to Boston University and the only reason I stayed in Georgia was because of my Hope Scholarship.
Simple Mathematics-I couldn’t agree more, 4.0 students get turned away for state schools all the time. Grades are not the only determining factor for admission.
I feel like people on this blog are faulting parents and students but even parents that saved for their child’s tuition may fall short especially in these tough economic times. Also, what about the book allowance? As a nursing student I had to shell out almost $1000 on books a semester.
UGA Grad and Parent
February 23rd, 2011
3:00 pm
THIS IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS!
December 3, 2007
Bonuses for Georgia Lottery’s Officials Draw Lawmakers’ Attention
Legislators in Georgia are irate over news that employees of the state lottery program collected close to $3-million in bonuses this year. Sales of lottery tickets, which finance the state’s HOPE scholarship program and pre-kindergarten classes, reached a record level, topping $3.4-billion for the fiscal year that ended in June.
In an article in Sunday’s Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bill Hembree, a Republican who is chairman of the Georgia House’s Higher Education Committee, said the compensation was “insane.”
Margaret DeFrancisco, president of the Georgia Lottery, received a bonus of $236,500 on top of her $286,000 salary. Raises for the lottery’s 260 employees amounted to about 4 percent in the past year, compared with 3 percent for state employees.
According to Tony Campbell, chairman of the lottery’s board, the bonuses are par for the course in sales jobs, and it is unfair to compare the lottery employees with government ones. Besides, Mr. Campbell says, the bonuses have been effective in keeping employees focused and ensuring the program’s success.
Legislators previously complained about lottery officials’ bonuses in 2004, and the amount of bonuses awarded in the past year is more than 10 times as high as those granted in 1993, the lottery’s first year. —Elizabeth F. Farrell
OMG this is crazy
February 23rd, 2011
3:05 pm
A state legislative leader said he hoped that Tennessee’s lottery would pay its top officials less than top executives at the Georgia lottery were paid when Rebecca Paul was director there.
Paul, the new Tennessee lottery director who officially came from Georgia this week, had a dozen lottery vice presidents working for her in Georgia ⬠five of them earning $151,000-$180,000 a year, including bonuses.
”That seems to be on the high side,” said state Sen. Ron Ramsey of Blountville, Senate Republican Caucus chairman. ”That’s higher than what anyone else in state government would be making.”
Most Tennessee government department heads ⬠the commissioners who make decisions â¬earn $92,376 a year, although there are exceptions that allow higher pay. Most second-tier executives ⬠deputy and assistant commissioners ⬠earn between $75,000 and $85,000 although, again, there are exceptions.
In South Carolina, which is the nation’s newest lottery until Tennessee starts selling tickets, an executive director and chief operating officer run the organization. They have six directors, who make $82,400-$111,240. None is eligible for bonuses.
Paul, whose salary as Tennessee lottery director could reach $752,500 this year, said she had not yet decided on the executive structure she will recommend to the lottery board, which has the final decision on staffing and compensation.
Nor, Paul said, does she yet know the salaries she will recommend for her top executives, but she added, ”I would hope we will pay competitive salaries.”
Members of the lottery board’s human resources committee might meet as early as today to begin discussing staffing and salaries.
Paul is working to hire six to eight people who have lottery experience for the senior-level positions, making it unlikely that they will be Tennesseans.
First up is a vice president for human resources, a position that she said she hoped to have filled by today.
When asked if she expected the Tennessee lottery to be competitive with what Georgia pays, she said, ”That’s something the board needs to talk about.”
Paul’s own salary places her atop all other lottery chiefs in the nation and has come under some criticism.
She was paid $500,000 at Georgia’s lottery last year ⬠a $290,000 base plus a $210,000 bonus.
Paul’s base salary in Tennessee, $350,000, was set by adding 20%-25% to what she made in Georgia, which board members said was a customary practice used by recruiting firms.
