When Georgia lawmakers overhauled the popular HOPE scholarship they knew smaller award amounts could create financial hardships for some college students.
It's done that and more, college officials say. Enrollment in commercial trucking programs has plummeted at a time when there is a driver shortage across the state and country.
Under the old HOPE, students in the Technical College System of Georgia's trucking program paid $408 to earn the certificate. When that rose to $1,150 this past fall -- under a revamp supporters say was necessary to prevent HOPE's financial collapse -- enrollment dropped by 39 percent to 411 students. Enrollment could plunge again, college leaders warn. HOPE award payouts could be cut as soon as mid-2013, meaning students will have an even larger out-of-pocket expense.
College officials and trucking managers say it's imperative to produce a steady stream of graduates because Georgia is a logistics hub. The growth of the state's ports and the expansion of warehousing and other industries depends on truck drivers to move the goods.
"I don't think anyone intended to hurt students and the program, but they just weren't knowledgeable enough about what we do to predict that this could happen," said Consuelo Godden, director of the training center at Georgia Piedmont Technical College. "A lot of students have been unemployed for a while, and they're having to borrow money from family and friends to pay for this."
If enrollment continues to drop, some colleges may eliminate the program, said Josephine Reed-Taylor, deputy commissioner for the Technical College System.
Students cite cost and the length of the program for why they decided not to enroll or dropped out, she said. While HOPE isn't the sole reason, officials said it is a main culprit since 98 percent of those in the commercial trucking program get the award.
Lawmakers gave the system $4.5 million this fiscal year to subsidize the program and lower costs to students. That money wasn't renewed for the fiscal year that begins July 1. Instead, the system allocated $3.5 million from its own budget and told colleges to provide an additional $1 million to avoid increasing what students pay. If this wasn't done, students would be forced to pay about $3,475 for the program.
"It is virtually impossible to cover the program without these subsidies," Reed-Taylor said. "HOPE created this unintended consequence."
HOPE was on track to run out of money in 2013 before Gov. Nathan Deal received bipartisan support last year to revamp the program that helps more than 250,000 Georgians afford college. They implemented myriad changes, the most notable reducing how much money the scholarship pays to recipients.
Deal spokesman Brian Robinson has said there are "no easy solutions" to the HOPE scholarship program, as the Georgia Lottery has been unable to keep up with growing enrollment and tuition costs.
HOPE keeps college affordable for many students, he said. The award provides current commercial trucking students with $547. Also, a dip in technical college enrollment "often points to an improving job picture," Robinson said.
Senate Democrats attempted to reverse some of the HOPE changes, but the bills stalled during this year's legislative session. Lawmakers are expected to debate this issue again next year.
As part of the HOPE overhaul the state funded a low-interest loan program that technical college officials say helped some students pay for school. Still, college leaders partly blame the reduced HOPE payouts for an enrollment drop of more than 12,000 students this past fall.
The student decline was especially noticeable in the commercial trucking program. The HOPE grant used to cover all tuition but now covers most of the tuition for a basic credit hour. But the credit hour charges for commercial trucking are higher because the program only lasts for about seven weeks, as opposed to an entire semester.
Students currently enrolled in the class at Georgia Piedmont said they used HOPE and cobbled together the rest of the money by working or asking friends and family for help. More than 70 percent of the students in the program are 26 or older.
"It would have been nice to get more help from HOPE, but you just find the money and piece it together," said Marko Ford, 32, from Savannah. "I know I'll have a good job soon."
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the heavy and tractor-trailer truck industry to grow by more than 300,000 drivers by the year 2020, a 21 percent increase. About 95 percent of the students land jobs after graduation, with the average median wage $15 an hour, according to data from the Technical College System.
Al Dallas, the client relations manager at RBW Logistics, said it has been more difficult for companies to find new drivers. The current workforce is aging into retirement and life on the road isn't as appealing as it once was, he said.
During a recent class at Georgia Piedmont, students practiced different driving maneuvers, such as alley docking, offset backing and parallel parking. They learn the basics at the center and then go out on the road.
As Ford practiced docking, instructor Curtis Hendricks yelled for the student to take a hard left or a hard right. Students said driving isn't too difficult once they get over the size of the vehicle.
Guy Young, vice president of the Georgia Motor Trucking Association, said the technical colleges' programs are well-respected in the industry. Their graduates are hired and the demand for them will only increase, he said.
“The jobs are there, and as the [Port of Savannah] expands we will need more truck drivers," Young said. "I hope everyone can come to some sort of agreement to correct the situation."
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