Monday, November 19, 2007
Georgia Lottery
The Georgia Lottery was established by legislators in 1992. It was created with the agreement that 35% of the proceeds would go to educational programs. This includes the Georgia HOPE Scholarship, which many of us rely on, and free Pre-K programs. According to recent figures submitted by an oversight committee, only 26.8% of GA Lottery proceeds went to the education fund last year. State lawmakers are concerned that more money is being spent on prizes and "administrative costs" than is being given to the education fund. Margaret DeFransisco, the GA Lottery's President and CEO, defends the spending saying the percentage is not as important as the dollar amount contributed to the education fund each year. Lawmakers are deciding whether or not to create a mandate that would prevent the revenues allotted to education from falling below a certain percentage. I think it's so important to keep the HOPE Scholarship available to eligible college students in Georgia. Educational funding is basically why the GA Lottery was even allowed to be created. I think it's a shame that the President of the GA Lottery is ignoring the laws and saying the state should be happy with whatever the Lottery decides to give them for education when that was the original basis of the program. Any thoughts?
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3 comments:
I agree with you. I think a percentage should be set and they should be forced to give that money to college students. A couple of years ago, they tightened up the HOPE policies and excluded more students. I don't know how many times they have changed it from it's original form, but I bet that wasn't the first, or the last, time
Did you know that HOPE uses a different formula to figure your college GPA than the colleges do? If you have a "W" on your college transcript, it doesn't hurt your college GPA, but HOPE counts it as ZERO points when they do their averages for GPA purposes.
I signed up for a coure and after a few weeks decided I was in over my head. I wanted to withdrawal, and the school said I could, without hurting my GPA because it was within the allowed time frame to recieve a "W". When I talked to the HOPE people, though, they said it would be averaged in with my other grades as a zero!
I stuck with the class, over taking a zero, but now I am hurting my college GPA, and still not helping my HOPE GPA very much. Unfortunately, I am only pulling a very low "D" in the class.
I don't know what the percentage is for people that have gotten stuck in this situation, but if HOPE has 15% more money they can hand out, I think they should change their policy on withdrawals.
I would have to agree as well.
I believe you're right Jared, maybe if they did have some extra money they could change some of the policy to how Withdrawals & Private College programs are funded and handled.
The sad thing to me is the fact that education is is not a main priority to many(these) people. I believe what helps a nation become great long-term is a good quality educational system. It is something that makes a nation great as a whole. So it should be something that concerns not only students, but also concern parents, politicians, workers, and even Lottery Presidents(that funds contribute too educational services). HOPE is a amazing program for a plethora of reasons. Whenever I talk to other students/friends in other states that are in college, they always are amazed/jealous when I talk about HOPE. Hopefully, things turn around and there comes a away to make mandates and etc. on keeping HOPE at a certain percentage. Because I know it will make it possible for many students to recieve a education, keep on a good educational track and a great incentive to make good enough grades to keep their HOPE.
Going along with the agreements. I didn't know about the excluding of students that jared brought up, so there definitely needs to be more money put into it.
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