Board members have not said if they plan to use that practice in recruiting vice presidents or if those vice presidents will be eligible for bonuses.
Ramsey, who complained that Paul’s compensation was ”obscene,” said he understood the realities of paying market rates for salaries, but he questioned whether lottery executives should be the highest-paid people in state government.
”Every dollar taken away for salaries could have been put into scholarships or prizes.”
Ramsey, who voted in the legislature last year for both lottery bills, said he personally opposes the lottery.
Lottery board member Jim Hill of Chattanooga, chairman of the human resources committee, said the board would wait for Paul’s recommendations on everything from an organizational structure to compensation packages.
”We haven’t talked about it,” Hill said.
When Paul started the Georgia lottery 10 years ago as its CEO and president, she had a chief operating officer. That position has been eliminated, and the top staff includes five senior vice presidents and seven vice presidents, all eligible for bonuses.
A draft of a proposed organizational structure for the Tennessee lottery prepared by lottery board member Deborah Story, a human resources consultant, shows eight department heads reporting to the CEO: operations/administration, finance, sales, human resources, general counsel, security/internal audit, information technology and marketing/advertising/public relations.
Paul said she has some of her own thoughts.
”There are a number of ways to organize a structure. The board will talk about what they think is best for Tennessee and I’ll talk about what I think is best for the lottery.”
Comparing lottery officials’ salaries
Here are the salaries of senior officials at the Georgia and South Carolina lotteries and the salaries of the heads of some of the largest and most complex departments and agencies in Tennessee state government.
x-Salaries for senior officials of Georgia lottery
y-Cathy Walls, Senior VP of corporate affairs, $180,000
Wanda Wilson, Senior VP and general counsel, $180,000
Andy Davis, Senior VP of finance & information, $175,000
Sidney Chambers, Senior VP of sales, $160,000
Joan Schoubert, Senior VP of administration, $151,000
Salaries for senior officials at South Carolina lottery
Pat Koop, Director sales & marketing, $105,029
Dale Rhodes, Director, finance, $97,850
Hogan Brown, Director, legal services, $111,240
Tom Marsh, Director, security, $82,400
Ernestine Middleton, Director, internal operations, $91,928
Liz Mason, Director, information technology, $102,742
Salaries for top Tennessee officials
Gerald Nicely, Transportation commissioner, $92,376
Michael Miller, Children’s services commissioner, $92,376
Quenton White, Correction commissioner, $92,376
Betsy Child, Environment & Conservation, $92,376
Matt Kisber, Economic & Community Dev., $98,316
Dave Goetz, Finance commissioner, $131,124
Kenneth Robinson, Health commissioner, $136,416
Manny Martins, TennCare director, $196,680
z-Phil Bredesen, Governor, $85,000
zeb
February 23rd, 2011
3:08 pm
I am a student at a Georgia 4 year University, and I work on campus which is about $400 a month and I basically live expense free. I could also take a full-time job on campus and cut my expenses for classes and not even need HOPE…. but eh most kids just go to school bank on the grants / scholarships for everything .. You gotta work too….. or just have awesome grades and private scholarships.
jarvis
February 23rd, 2011
3:12 pm
@Simple Mathematics, I went to a public school.
Tweets that mention HOPE cuts also affect students in private Georgia colleges | Get Schooled -- Topsy.com
February 23rd, 2011
4:15 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by i RISE and Samantha Davis, Georgia News. Georgia News said: HOPE cuts also affect students in private Georgia colleges – Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) http://bit.ly/dO7JVM #georgia [...]
TW
February 23rd, 2011
4:50 pm
HOPE still remains a great way to get that lazy low-income moron to pay for rich kids’ tuition.
Fred
February 23rd, 2011
5:09 pm
Hmmm, let’s see. HOPE reimbursement to the top research institutions is $7k+ without looking up the exact amount. HOPE reimbursement to private schools is $4k soon to be less. With a $3k differential it looks to me that Georgia ought to be encouraging as many students as they can to go to private schools instead of the top state schools. To suggest otherwise is to dig the hole deeper.
