Hope fades for full funding of Georgia’s HOPE scholarships

You should excuse Georgia college students for feeling less than hopeful that the state will restore full funding for the HOPE scholarship.

They probably got their hopes up a few months ago when Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled his budget for the upcoming fiscal year with a call to at least temporarily end changes made to the program in 2011 when it looked like its funds were in danger of drying up.

Back then, Kemp’s predecessor, Gov. Nathan Deal, led a bipartisan effort to revamp the Georgia Lottery-funded program by tightening eligibility requirements and reducing award payouts.

Before the overhaul, students who maintained at least a “B” average received free in-state tuition. That changed, so only recipients of Zell Miller awards — students who scored at least 1,200 on their SAT and had a minimum grade-point average of 3.7 — received the full payout. Other HOPE scholars now get 90% of the tuition.

When Kemp announced his plan, Democrats praised it, and GOP lawmakers pledged their support.

Republicans who control the House must have forgotten.

They voted for a version of the budget that boosted HOPE scholarships from 90% to 95% of tuition, with the Zell Miller scholars still the only ones getting full tuition.

House leaders say it gives students extra incentive to strive for the Zell Miller scholarship. For those who fall short of such lofty goals, they said, the remaining tuition isn’t a financial burden on families.

Questioning their thinking was Democratic state Rep. Stacey Evans, who campaigned for governor five years ago on a promise to reverse cuts to the program.

“Why would we deprive tuition coverage for all HOPE scholars?” she asked. “All of them have met a merit requirement; every single one of them has a 3.0 (GPA). And every single one of them is putting in the time and the effort.”

Money isn’t a problem, she said.

Restoring the funding to fully cover tuition for all HOPE scholars would amount to a $26 million expenditure in a $32.4 billion budget. She added that the lottery has $1.9 billion in reserve, including $1.1 billion that is unrestricted.

House leaders say they’re reluctant to reverse the cuts in an uncertain economy.

Gov. Brian Kemp