Lack of HOPE funding forces increase in requirements for qualification

In 2012, Tim Connell, former president of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, predicted that in 2014 the Georgia Lottery revenue would not be able to meet the needs of HOPE-receiving college students.

“To prevent that from happening, the state would need an additional $107 million for the 2014 fiscal year,” Connell said.

Georgia’s legislature does not have an additional $107 million and the reserves that had previously helped sustain the HOPE scholarship funding will not continue.

Governor Nathan Deal’s proposed plan of action is to increase the amount that HOPE Scholarship covers for students who attend technical colleges.

“This grant will cover 100 percent of tuition for those [students in technical colleges] who maintain a 3.5 grade point average,” Deal said during the 2014 State of the State Address.

“In addition, my budget will include $10M for a 1 percent interest loan program devoted solely to students attending our technical colleges,” Deal said. “I am also recommending that the Hope Scholarship and the HOPE Grant be awarded at 103 percent of the amount last year.”

Some Georgia State students are not sure how this will benefit all college students in Georgia.

“In my personal opinion, I do not believe the idea is fair, only because price difference in certain technical colleges is actually already cheaper than public colleges,” Brittany Westveer, a sophomore journalism major, said. “I believe if that were to happen, the only way for the scholarship to be fair is to increase the amount given to everyone, including public colleges.”

As the funding for the HOPE Scholarship dwindles, the Georgia Student Finance Commission added rigor requirements to the long list of eligibility. These requirements make it harder for students to earn the HOPE Scholarship.

Starting on May 1, 2015, students will have to complete rigorous courses prior to graduation. These courses could be from advanced placement, dual enrollment or international baccalaureate systems.

If a high school does not offer such courses, students can qualify if they complete the necessary amount of advanced math, foreign language or science classes.

The class of 2015 will have to complete two of these classes and the class of 2016 will have to complete three.

Beginning with the class of 2017, every high school student who graduates after this date will need to complete four of these classes in order to be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.

The changes for eligibility do not affect current college students or incoming Georgia State freshmen for the fall of 2014.