Who invented the hope scholarship

Out of these 13, students, 4, were freshmen. Luckily, the HOPE Scholarship program allows students to earn the scholarship back again after losing it. He is still currently enrolled at Georgia State. Calixte had issues with financial aid during the spring and fall semesters of , causing him to be forcefully removed from classes.

The University System of Georgia followed first-time freshmen in the fall of until the spring of by checking in every 30 credit hours they had earned to see if the students were able to keep the HOPE Scholarship over time. After the first hour update, this number decreased to 2, The hour update indicated the number decreased to 1, Of those 1, students, 1, students graduated. This shows that in , 1, Georgia State students graduated between and while keeping the HOPE Scholarship their entire college career — less than half of those initial freshmen who had entered with HOPE.

Just 20 percent of black students and less than 36 percent of Hispanic students within the university system received either the HOPE or Zell Miller scholarships. That compares to 46 percent of Asian-American students and nearly 45 percent of white students. The report said that in the fall of , about 27 percent of undergraduate students in the system received Pell Grants, which are typically considered a proxy for poverty. By , the portion of Pell Grant recipients rose to Rising numbers of low-income students are connected to increases in enrollment of minority students, who experience higher poverty rates, the report said.

The university system dropped 6, students in the fall of for not paying tuition and fees, the report said. It covers roughly three-quarters of tuition in the technical college system, the report said.

HOPE Grants reached about 74 percent of 69, eligible technical college students in certificate or diploma programs, the report found. They reached 85 percent of low-income students, 75 percent of white students, 73 percent of black students, 70 percent of Hispanic students and 54 percent of Asian students.

But the changes are particularly pertinent for the HOPE Grant, given the current high profile of tuition-free community college programs like the Tennessee Promise. The report concludes that the HOPE Grant should be restored to cover full tuition plus fees for technical college. It also makes a recommendation for the HOPE Scholarship -- eliminate a rule preventing most students who have been out of high school for more than seven years from receiving the scholarship.

That rule does not serve adult students who are increasingly enrolling in postsecondary programs, it said. Such a program could come with a large price tag. While the report does not wade into many specifics on a potential need-based-aid program or how to pay for it, Suggs said legislators could consider several options. The Georgia Budget and Policy Institute has in the past pointed to possibilities from closing tax loopholes, increasing cigarette taxes and more comprehensive tax reform packages.

There is also the potential for revenue from casino gaming. Ultimately, the need is clear, Suggs said. It could be politically palatable, because Georgia needs educated workers, she said.

Questions of budgets and aid programs have already come in up in other states. Take Louisiana, which earlier this year decided to stop funding for its merit-based scholarship program amid a budget deficit. Such issues and others raised in the Georgia report will likely come up in other states in the future, experts said. To come up with additional money for need-based aid would be difficult, but getting rid of the politically popular merit-based program would be exceedingly difficult.

Poverty is one reason for these disparities. Black students in particular experience much higher poverty rates than other groups, including extreme poverty. Young children who are poor trail their middle- and upper-income peers in language development and are less likely to participate in high quality child care. They are more likely to be exposed to environmental toxins that can cause health or developmental problems. Far fewer students in the technical college system get the HOPE Scholarship at all, yet racial disparities persist among associate degree students as well.

Students of color are less likely to receive either merit scholarship than white students, with only about 3. Minority students in associate degree programs are less likely to receive merit aid and they comprise a smaller share of merit recipients in the overall technical college system. The greatest gap is between black and white students. White students comprise In contrast, black students account for only Students who delay going to college to work, take care of family or other reasons are hindered from getting merit aid by the seven-year time limit for high school graduates to use the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship.

More than 12 percent of undergraduates in the university system in , or 33, students, were 25 years old or older. About 60 percent of associate degree students are 24 or older, yet they comprise only 27 percent of HOPE Scholarship recipients and 5 percent of Zell Miller recipients in the technical college system. The most academically successful students out of high school for more than seven years cannot get either scholarship.

A much higher proportion of students in certificate and diploma programs receive a HOPE Grant, and there are fewer disparities between students who receive one and those who do not. The HOPE Grant helps about 74 percent of the 69, technical college students in certificate and diploma programs.

Technical college students who are in certificate and diploma programs are shown next to those in associate degree programs here for context.

About 85 percent of low-income students get the grant, although 6, low-income students went without one. About 56 percent of non-poor students receive a grant. The racial or ethnic makeup of grant recipients closely mirrors the makeup of the overall technical system.

