Who gets HOPE
The number of Georgia students receiving some form of HOPE has dropped since lawmakers overhauled the program in 2011, tying the amount awarded to lottery revenue instead of tuition rates. The HOPE scholarship is for students in public and private colleges who maintain at least a 3.0 grade-point average. The HOPE grant is mainly used in public technical colleges for students who maintain a 3.0 GPA. The Zell Miller Award is a full-tuition scholarship for Georgia highest-achieving students.
Program … Fiscal Year 2011 … Fiscal Year 2012 … Fiscal Year 2013* … Fiscal Year 2014*
HOPE Grant … 141,887 … 98,790 … 81,008 … 83,438
Public HOPE/Zell Miller … 102,311 … 98,898 … 96,920 … 99,828
Private HOPE/Zell Miller … 15,354 … 14,072 … 13,736 … 14,148
Source: Georgia Student Finance Commission.
NOTE: FY 2013 and 2014 are projections. The full-tuition Zell Miller Award started in FY 2012.
Gov. Nathan Deal has touted good news for the HOPE scholarship — a proposal for higher award payouts and extra money for technical college students who study subjects in fields with worker shortages.
What isn’t being discussed is why Georgia can afford this. It’s because fewer students have HOPE.
During the 2011 fiscal year, 256,417 students received some form of the scholarship. A year later 202,906 students got it, according to the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which administers the program.
“I expect to see another decrease this year,” said Tim Connell, president of the agency. “And while we may see it rebound slightly, I don’t know if we will see those large numbers again.”
In some ways this was the goal when Deal and lawmakers from both parties overhauled the popular lottery-funded program in 2011. HOPE was on track to run out of money this year before lawmakers made changes to the program, such as reducing award payouts and tightening eligibility criteria to decrease the number of recipients.
Deal’s proposal is possible because of a strong year for the Georgia Lottery, which provided about $55 million more for HOPE and pre-k programs. The other driver is a drop in expenses because fewer students qualify, Connell said.
The largest declines are with the HOPE Grant, which is mainly used by students in the Technical College System of Georgia. In 2011, 141,887 students received the grant. There were 98,790 recipients in 2012. Only 81,008 are projected to get it this fiscal year — a 43 percent drop in two years.
Nearly 9,000 students lost the award because they were unable to maintain a 3.0 grade-point average, a new rule lawmakers set when they overhauled the program. That requirement was already in place for students in the University System of Georgia.
Some students dropped out or didn’t enroll because they couldn’t afford to pay what HOPE no longer covered, said Ron Jackson, the commissioner of the Technical College System. At the same time, the system’s enrollment dropped by about 24,500 students to 170,860 last year.
Jackson described the change as “stunning and unexpected.” But he said the scholarship remains a good deal and that lawmakers had to overhaul the program to keep it going.
“I think we need time to see how our students adjust beyond this first year,” he said. “Our students may have to adjust to covering a gap.”
Deal shared his concerns about the drop-off with Jackson, said Brian Robinson, the governor’s spokesman. Robinson said the state needs to understand why this occurred and “develop an action plan if the study shows a need for it.”
Others say an action plan is needed now. Democrats filed House Bill 54 and Senate Bill 59 to return the eligibility requirement for the HOPE grant to a 2.0 GPA. While the bills have some support from GOP lawmakers, Deal has so far refused to undo the changes made to the program.
Sen. Jason Carter, D-Decatur, said the state’s economic health depends on the HOPE grant. Beyond harming students, the tighter requirements will leave businesses with fewer employees to hire and could make it harder for the state to attract businesses, he said.
“To pretend this is a successful program is like pouring salt on the economic wound,” said Carter, who sponsored SB 59.
During his State of the State speech last week, Deal said HOPE “remains one of the most generous state-run scholarship programs in the nation.”
Deal proposed his own fix to the HOPE grant by spending $6.5 million to provide extra financial support to students who pursue technical college degrees in practical nursing, commercial truck driving, and early childhood care and education.
Those areas face workforce shortages, and Deal said the move puts “money where the jobs are.”
About 6,200 technical college students enrolled in these programs last year, according to the Student Finance Commission. The commission estimated these students would get an additional $1,000 each.
Kelly Ramsey is studying early childhood education at Gwinnett Technical College and could use the extra money. The 28-year-old single mother has asked family to help her pay the tuition no longer covered by HOPE.
“I rely on HOPE to go back to college, but I’m not the only one,” she said. “This extra money should help everyone.”
Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Smyrna, who sponsored HB 54, said the proposed program is a “fake fix” and ignores that students in more than three degree areas are struggling to afford college.
Deal has said his proposal to increase HOPE awards by 3 percent addresses affordability concerns.
The dollar amount students will receive depends on where they go to school. For example a student at the University of Georgia would see the HOPE award increase from $3,182 to $3,277 a semester. A student at Chattahoochee Technical College would see his or her award increase from $911 to $939.
Connell predicted the higher payouts will remain for several years.
“It’s not a lot of money,” he said, “but I’m sure it’s welcome money.”
HOPE used to cover all tuition at public colleges, but now that benefit is reserved for only the state’s most accomplished students. While students appreciate the extra money, they said it doesn’t keep up with rising tuition.
Tuition in the University System increased by 3 percent in fall 2011, and hikes this year ranged from 2.5 percent to 6 percent, depending on the college.
Costs are expected to increase again next year, and students worry about affording college, said Eran Mordel, president of the undergraduate student government association at Georgia Tech.
Georgia Tech students pay $3,859 a semester, the highest tuition in the University System. They also pay $1,190 a semester in mandatory fees, including $544 for a special charge to offset cuts in state funding.
“HOPE is just one piece of it all,” Mordel said. “Will tuition go up? What will happen with fees? While this is initially very positive, we still have a lot of concerns about all of our costs.”
About the Author