Many of the comments here have said things to the effect of we don’t want the students with the lower GPAs to become teachers here. By the same token, do you really want other than the best people running the lottery? The GA Lottery Corporation is the most successful in the nation. To reach that level takes the best and brightest (heard that phrase before?) The best and brightest command the best salaries. Private corporations with this level of assets and revenue streams pay comparable salaries to these. I don’t think I want the proceeds decreasing because we have become a second tier lottery. I may not personally like the higher salary but if that what it takes to get the best, it is what it takes. I don’t like the high salaries of many athletes and entertainers but I don’t have a lot of say in that either.
It is kind of funny to me that people are complaining as thought the lottery and HOPE were a tax redistributing people’s income with no recourse. If you don’t like it, don’t play. Then none of your money is impacted.
HOPE cuts also affect students in private Georgia colleges | Get … | Gila Mountain Christian Academy | Top Rated Private School in Yuma Arizona (AZ)
February 23rd, 2011
5:19 pm
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Lee
February 23rd, 2011
7:05 pm
That $1500 Maureen quoted was for one of the flagship universities. So, worst case scenario, out of pocket expenses is less than most will pay for cable tv and cell phones for a year.
And people are complaining about that?!?!?!? Give me a break.
Here’s a thought. Annual tuition for community colleges is about $3000/yr and for regionals (KSU, etc), it runs about $6000/yr.
For you mouth breathers, if you cut out 2-3 packs of Marlboros per week, you can send Jr to college.
GNGS
February 23rd, 2011
7:06 pm
The proposed changes for HOPE are reasonable. They should have been better, and of course they could have been worse.
Good: maintain the full HOPE for higher performing students regardless of family income, leave Pell grant alone and increase Pre-K slots.
Bad: reduce time for Pre-K and no income cap for Pre-K.
Ugly: continue support for private colleges and increase complexity (bureaucracy) for managing HOPE.
no mas
February 23rd, 2011
7:12 pm
Has anyone done research to determine how much in HOPE scholarship money is going to students in private colleges?
If that money were taken away, would it be enough to restore full HOPE to all the public college students?
Would it be enough to lower the requirements for the Miller Scholarship?
Until this is known, it seems as if the private college HOPE argument is an emotional one rather than an objective one.
NWGA teacher
February 23rd, 2011
7:23 pm
@ TonyaC and Catherine: for most Americans, $400 can make or break the budget. That’s sad and it’s tough, but it’s reality. Most people do the best they can; when/if tragedy strikes (for most people, life IS pay check to pay check), they deal with it as best they can.
Commoner
February 23rd, 2011
7:47 pm
Here go our politicians again! Another proposal without thought! I know students who have 3.5,3.6 GPAs in all AP classes,which means they will probably test out of freshman Math and English. Most of the above have SAT scores that range from 1600 to 1800 on average. Based on Deal’s deal they will get a reduction in Hope;whereas a student who takes courses with much less rigor and makes a 3.7 will be rewarded for being average students taking average courses. So much for rewarding our best and brightest. CONTACT DEAL TODAY-I DID!
ScienceTeacher671
February 23rd, 2011
7:57 pm
1. The first thing they should have done is mandated the GLC to pay the full percentage into education. I can’t find that in the bill.
2. Rather than cutting the hours for Pre-K, a sliding-scale tuition should have been implemented.
3. I don’t think students at private colleges should get HOPE. I say this as someone who attended a private university – on a full scholarship granted by that university.
4. It doesn’t hurt to have to work to pay for some of your college. It would be nice if there were still schools that operated as Berry College used to, however. “Back in the day,” all the students had to work their way through, and Georgia ended up with some very good educators and business leaders as a result.
