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improve our SAT scores
which are currently 50th among all states.
2. Eliminate HOPE funding of non-scholastic
fees - Since its original inception, the HOPE has been expanded to
cover most extra-curricular fees including football tickets. Some suggest
we should return to the original intent to fund only instructional costs.
3. Limit the time a student can receive
HOPE funding - Since the scholarship is awarded to those who maintain
a "B" average, many students lighten their class load in an effort to
keep their grades as high as possible. The result has been a much longer
stay in school. What was previously a four-year degree is now commonly
a five-year degree. HOPE could be limited to just eight semesters which
would cover four years. Implementing this limit could save millions of
HOPE dollars.
4. Change the law and pay for HOPE from
the General fund - This coming year we expect a budget shortfall of
almost a billion dollars. The addition of HOPE to the General Fund would
be extremely difficult. It would also change the original intent of the
law passed by voters which promised that HOPE would be funded strictly
out of lottery money.
5. Tighten HOPE eligibility - Some
have suggested we raise the required GPA minimum to a 3.5 instead of the
3.0 we currently use. Others complain that too many students move into
Georgia in their final few months of school just to graduate from a Georgia
High School and become eligible for the HOPE.
6. Means Testing - The HOPE originally
required that families earn less than $100,000 a year to qualify. That
requirement was removed in 1995. It has been suggested that we return
to an earnings limit.
The reality is that something must be done
and perhaps we will use a combination of many of these ideas. However,
as with most problems, it's the private citizens that come up with the
best solutions.
Last year I asked for your input on ways
to help fix our budget problems. I am proud to say you responded with
more than 100 ideas of ways to save money. I presented many of those ideas
to the numerous budget task forces that were created to solve our deficit.
Thank you for your help last year. Now I must ask again. If you have any
ideas on ways to save the HOPE, please contact me. The HOPE scholarship
has been an amazing success and we would like to keep it that way. With
your ideas, I am certain we will find the answer.
Chip
Rogers is the State Representative for District 15. You can
call him at (770) 516-0543 or fax him at (770) 936-1967. You can also
e-mail him at ChipRogers2@comcast.net.
Chip also serves on The TowneLaker Community Board.
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