Last year, Georgia faced a $300 million shortfall in our lottery-funded educational programs. Left untouched, HOPE would have exhausted its reserves and been unable to pay its bills by this July.
The choice wasn’t between change and the status quo; the choice was between change and bankruptcy. I worked in a bipartisan fashion to save HOPE.
First, we tied future expenses to revenues, meaning the size of the scholarship each year would depend on money generated. Second, we decided to keep the scholarship merit-based, which treats all students equally and benefits the state long-term by incentivizing our best and brightest to stay home.
Before HOPE took effect in 1993, 60 to 70 percent of students who today qualify as Zell Miller Scholars — 1200 SAT and 3.7 GPA — left our state to attend college. Today, we’ve flipped that number: 60 to 70 percent of our top students stay in Georgia.
Our Enduring HOPE law strikes a balance among three goals. It retains the best and brightest in-state for college, it continues to increase access to college for all Georgians, and it promotes academic achievement.
Given the stark reality that paying full tuition and fees and providing a book allowance is no longer possible, these reforms represent the best option for maintaining Georgia’s economic development advantages.
This gives Georgia businesses access to a highly skilled workforce. Executives looking to relocate will know their employees’ kids can earn the best merit-based state scholarship in the nation. And the bright minds educated with Georgia tax dollars will stay here, create jobs here, pay taxes here and lead Georgia into the future.
Recently, Senate Democrats have suggested means testing for HOPE scholarships. They claim we can pay full tuition for all students with 3.0 GPAs whose household income is below $140,000. They’re wrong. Way wrong.
According to the Georgia Student Finance Commission, the cap would have to be $90,000 within three years to pay full tuition for all recipients. The cap doesn’t hit the wealthy. It slams middle-income families. Under the Senate Democrats’ plan, a high-achieving student with two parents who are public school teachers would be “too rich” for HOPE.
Instead of kicking middle-income families off HOPE, I suggest Democrats help me raise private dollars for the new REACH scholarship, which will bridge the gap for low-income students. Last summer, I had the privilege of meeting with Georgia’s high school valedictorians. Sandra and I enjoyed meeting the top students from every corner of our state, but I took even greater pride in learning that so many of them had chosen to continue their educations here in Georgia.
When young, educated Georgians stay home, we keep the skills necessary for global competitiveness.
As governor, I am committed to giving our state every edge when it comes to job creation. A merit-based HOPE is a vital component.
Nathan Deal is the governor of Georgia.
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