HOPE scholarship
Students relying on HOPE will face new requirements.
Georgia State students can expect major changes in the HOPE scholarship this year. Changes in the HOPE scholarship's book stipend will go into effect July 2011. The book stipend will be cut in half unless a student qualifies for the Pell Grant.
The scholarship funds, which are generated by revenue from the Georgia lottery, cannot keep up with the increasing volume of eligible students and the increases costs of tuition. Book allowance changes resulted from the scholarship's reserve funds hitting a low that is pre-mandated to trigger cuts in spending.
The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) stated, "The growth in HOPE Program expenditures has outpaced the growth in lottery revenues. At the current rate of expenditures, the HOPE Program cannot be sustained at the current benefit level."
GSFC also stated that other changes to HOPE will most likely be in store. These changes may include an elimination of the book allowance funds, mandatory fees, and a possible reduction in tuition coverage.
Other than the book allowance being cut in half, no changes have yet been instituted.
"Books are a necessity for higher education," said Chris Kenealy, a senior at Georgia State. "The preservation of these funds is needed."
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal told Fox News that he is considering cutting remedial classes from HOPE coverage. "We are going to have to look at some of the enhancements that have been added to HOPE over the years, things like the books, things like other fees that are charged at the institutions, things like you do not offset someone who gets a Pell scholarship. For example, in the beginning, if you were a Pell scholarship recipient and that is based on low-income eligibility, you had to offset that scholarship against your HOPE money."
Deal supports keeping HOPE merit-based and not moving towards a need-based program. Deal also said he did not support raising the minimum GPA. "Financial funding is an indicator of the value we place on what is being funded," said Ben Lorentz, a junior at Georgia State. "What are we saying as a society when we slash funding for education, the cornerstone for democratic discourse?"
Georgia State's Student Government Association presented a proposal to members of the Fulton County legislative delegation, offering ideas on effective modifications to the HOPE scholarship.
Under the SGA model, the HOPE scholarship would begin as a type of deferred student loan. Students would be responsible for the first 30 hours of costs. If after the first 30 hours a student still has a 3.0 GPA, the loan would be repaid to the student. If the student did not have a 3.0 GPA, the loan would have to be paid by the student.
The Georgia State Financial Aid Office declined to comment on the issue.
By Jessica Morris
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