White, black, and Hispanic students comprise nearly 96 percent of students enrolled in certificate and diploma programs, and similar majorities of each group receive the grant.

The HOPE Grant does not carry a seven-year post-high school time limit so age is not a big factor as with the merit scholarships. More students under 23 get one than in older age groups but the majority of students in all age groups get one. Georgia emerged as a national leader with its pioneering approach to keeping college costs within reach for many students. Other states followed its path. Georgia should take the lead again through an enhanced approach to financial aid that ensures students from all backgrounds, regardless of race, ethnicity, age or family income, can gain the benefits of a college degree.

This analysis concludes with three policy options that Georgia lawmakers can consider as first steps to remedy some of the inequities identified. This study is a launching point for additional GBPI research into these and other possible solutions. Establish a new, stand-alone needs-based financial aid program.

One missing component is a set of strategies designed to help thousands of Georgia students struggling to keep up with rising costs. A program available to all students whether or not they also receive the HOPE Scholarship or HOPE Grant can provide a lifeline to hardworking families trying to juggle the high price of tuition, fees and cost of living. A comprehensive strategy employed by Georgia State University provides strong evidence that needs-based aid can help keep students on track for graduation and is a worthy investment.

Georgia State established Panther Retention Grants in as part of a broader effort to improve completion rates. The grants go to students at-risk for leaving school due to non-payment of tuition and fees. Seventy-one percent of seniors who received the grants graduated within two semesters and 90 percent of the freshmen who got them were retained. A comprehensive, statewide need-based aid program holds the potential to replicate the success of initiatives like those at Georgia State.

Georgia now runs two aid programs that take need into account, but they serve only a small fraction of students detailed in Appendix B. Evidence shows need-based aid programs increase enrollment and support improved completion rates.

The reduction of the HOPE Grant award amount combined with tuition increases is making technical colleges less affordable. The drop in credit hours students take is another indicator of the toll of diminishing affordability.

More students enrolled in technical colleges in fall than in fall but they took far fewer credit hours. Taking fewer classes and lengthening the time they spend in school puts students at greater risk for not finishing. But they serve only a portion of technical and diploma students. They also do not cover mandatory fees, which can be as costly as a class.

This regulation overlooks the growing number of students in their 20s, 30s and older who are enrolling in postsecondary programs. It is also at odds with a joint initiative by the university and technical college systems, Go Back, Move Ahead, to encourage people who dropped out of college to return and finish their programs. If their goal is an associate or bachelor degree, there is no state aid for them. Extending eligibility beyond seven years after high school gives academically successful college students of all ages a chance to participate in the HOPE Scholarship.

Original image. Both provide valuable assistance to financially-needy students but their small size leaves thousands of low-income students without access to state aid. The Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen Scholarship was established in and is a collaborative effort between the Georgia Student Finance Commission, school districts, and the private sector. To be eligible, students must qualify for the federal free and reduced lunch program, show academic promise, and have a record of good attendance and behavior.

Preference is given to students who will be in the first generation in their families to attend a postsecondary institution. Students enter the program in eighth grade. They also meet regularly with a mentor and an academic coach throughout high school.

To retain the scholarship, they must maintain a 2. Districts must raise a portion of the scholarship cost for subsequent cohorts. The amount is based on the relative wealth of a county as measured by unemployment rate, per capita income and percent of residents in poverty.

The state covers the rest of the cost. The number of scholarship recipients is capped at eight per graduating class for school districts with five or more high schools and five per graduating class for districts with four or fewer high schools.

The GSFC plans to add up to 41 additional districts in Student Access Loan Program. Students are eligible if they are enrolled in an associate, bachelor or first-professional degree program in the university system or eligible private institution. Students enrolled in a certificate, diploma or associate degree program in the technical college system are also eligible.

They must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Remaining applicants are randomly selected. Students may receive a loan multiple years. The interest rate is one percent while students are in school and stays at that level for those who complete their programs in the designated amount of time. The rate increases to six percent for students who go past the designated time and rises to eight percent for those who graduate a year or more beyond.

Loans are cancellable for students who teach in science, technology, engineering or mathematics or work in public service. Loan repayment is waived for technical college students who graduate with a 3.

In total 13, students got loans since fiscal year when the program was launched. Department of Labor. Earnings and unemployment rate by educational attainment. February 12, November College affordability and completion in the University System of Georgia: presentation to the Board of Regents.

August 12, Census Bureau. Table H Median household incomes by state: to College affordability and completion in the university system of Georgia: presentation to the Board of Regents. Department of Education. Atlanta, GA: Author. Retrieved July 10,