5. The list of “rigorous courses” is on page 23 of the bill.
Allen
February 23rd, 2011
8:39 pm
Hmm . .. we have 1. a preponderance of for profit colleges in Georgia 2. a need by those colleges for HOPE money 3. new rules that require a minmimum GPA to maintain that income at 100% and 4. reliance on those $-needing colleges to certify that students are meeting that minimum GPA
What could possibly go wrong?
amazed
February 23rd, 2011
8:44 pm
$400 can make or break a budget, but students can get loans. They can work. They can go to a less expensive school. There are options. Georgia’s HOPE lite still makes college much more accessible than it is in other states. That’s a good thing, but it doesn’t need to make it free.
Gail
February 23rd, 2011
9:10 pm
Thanks UGA grad and parent for pointing out that tuition has increased much higher than the rate of inflation over the past several years.(mainly since the HOPE scholarship has been around.)
I too am a UGA grad and looked back at my financial records. Here are some further comparisons for people who say “get a job, get a scholarship, I didn’t have any help etc.” These numbers do not include books, housing, food and living expenses.
FOUR years UGA in-state tuition and fees 1980-1984 in 2011 dollars = about $9,700
ONE year UGA in-state tuition and fees 2010-2011 = $8,736
Amy
February 23rd, 2011
9:10 pm
With rules changing midstream, it would only seem right that the current college students should be given at least 2-3 semesters to meet the demands of the higher GPA of 3.5 in order to keep what they have already earned. For students who selected to attend a private school in the state of Georgia, I feel that the money for HOPE has been a gift and should not be awarded to those students at all. Not funding students at private colleges would increase the amount of money available to students who selected to attend public institutions in Georgia.
In fact, if the rules had been changed midstream for our new Governor to pay back his million dollar loans, would he have been able to do so immediately? I believe his deadlines were changed to a later date in order to ease his burden. How fortunate for him. Maybe he should consider doing the same for the college students who have chosen to stay in state for their education.
mcc
February 23rd, 2011
9:20 pm
I’m guessing since Gov. Deal won the election easily, many of you complaining on this blog complaining about these cuts probably voted for a Republican governor (as well as legislators). Congratulations – you got what you voted for!!
The hypocrisy of the people in this state never ceases to amaze me – your party wants to get rid of public entitlements, just as long as it doesn’t affect YOUR entitlements.
You want a top education for your children, yet choose to vote for party that values business tax breaks over funding education.
But I guess I’m just one of those grossly overpaid, over-indulged “bad teachers” you love to complain about!
Ashley
February 23rd, 2011
9:34 pm
I was in high-school from 1972-1976, things were different back , if kids wanted something they worked for it. For some strange reason teenagers were more independent, they liked having summer and after school jobs. ,as a matter of fact most kids didn’t hang around in the mall unless they work there. Being from Huntsville,Alabama I worked for NASA during the summer starting when I was in 10th grade and every summer until I graduated high-school, I also worked part-time tutoring summer school student, not to mention working at NASA when I wasn’t at the UAH. I received two partial scholarship and a BOEG , which is similar to a Pell grant. Being 18 meant I was an adult and it was time for me to take responsibility for my own education and life, no parents to fall back on , my home life was never a happy one anyway. The point I’m trying to make is college is really expensive and their are sacrifices that have to be made. I humbly agree with @amazed nothing is free nor should it be. 3.87gpa, 27 ACT and 1100 /1600 in 1976 was excellent in 1976 , but there was always someone who was better, at least I received a slice of the pie.
Economic Laws
February 23rd, 2011
9:39 pm
DeKalb parent – It might be nice to want to inspire the best and the brightest to want to be teachers in government schools, but the truth is that students who enter teacher education programs score the third lowest on SAT scores of any group. The next lowest is education administration majors.
The statistics have been the same for a long time. Teachers are among the lowest scoring students on standardized tests and GPA’s. The bright ones do become teachers, but at private schools where they know their performance will be rewarded, not condemned, and where parental involvement is achieved by making parents financially responsible for their children’s education rather than socializing the costs and putting the parenting burden on the teachers and the education system.
