African-Americans make up 3.6 percent of 2011 Zell Miller Scholarship recipients

Democrats in the state Senate, led by Jason Carter of Decatur, continued their badgering of Republicans on the future of the lottery-fueled HOPE scholarship today.

They’ve got a website, of course. Everyone does. This one is called Vanishing HOPE.

More important, they have some demographic breakdowns of HOPE recipients, produced by the Board of Regents, that show what could be the start of a troubling trend:

– Of the 8,721 high school graduates who were awarded a full-ride, Zell Miller Scholarship at state universities last fall, only 320 were African-American. That’s 3.6 percent. Georgia’s black population was measured at 30 percent, according to the 2010 census. Asian-Americans accounted for 897 Zell Miller Scholarships, or 10 percent.

See the university-by-university breakdown by clicking here.

– Of the 74,278 high school graduates who received the lesser HOPE scholarship and attended a state university in the fall of 2011, only 12,724 were African-American – 17 percent.

See the university-by-university breakdown by clicking here.

We can argue about the cause all day long. Please feel free to do so – politely. But you have to admit this is a disturbing disconnect in need of some attention.

- By Jim Galloway, Political Insider

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150 comments Add your comment

4xtra

February 17th, 2012
3:56 am

Another subject for ole “Billy Bob and Suzy” to get that rebel flag out
the closet and hang it ON THE PORCH.
And also see that you guys from the trailer park got your DIAL UP CONNECTION finally working.
I am so sick and tired of hearing you guys complain that blacks get all these “magical and imaginary” grants. What world are you in??
Section 8 is for everyone,
the Pell grant is everyone
Welfare is for everyone. (AND YOU DO NOT GET A BONUS FOR BEING BLACK EITHER)
I owe almost $50k in student loans and when Im done (with grad school) it will be over $70k.
If there are any magical and imaginary grants really out there LET ME KNOW.
You guys are pitiful but then again
At least you dont owe as much as I do for school. (OOPS you didnt go to school after BARELY graduating from H.S) but one thing for sure……..
IGNORANCE IS CHEAPER THAN COLLEGE
Just stick to plating your banjo all day and stop posting ignorance and stupidity online.
HEE HAW

A concerned Christian

February 17th, 2012
4:09 am

This was Jim Galloway’s point the Zell Miller fund needs to be reformed for the reason is to allow this surplus of lottery to be given to more deserving students, and to help these become employed. I support Jim Galloway on this decision….This was the original posting…..I surprised by some of the comments from some of these bloggers…..This was a rebuttal if you support this reform which I do….I like this….as I said I am very disturbed by how this posting ended up….my apologies to Jim Galloway if he reads these postings……This is what my thoughts were about Jim galloway’s article.

tyger

February 17th, 2012
4:44 am

Georgia educational institutions are historically and systemically racist organizations. The culture of the South precludes equal or proportional educational opportunity for African-Americans. It has always been that way and has never changed, and probably never will. If not for Historically Black Colleges and Universities there would not be any college-educated African Americans in Georgia at all.

Certainly, there are a handful every year at the predominately white institutions, Georgia, Georgia Tech, etc. but most of those African Americans are there for track, football, basketball. Those institutions are not serious about providing significant equal access to educational opportunities, it’s not in their personal self interests.

Much like corporate America, they have a slight interest in putting on a good show, but why would conservative white America advance African Americans?

Attack Dog

February 17th, 2012
6:25 am

Before Dixiecrats get things too twisted, consider that (1) many Black students eligible for the HOPE Scholarship leave the state or attend one of the state or prestigious private colleges such as Stanford, MIT, Howard, Harvard, Hampton, Georgetown, Morehouse and Spelman. (2) Dixiecrats can’t blame minorities for the horrible retention rate of HOPE scholars. (3) There are more Black athletes than HOPE scholars, percentage wise as it relates to student segments, and that says a lot able Georgia’s priorities.

Attack Dog

February 17th, 2012
6:26 am

“…about Georgia priorities.”

East Repeat

February 17th, 2012
6:51 am

When will blacks be equal to whites? When blacks recognize they ARE EQUAL and resppnsible for themselves, equality will be achieved. As long as blacks see themselves as less than others, they will be less than others. Wonder what the percentage of State Employess are black? Much higher than the percentage of population that is black! Is that “fair”? Lottery is for SUCKERS, keep your money and invest/save it, don’t throw it away on a worthless pc of paper.

