[ The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 9/19/03 ]
Poll: Don't raise tax for HOPE
Survey finds support for linking family income to scholarship
By JAMES SALZER
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Georgians love the lottery-funded HOPE scholarship, but they don't want to
raise taxes or cut state programs to pay for it, a statewide poll indicates.
In fact, a majority of those surveyed would limit the scholarship to
families who make under $100,000, cap the amount of the college aid to
$3,000 a year and pay for no more than four years of college.
The findings of a Peach State Poll were released Thursday to a state
commission working to preserve the HOPE scholarship as it heads toward a
possible funding shortfall.
The poll of 804 Georgians, conducted by the University of Georgia's Carl
Vinson Institute of Government, raises questions about the long-held belief
that tinkering with the popular scholarship would be political suicide.
Regardless of the poll, the HOPE commission's co-chairman, state Sen. Bill
Hamrick, said the panel is likely to oppose linking eligibility for the
scholarship to family income.
"It seems to be a consensus that it's not a good idea from the standpoint
that you set the standard, you identify it, you reach the standard, and you
get HOPE, and it shouldn't matter whether you are from a family that's
wealthy or a family that's not," said Hamrick, a Douglasville Republican who
is chairman of the Senate Higher Education Committee.
The discussion of HOPE's future is taking place because state officials
estimate that within a few years, the cost of the scholarships and
pre-kindergarten classes will surpass the lottery revenues that pay for
them.
Under HOPE, all students with a "B" average or higher receive full tuition
to a public college and money for books and fees. Technical school students
are also eligible, and students at private colleges can receive a $3,000
annual grant.
Some lawmakers have suggested that if HOPE runs short of money from lottery
revenues, they might consider tapping the state budget to make up the
difference. The state, however, could be facing an estimated shortfall of
$700 million to $1 billion by next summer, and legislators have been cutting
costs -- not taking on additional expenses.
The concern is that more students are receiving the scholarship while the
cost of higher education keeps rising. At the same time, lottery ticket
sales, which have steadily grown, are expected to slow down.
About 80 percent of Georgians surveyed in the Peach State Poll had a
favorable impression of the scholarship. The percentage who were "extremely
positive" about HOPE rose with family income.
Sixty-four percent of those surveyed said they would oppose raising taxes to
retain the current HOPE scholarships.
"They may not play the lottery, so [HOPE] is like a free thing," suggested
commission member Rep. Bob Holmes (D-Atlanta), who is chairman of the House
Education Committee. "Given the economic times they're in, the last thing
they want to see is their taxes going up."
Family income cap
Given alternatives, the Georgians surveyed were split over whether the state
should restrict HOPE scholarships to children whose families earn a certain
amount of money. A majority supported a $100,000 family income cap, which
had been instituted early in the program but was removed in 1995 once
lottery revenues exceeded expectations.
About 74 percent backed a four-year limit on the scholarships. Currently,
public college students can keep the scholarship for 127 credit hours and
can accumulate those credits over several years. Students can take longer to
graduate because they take fewer classes each semester, which in turn makes
it easier to maintain the "B" average they need to keep the scholarship.
About 56 percent of people surveyed would remove the guarantee of full
tuition for public college students and substitute a $3,000 a year grant.
However, a majority oppose eliminating the book allowance, which is expected
to cost the state about $56 million this year.
The HOPE commission is looking at several options, including eliminating or
limiting paying for college fees and books and adding other requirements
besides the "B" average, such as a base SAT score, in determining who gets
the scholarship.
Eliminating fees
Eliminating the fees would save an estimated $60 million a year. If fees
were limited largely to low-income students, the program would save $47
million, according to figures from the Carl Vinson Institute.
Standardizing the "B" average statewide by using the University System of
Georgia guidelines, rather than letting local school districts determine
what constitutes a "B," would have denied the scholarship to about a third
of the college freshman class of 2000, according to state estimates.
The panel's final recommendations are expected before the Legislature
convenes in January.