Caroline
February 23rd, 2011
9:45 pm
I don’t understand why so many commenters are against giving lottery money for Georgia students attending private schools. For every Georgia student who attends a public college or university, we as taxpayers supplement their tuition with about $9,000 to $10,000 in taxpayer money. With the cuts being made to public college education, I would think maintaining the HOPE at its current level for private students might entice a student to choose a private rather than public college, thus saving taxpayers a significant amount of money because that student chose private or public.
Equitas
February 23rd, 2011
9:50 pm
If the purpose of the HOPE Scholarship is to entice deserving
Georgia students to choose universities within the state and
pursue careers statewide, Why should it matter if a set funding
level is spent publicly, or privately? Why do certain individuals
expect other people to subsidize their child’s university education
while being so quick to exclude other students from receiving the
same benefit?
Caroline
February 23rd, 2011
9:58 pm
My last sentence should have ended with “private OVER public.”
ScienceTeacher671
February 23rd, 2011
10:08 pm
@Economic Laws – it’s been postulated that one reason Teach for America teachers are so effective is that they are among “the best and the brightest”. Apparently there are studies correlating teacher SAT scores with teacher effectiveness.
So tell me why we would want mediocre to poor students teaching science and math?
not your momma
February 23rd, 2011
11:17 pm
Tennessee’s HOPE Scholarship has a base award for eligible students and an “add-on” called the Aspire Award for students whose family has an adjusted gross income of $36,000 or less in the previous tax year. This seems like an appropriate division given that Pell covers less of a student’s cost of education these days.
The girl who attends the private school
February 24th, 2011
1:32 am
Well, I’m the one who wrote in the email. Its interesting reading peoples sides to my own situation and about private schools funding. I guess I should state that when it says I have financial aid that means I do have a full pell grant. I didnt choose a private school because I felt that I could do better then a community college. But when the community college in my area is overflowing and you cannot get classes what else do you do? I went to the best school in my area that I could get into. I live at home. I drive 20 minutes to classes everyday. Its troubling that people see me as being entitled. I simply was stating that I by cutting costs to private institutions in our state will hurt the students greatly. $400 is a big chunk to be taken away from my tuition without even considering my GPA. I’m just trying to get the best education I can and by HOPE being cut it could prevent a lot of people from attending college. This was never the sole purpose of the HOPE scholarship. It was meant to help students flourish. Its frustrating to watch people attack one another’s opinions on the issue, but when money is at stake what do you expect? Anyway, I just gave my two cents. And state that I went to a private school because it was the best in my area that I could get into with my GPA coming out of high school that wasn’t already overflowing in students. So, its not that I chose the expensive one. I chose the right one for me at the time.
Ty Wood
February 24th, 2011
2:18 am
Good Lord. I understand the debate over the issue, but attacking this particular student? Kind of lame. I hope we’re all aware that these quotes are edited for size and content? For all we know there were extra details in this student’s life, such as making only ok grades despite her best efforts. She might have been aspiring to do something that requires a lot of money to get a good education, e.g. engineering, music, medicine. When we read articles like this one we make necessary assumptions to make a coherent picture. Somehow or other we’ve made the assumption that this student irrationally decided to attend a Private School or nothing else. Why is this theory assumed before we even contemplate the possibility that UGA couldn’t work for her? Perhaps there was something offered by attending a private school, whether in general or at a specific institution, that she could not get at a public one? Maybe she is as handicapped as her mother, who knows. I just believe it is a shallow, poorly-considered assault if we choose to condemn this girl without knowing her circumstances.