East Repeat

February 17th, 2012
6:56 am

Tyger- why would White America promote Afrcian Americans? Because the blacks are qualified, display work ethic, and can help a business generate PROFIT. If you make yourself a worthless human who has no work ethic, no respect for anyone or anything, just a first class whiner, then you are right, no one will promote you because you don’t even believe in yourself.

East Repeat

February 17th, 2012
7:01 am

4xtra- 70K in debt. You are a sucker also. Don’t borrow big money for these worthless college educations. These schools have seized your future disposable income. Not money you have now, but your future earnings. Sad, you have been had. And once you graduate, you will probably not even get a job as you seem like quite the entitled one- work, I am sure, is beneath you!

Open Your Eyes

February 17th, 2012
7:03 am

The answer is simple. Income. Poor white and black children tend to not get the hope scholarships as often as their wealthier counterparts. The poorer the family, typically the less opportunties they have to suceed. We an argue race all day long, but if you look at the percentages of poor within the percentage of the population that is of that race, you will get a clearer picture. Poor white and black people need to stop fighting each other and realize they are BOTH in the same situation. BOTH are in a trap of self fulfilment if they don’t seek ways to get out of that trap.

East Repeat

February 17th, 2012
7:04 am

By the way, see 2010 election results to see what happens in 2012. America is angry at what Obama has done to our country and will be routed in defeat. Mainstream media will tell us Obama will when right up to election day, but it will be a total Dummycrat beat down! Yea!

East Repeat

February 17th, 2012
7:06 am

Listen to Open Your Eyes and get out of the porr trap. You can do it, God and I believe in you. Don’t believe you are less than others.

Nazareth Mali

February 17th, 2012
7:35 am

So called English scholars have been stealing knowledge from African scholars for hundreds of thousands of years. Your civilization is a baby in terms of time. Not your false Gregorian calendar time. We understand the true motive because I am positive there are just enough qualified Minority students as there are (caucasian). I teach these students everyday and see their acomplishments. However, no matter what system is put in place our students will still prevail. Georgia has never changed their confederate clothes, so i dont get mad at these reports.The correct term for Blacks, African Americans and Negroes is Original Man. Study properly and you will see who evolved first.

Nazareth Mali

February 17th, 2012
7:38 am

East Repeat-When will blacks be equal to whites?

Why would we want to be equal to a thief and liar? Does not make sense. Stay off blogs writing ignorant comments. It is not a good look.

RIGHTISWRONG

February 17th, 2012
8:07 am

Ok Zella used to be a dem, now he is a righty.

C’mon TD. Stop your ranting. The problem with the right is that numbers and facts mean nothing to you. You guys push your agenda through piles of your own spewed vitriolic excrament.

I’m so glad the country is leaning LEFT. It is where the sane people congregate.

Have a nice weekend.

catlady

February 17th, 2012
8:08 am

I suspect this is more a commentary on grade inflation, ie the disconnect between grades and SAT scores.

honested

February 17th, 2012
8:08 am

Attack Dog,

Hear!, Hear!
I wonder what the overall rates would be if all the money wasted on high school football foolishness were kept in the ACADEMIC areas where it should be.
Why do hilbillys love gladiators so much more than scholars?

Just a taxpayer

February 17th, 2012
8:19 am

Sweden’s education system is inarguably the best in the world. They made it so not by just increasing teacher’s salaries and creating standards, but by making it fair. Every child has the same level of funding, books, etc. There is a national effort and investment on making sure every child is treated the same. And it shows.

B. Thenet

February 17th, 2012
8:21 am

This is disturbing, but instead of restricting the availability of HOPE to others…perhaps this might give the Democrats some impetus to actually DO SOMETHING about the tragic state of our educational system in this state, especially in the inner cities. And let’s be honest, this sad situation is both parties faults. It is not like the Democrats ran this state for nearly 100 years until recently, right?

Lowering the standards for HOPE to raise the percentages of one group does nothing to fix the root cause of the problem.

