Students prep to challenge HOPE changes

By Laura Diamond

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

This is the time of year when Georgia's college students should focus on finals. Instead, some are taking a study break to plan how they will fight changes to the HOPE scholarship they depend on to attend college.

Acting in response to comments state officials made last week about potential changes to salvage a financially troubled program that covers tuition and some other costs for about 200,000 students a year, some students have planned protests.

Others are throwing out their own ideas to bolster the merit-based program, such as changing how students earn the scholarship and using tax revenue from Sunday liquor sales.

Legislative recommendations aren't expected for a few of weeks, but suggestions include decreasing the amount of the award and raising the minimum grade-point average to qualify for HOPE from a 3.0 to a 3.2, said Rep. Len Walker, R-Loganville, chairman of the House Higher Education Committee.

Both possibilities make students nervous. Some could lose the award. Others could have to delay graduation because they would have to work more hours to afford school, they said.

"I don't want to assert that students at Georgia Tech or the other research institutions are superior, but it is a little bit more difficult at Tech to maintain a 3.0, let alone a 3.2," Tech student body president Corey Boone said.

Boone plans to join his counterparts at the University of Georgia and Georgia State University to devise a joint response.

Also planning to respond is Georgia Students for Public Higher Education, a group of activists that plans to meet Jan. 15 in Athens, said Hira Mahmood, one of its members.

Mahmood, a Georgia State senior, questioned lawmakers' priorities and those who say students see HOPE as an entitlement.

"If it’s not an entitlement, stop advertising it like it is," she said. "We’re beaten to death in high school that HOPE is there and that all we need to do is maintain a 3.0 and our tuition is covered. We should feel entitled to this because it was a promise made to us."

HOPE is funded through the Georgia Lottery, but it isn't generating enough money to keep up with demand as enrollment and tuition rise. The scholarship had a $1 billion reserve fund, but that will drop to about $321 million by the end of fiscal year 2012, according to the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which oversees the program.

Josh Delaney, UGA's student president, said the state should allow Sunday sales of liquor, beer and wine and then funnel the tax revenue to HOPE.

Boone wondered whether voluntary pre-k, which is also funded through the lottery and is used by about 82,000 4-year-olds per year, would be cut.

"I know the earlier kids start the more prepared they are for K-12 and then the more prepared they are for college," Boone said. "But look at HOPE and what it has done for the state. There are enough opportunities out there to eliminate [funding for] pre-k."

Georgia State senior Larry Heath Jr. suggested making HOPE something students can't use as freshmen. Instead, if students earn at least a 3.0 at the end of their first year, the state would reimburse their tuition expenses for that year and provide HOPE the next year, said Heath, vice president of academic affairs for the student government association.

His proposal would ease concerns that high schools inflate grades so students are eligible for the award. It would also encourage students to focus during their freshman year.

"They will be working to earn something, and that will motivate students to work harder," Heath said. "The award will only go to deserving students."

Some students supported lawmakers' suggestion that HOPE no longer cover remedial classes, courses for students not ready for college-level work.

Assuming the HOPE students determined to need remedial classes take just one course, the policy change would save about $600,000, said David Lee, director of strategic research and analysis for the Student Finance Commission.

Commission leaders have said lawmakers have two options: decrease the number of recipients or cut the amount of the award.

Through an aide, Walker declined to further discuss HOPE because he was waiting for recommendations from Gov.-elect Nathan Deal. Deal predicted significant changes to the program last week, but he declined to provide specifics.

Other states have changed their lottery-funded scholarships. Florida now pays flat rates per credit hours instead of covering 100 percent of tuition. It also is rolling out tougher academic criteria for eligibility and limiting the chances students would have to regain the scholarship if their grades drop.

Willis Potts, chairman of the State Board of Regents, said the recession forced the state to cut funding to higher education, which led the regents to increase tuition. The regents oversee the 35 campuses in the University System of Georgia.

Now looking at potential changes in HOPE, Potts said the University System and individual campus foundations are raising money to provide more needs-based scholarships.

"If HOPE can’t fund it all," he said, "it’s going to fall on private philanthropy and federal grants to make up the difference."