Ty Wood
February 24th, 2011
2:20 am
Just saw the response by the girl in question. Hope I didn’t sound repetitive or anything, but I think we support each other’s points.
another comment
February 24th, 2011
3:46 am
People in this state are so ignorant. It costs less to give the Hope Scholarship to Private College Students, than those attending a Public College. First you need to compare apples to apples the Out of State Public School Tuition to the $4,000 which is what the Board of Regents claims is the cost of Education.
The real Elephant in the room is the Hope Grant to GED receipants for up to 63 semesters. The Hope Grants need to end. The busing needs to end to Pre-K. Somehow it did not exist to the Private Pre-K I sent my daughter to in a middle class neighborhood. There also was no free lunch there either. When that Pre-K closed due to “Mold” in the middle of the year when my second daughter attended, I first heard about the free lunch for pre-K. I am also now suspicous about all the busses that come to the Cobb county elementary schools from some daycare centers. Why would anyone keep their kids in Daycare, when the ASP is only $7 per day or $35 per week. What sort of Free Day care are some people getting????
A Student Who Needs to Shed Light
February 24th, 2011
9:53 am
For some reason I think many of the commentors have forgotten the notion of equality and how that includes school choice. If one wishes to attend a private university he or she should have that option. The manner in which equality plays a role is that being hindered due to one’s income eliminates an educational opportunity, hence a lack of equality. This is not a new notion.
Speaking as a college student, I know that school choice is imperative. Not necessarily because of the name on your diploma but because of networking opportunities, living alumni, and not to mention that it is the place where you foster relationships that may define you for years to come. I am not saying that community college is bad. If that is the place for you then so be it. If a public university is the place for you then so be it. If a private university is the place for you then so be it.
College is more than an academic education it is a time of growth and environment plays a large role in that. We should not be trying to penalize the student for his/her school choice. We should be happy that he or she is in school and has a great G.P.A. As a dance captain, mentor, Residential Advisor, and a student I can attest to the fact that getting an A and keeping it is a difficult task. Throwing in a full or part time job with that can definately affect one’s grades. Students do not just sit in there rooms and study all day they have other extracirrular commitments. One is still learning the value of hardwork, gaining people skills, and many other skills as well from these activities. Why force the added stress of finance if it is not necessary?
We should not be attacking students for their school choice. We should be coming up with solutions to help our youth be successful. By the way I do not have a bias for private schools. I am a proud attender of a public university.
Mercer
February 24th, 2011
11:40 am
Don’t quote me on this but, I think Deal graduated from Mercer University…. so I don’t see Hope going away for private schools anytime soon. Plus not everyone who goes to a private university is loaded. I am a working adult and the schedule they had at the school fit my working schedule. So I am working, taking out loans and going to college. If the person wants to go to college they will find a way to go. Besides not everyone is made for college anyway!! Next topic…
Scott Smith
February 24th, 2011
11:44 am
I feel for those who think they won’t be able to continue at a private college. I am the head of a double income family and am having to tell my high school senior she can’ t attend a private college at all because we can’t make up the difference even before the proposed cuts. The answer to that problem is to attend the public college or university for which HOPE was originally intended and to be thankful the money for college is there at all.
The original fight over the lottery was very nasty but, in the end, the people of the state did the right thing and we are seeing the benefits every day in Georgia. For many students, regardless of GPA, without HOPE, there would be no college at all. Think about that while you wring your hands about a private college.
What's best for kids?
February 24th, 2011
2:28 pm
I’m a little wary of the shock of most people in the announcement of the HOPE cuts. If you followed the news at all, you would have seen this coming. Anyone who was there at the inceptio of HOPE should have seen this coming and started saving money for their kids’s education. The price of tuition skyrocketed at the HOPE cash cow. Fees more than quadrupled when HOPE was covering them.
Seriously, if we eliminated HOPE altogether, the tuition and fees would probably go down or at least stabalize.