Danny

February 17th, 2012
8:49 am

Can we start by getting the 40 acres and the mule?

Auntie Christ

February 17th, 2012
8:50 am

School digger: Auntie Christ……I’m sorry your daughter is a mudcat

I’m not. I have 4 beautiful brown grandchildren. I wonder what your inbred, white trash ignorant progeny look like, probably like something out of a Marvel Comic.

Danny

February 17th, 2012
8:51 am

As far as welfare, there way more white people on welfare than blacks, meaning they are draining the government for more than any blacks.

16 Million blacks vs. 85 million whites.

WOW

February 17th, 2012
8:51 am

@tyger

Certainly, there are a handful every year at the predominately white institutions, Georgia, Georgia Tech, etc. but most of those African Americans are there for track, football, basketball. Those institutions are not serious about providing significant equal access to educational opportunities, it’s not in their personal self interests.

As an African-American graduate of UGA who did receive the scholarship you are incorrect about the University’s lack of seriousness about recruiting minority students. These students are often choosing to attend other Universities (many out of State), which is there right and this causes a natural decrease in the numbers of recipients of the scholarships. Competing for these students is a challenge to which I know that the University of Georgia has been committed to over the past 15 years. My interest in the school, in fact, started from a minority recruitment day (no athlete’s only students). While there are historic issues with some of the state’s universities to say they lack a commitment to diversity has no basis in fact.

Go Jackets

February 17th, 2012
8:58 am

I received the HOPE scholarship for each of my four years at GT in the late 90’s. I am very grateful for the opportunity to EARN the scholarship. I come from a “white” and relatively “affluent” family. I do not see how my familial status should have had any bearing on my ability to EARN the HOPE scholarship. I was an 18 year old when I entered GT – a legal adult – just like every other GT freshman. Unless this state is willing to legislate that “rich white people” are obligated to pay for their adult children to go to college (which would be unconstitutional), then all 18 year olds that earned HOPE, should receive HOPE, regardless of their background. I find it amazing that the very same people that constantly scream “equal protection of the laws” (without having any understanding at all what that means) would suggest that 18 year olds be treated differently based on their race or their parents’ income level.

The best way for the state to re-vamp HOPE would be for the it to invest the HOPE funds in individuals from whom it would get the biggest ROI, i.e. GT and UGA (grudging admission) students. It always bothered me immensly that a nuclear engineering major at GT received the same scholarship and was held to the same academic standards as an English major at Kennesaw State, when the two programs are not even remotely comparable, and their relative worth to the State of Georgia is not even close.

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
9:03 am

Auntie Christ-

I’m sorry your daughter was so fat and unattractive to white men and that she was so insecure she got with a black man. How is the single parenting while living in shame thing going by the way?

Amazing

February 17th, 2012
9:16 am

While there are a number of posters who think racist and spiteful comments are substitutes for intelligent dialogue, my comment is not for you. As with all statistics, the #s can be interpreted in a lot of ways. As a black man, I do find the statistics disturbing. However, this is just a sound bite and you have to look underneath the numbers for a clearer perspective on the #s. For example, some qualified black students decided to attend school out of state and thereby reducing the size of the pool of eligible black participants. My daughter is a perfect example. She would have been eligible for a full scholarship but she had no desire and no intention of attending a college or university in Georgia. Another factor is the dropout rate for black males. We can debate the reasons all day long but this also contributes to the low rate for blacks receiving full scholarships. Before the ignorant comments start, not all drop outs are academically poor performers. Some drop outs are very intelligent but are making bad decisions (same can be said for some politicians on both sides of the aisle).

My point is that we cannot react or over react purely based on the sound bites that the media feeds us. You have to dig deeper to better understand what is underneath the data.

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
9:25 am

The bottom line is blacks follow white people around everywhere they go. It is really a pointless argument when people come on here with these generic insults (trailer park, inbred ect). White flight has been a part of Atlanta since the 50’s. What do you people think, you’re going to move out of the ghettoin hordes to the suburbs, take over an area and everything will stay the same? No! That area then becomes a ghetto (reference South Dekalb circa 1960’s to today). It is not a coincidence that schools that were formerly white turn to s**t when they get over populated with blacks (see Dekalb, Clayton, Southern Gwinnett, Rockdale, Southern Cobb and Henry Counties for example). I was down on Jonesboro road the other day and it looked like Detroit! Grown men standing around tire shops and gas stations drinking and hanging out, playing the lotto (thanks for the HOPE sucka!)….in the middle of the day….on a weekday…they probably haven’t worked in years (stealing A/C units doesn’t count) and kids running around…during school hours….like packs of wild animals (pun intended) with their pants hanging off their a**…that is why the % of blacks getting HOPE Scholarship is so low, nothing else!! Everyone knows why, Zell Miller knows why, everyone is just to politically correct to say it.

Frankie

February 17th, 2012
9:33 am

@whodat….
blacks have the same progrms whites have…
If a black person earns a 4.0 (whose parents are middle class) and a white earns a 4.0 (whose parents are middle class)the HOPE scholarship will go to the white because …..because the child is white.

@school digger….your an idior plain and simple idiot….

Frankie

February 17th, 2012
9:35 am

@amazing…I agree totally. my daughter also qualified for the Hope Scholarship but also recieved scholarship out of state and chose the out of state school because of the better curriculumn and degree choices.

J Throckmorton Malcontent

February 17th, 2012
9:39 am

Each talk radio host should be assigned a fatherless African American child to mentor, so they can be properly instructed on how to become perfect, honorary Caucasian-American citizens. That should solve the problem. Perhaps their listeners could be assigned some, also.

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
9:49 am

@Frankie…

How am I an idiot? What did I say that WASN’T true??

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
10:01 am

@Danny….

” As far as welfare, there way more white people on welfare than blacks, meaning they are draining the government for more than any blacks.

16 Million blacks vs. 85 million whites.”

There are A LOT more white people in this country (even though it is hard to tell living in Atlanta, its true) dumb dumb….and make sure you sight your sources boy.

josh

February 17th, 2012
10:02 am

Here is an idea. Take that dollar you are going to use to play the lottery and donate to the United Negro College Fund – problem solved.

DB

February 17th, 2012
10:38 am

So — what are you suggesting? That color be one of the factors in awarding HOPE scholarships? Given that the thresholds are well-defined, and given that you can basically make a B in most public schools simply by showing up, and an A if you actually do the work — what else CAN be done?

My daughter was penalized financially by going to a very rigorous private school, where she ended up just short of the Zell scholarship level, even though her standardized scores were excellent. Never mind that after three years at UGA, she will NEVER qualify for the Zell, even though her college GPA has remained higher than her high school GPA — she is well on her way to qualifying for Phi Beta Kappa, and has been one of the rare students to keep her HOPE scholarship throughout her college career. A retroactive decision made after she had been in college for a year decided that what she made in high school three years ago defined her HOPE qualifications for the rest of her college career.

Still, 90% is still generous, even if universities are worse than airlines at adding on extra fees to published “tuition” prices. I’m still paying far less than I did at her private school.

HOPE has published their guidelines for providing funding — they are well known. The guidelines are not onerous. If ANY student wants a HOPE scholarship, then they know what they need to do to earn it. Are you seriously suggesting that the bar should be lowered for non-suburban, non-white students?

Auntie Christ

February 17th, 2012
10:49 am

How am I an idiot? What did I say that WASN’T true??

Because you are ignorant inbred white trash redneck white supremacist, no doubt sporting ‘white pride’ swastikas over most of your body. You are the poster boy for why cousins are not allowed to marry. Your posts are full of misspellings and misuse of the language, such as ” make sure you sight your sources boy.” (find someone who can read, and have them look up cite) That is the trouble with you inbred rednecks, you have to constantly show the world your ignorance, and the worst part of it is you’re proud of it.

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
11:12 am

I don’t give a f*ck about my spelling (its hard typing on a smartphone you bought from $$ you earned from a job you got by going to college with the HOPE Scholarship that you’re daughters baby daddy’s family paid for by playing the lotto everyday)…..I want to know what I said that wasn’t true??? Nobody can seem to answer that

D. Whyte Mansburten

February 17th, 2012
11:59 am

Negroes are extremely unlikely to “successfully” matriculate in any other environment that a racist HBC, with a “degree” in African Studies. They almost invariably fail otherwise, but that doesn’t stop them from trying to ruin the college experience for all other Georgia college students. They just cannot bear to imagine that anyone else deserves getting something “for free.”