I say shame on the parents who didn’t see this coming and prepare for it.
kwanza
February 25th, 2011
1:48 am
I think this scaling back of HOPE money is just one more reason to make a greater effort to ensure that children gain greater competency while they are still in primary and secondary school. I am working on a project that raises money for a group of Douglass High School juniors to get SAT and foreign language tutoring from Atlanta Tutors, a local service provider. Atlanta Tutors has been kind enough to offer their services for these students at a discount. Each hour of one-on-one tutoring is $50. These are great kids who want to do well and just need extra help to prepare them for scholarships and grants eligibility. If they receive enough instruction, perhaps they won’t need HOPE
Donations can be made on the Atlanta Tutors websites at https://atlantatutors.net/payments.php. Please write Essential2Life in the “student name” field so that this project (which works with Douglass High students from Essential2Life) can get credit. Any inquiries can be directed to Kwanza Fisher cultureofeducation@gmail.com.
Thank you and really, keep hope alive. In the meantime, support our kids so that they can be proficient and deserving of full-rides to the colleges of their choice!
Kwanza
kwanza
February 25th, 2011
1:50 am
By the way, 100% of proceeds go towards SAT and foreign language lessons.
Margaret
February 25th, 2011
7:50 am
No Jarvis, I’m not bitter. I graduated from an Ivy League college and I never for once had the mentality to get good grades just for the hope scholarship. I got good grades and got a scholarship for undergrad and then worked full-time while attending school full-time as a grad student. Both at private universities. It’s stupid that HOPE is only for public universities and if your child has the opportunity to go to a public versus Ivy League school, you will find the resources for the latter. The degree, in most circumstances, carries more weight. What I find appalling is when the recipients are given the choice to pay fees so as to not loose tuition and they complain.
QM4Life
February 25th, 2011
3:29 pm
Its funny too me how we put the weight of the world on kids from 12 – 18 …. I was so stupid at that age and I had two great adults in the home with me. I can not understand how people can agree with this, but Americans tend to pick up the 1st stone all the time – now.
Not PC
February 27th, 2011
2:34 pm
What good ole Roy forgets is that $150,000 in a state with some of the worst public schools in the nation doesn’t go very far when you have to pay for private school. I not only pay property taxes to send my children to public school, but I also pay to send them to private school. I insist that their education be taken seriously, and their grades and SAT scores reflect their hard work. The reason we don’t use the public schools is the lack of parental involvement and the welfare moms who park their kids there and don’t even bother to feed them breakfast, lunch or see that homework is done. Most don’t even show up for teacher conferences. There is no way that these children are prepared to go to the top universities in our state. I am sorry that this is the case, but they should look to their parents rather than the taxpayers, as to why this is. Unfortunately, with the welfare state that we have created, their parents will only be able to blame the government for their own and their childrens’ lack of success. As a healthcare worker, I see mother after mother giving birth to her 5th, 6th, 7th child by her mid twenties with absolutely no concern for how she will provide anything. Then, that same mother wants to know why she can’t “get ahead”. Duh! One of the few rewards that those of us forced to fund their stupidity receive is a decent college education in our state for children who have worked hard. If that reward is taken away and our good students flee to out-of-state schools, who will be left to foot the bill for the welfare mothers who continue to breed at an alarming rate and populate our public schools with unwanted, hopeless children?
BreannaL
February 28th, 2011
3:48 pm
First off, to the student, I understand your pain. I am a full time student at Georgia State. Tuition i going up there, so I know it is at a private institution. I feel that if thegovernment officials are going to take the GPA up, they should only raise it by a few points. If they would have realized that a 3.0 was easy to get, it should have been a 3.2 or something from the beginning. A drastic change in GPA puts way more pressure on us college students.It’s not as hard to maintain that high of a GPA in high school but in college its more stressful. Nathan Deal is no genius, his plan should have been more considerate and rational. Everyone cant run to the bank and take loans, so that shouldn’t be the first back up. By the way, the idiots who recommend taking time off, it’s one of the dumbest ideas ever. You should never take time off, it’s always more stressful trying to get back into school.