Middle of the Road

February 17th, 2012
12:03 pm

“America is angry at what Obama has done to our country and will be routed in defeat.”

East – I do not agree that America will be routed in defeat.

roughrider

February 17th, 2012
12:08 pm

Blacks seem to rank higher on % of incarceration and lower on student achievement.If the grants are based on gpa, no way can it be discrimination.

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
12:19 pm

Did you hear about the two “youths” (aka. black thugs) who apesaulted the girl in an empty high school classroom in Jonesboro? Up with HOPE, down with dope.

http://m.ajc.com/news/clayton/2-clayton-county-teens-1351988.html

OLD Guardsman

February 17th, 2012
12:20 pm

J Throckmorton Malcontent – you have just demonstrated the root cause of this problem: Moron’s like you who think demanding achievement is somehow inappropriate. Seems to me you’re just fine with the culture that promotes lack of school achievement as the model. Sad, very sad.

JJ

February 17th, 2012
12:25 pm

lets get one thing straight, African Americans do not have the same opportunities. The standards of education that is received in predominantly AA lower income areas is significantly lower. And the urban grants that are available… have you not seen the news talking about how the money is being misappropriated and not being spent on those who need it? And “black” students are treated the same, go to Benjamin Mays high School then go to Alpharetta High School and tell me what you see. And lets be realistic, throughout the US there are many students of other races who may “hinder” high test scores, I went to school in Johns Creek, GA (yes I am African American) with Caucasians, those of Latin decent and Indian decent, there were those who did well AND those who did poorly. If you do not give student a motivation and teachers who are there for a paycheck you end up with what we see.

Sara.R

February 17th, 2012
12:40 pm

That´s a new point of view,interesting…sometimes things are not working as predicted….

regards,
Sara

larry.333

February 17th, 2012
12:44 pm

The comments on this page speak to the problem, speak to who cause the problem and it speaks to the results posted.
Jim Crow is rising.

Chaos

February 17th, 2012
12:46 pm

The Zell Miller scholarship is based on scholarly performance, not on race. Performance, folks. It shouldn’t matter if most of the people getting the full scholarship are green. Geez…I get so tired of pigeon-holing everything down to race.

Using the same logic, we should be all up-in-the-air because the vast majority of Zell recipients come from the metro area. Us folks outside of the Atlanta area should REVOLT!!! Not enough mountain folk getting a scholarship…

HOPE is not a quota system. For all you folks that think it should be, get over it.

Frankie

February 17th, 2012
1:49 pm

@school digger….I could stoop to your level but i don’t get down with crawling around with serpents and ignorant people…

Frankie

February 17th, 2012
1:54 pm

I would like to see the same break down of where the students who are awarded the HOPE scholarship and what high schools they graduated from. That would shed more light on how the GPA and the demographic of the student relate. I would tend to guess that the schools in the more “affluent” areas of Metro Atlanta tend to get a higher percentage of the hope scholarships even though their GPAs are the same as thos in the less “affluent” areas.

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
3:26 pm

The problem is their GPA’s aren’t the same. You can’t convinced kids who’s main goal in life is to smoke weed, harass women, gets rims and free load all day to go to school and do well. It’s the sorry a** rap music generation. I say we end the HOPE Scholarship and use the lotto money to build a 50 feet tall electric fence along I-20. You people shouldn’t be allowed to just drive from Adamsville to Ansley Park whenever you please.

School Digger

February 17th, 2012
3:54 pm

Georgia High School Rankings:

Walton High School (Marietta/East Cobb)- 8 out of 399

Douglas High School (Atlanta/Westside)- 372 out of 399

http://www.schooldigger.com/go/GA/search.aspx

double

February 17th, 2012
5:17 pm

school digger you one hateful cuss.What decend.you be?Or deep end whatever.

wkeef

February 17th, 2012
5:44 pm

Zell Miller Scholars are the cream. Those who are black, hispanic, female or any not- white- males, likely can go to any school they desire. Perhaps some of Georgia’s top blacks are at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, MIT, should I go on? Get the numbers for those and let’s see what the comparison is.