Katie Morris supports the idea of upping the eligibility for the HOPE college scholarship to a 3.0 grade point average.

"It would encourage people to work harder," the Marietta High School senior said.

And Katie doesn't think the higher standard would slash the number of kids who qualify for the scholarship. Most would adapt their study habits accordingly, Katie and other high school students say.

Under the HOPE program, students with at least a B average get full tuition, mandatory fees and money for books to attend a Georgia public college. Technical school students are also eligible, and students at Georgia private colleges can receive a $3,000 annual grant.

Currently, the state defines a B as 80 on a 100-point scale. Switching to the tougher 3.0 GPA is one of several recommendations legislators are expected to debate in coming months as they figure out how to reel in the lottery-funded scholarship, which is running out of money. Other suggestions include eliminating payments for books and fees, or setting a minimum SAT score.

Legislators and parents may need a No. 2 pencil to understand exactly what the change to a 3.0 GPA would mean.

A number would be assigned to each letter grade. Grading scales in metro Atlanta public school districts do not include pluses and minuses. So an A would get four points, regardless of whether it's a 99 or a 92. One low grade, such as a C, could knock a student out of HOPE.

Under the current definition of a B, high school students need only an overall 80 percent average in core classes like math and English. That allows students to get low grades in some courses but pull up their average with one or two high grades. In fact, about a third of HOPE recipients had GPAs below 3.0 last year.

Some educators have said the higher academic standard would shut out borderline students who need the scholarship, but others say the current standard is too low. More than half of Georgia high school graduates qualify for HOPE, though only 40 percent of those who use the scholarship do well enough in their freshman year to keep it.

Students say the legislators studying HOPE may be misguided in thinking a change to 3.0 would save the program a lot of money.

Students are motivated to work hard by incentives, the Marietta kids say. They describe a widespread attitude where students know the grades they need to get into the colleges they want to attend. They strive to do the work required -- but no more.

"I consider every point above a 90 as a wasted effort," said Brandon Watt, a senior.

A 90 will get him the A he needs to boost his GPA, but he feels there is no added incentive to get a 98.

The GPA has always been important to college-bound students. Nothing weighs more heavily in determining college admission. Yet the amount of work required to get a high GPA varies widely from school to school.

Grading scales vary slightly from district to district, even though in the late 1990s many districts lowered their grading scale to make sure their students had an equal shot at top colleges. Grade inflation is a problem in many schools with low SAT scores and high numbers of kids qualifying for HOPE. And what it takes to earn an A or B depends on the individual teacher.

All this has put pressure on school districts to standardize grading practices. That pressure would likely intensify if a 3.0 were required to get HOPE.

Most controversial are points added to the most challenging courses such as honors, Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate to compensate for the additional work required.

Such bonus points -- often enough to raise a student's grade a full letter -- give students an incentive to take the courses, principals say.

Yet students say that even with bonus points, many avoid tough classes for fear of jeopardizing their GPA.

Gordon Pritz, principal at Marietta High School, said he reminds parents and students that most HOPE scholars lose the award before they graduate. Those who take hard classes in high school are more likely to keep HOPE, he tells parents.

Thomas Guskey, professor of education at University of Kentucky, said other states with merit scholarships tied to grades, such as West Virginia, are having similar discussions about bonus points, cutoffs and grading scales. "It's an issue that's becoming prevalent across the United States," he said.

Yet he wishes everyone would focus less on letter grades. "These cutoffs you set are all arbitrary," he said. "More important is the rigor of the curriculum."

Earlier this month, state Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox detailed how she plans to revamp the state curriculum, which she says will ensure students earn their HOPE scholarships.

Meanwhile, Shelly Nickel, head of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which administers HOPE, is working on visual aids to help explain the 3.0 change to the Legislature. She hopes lawmakers will see the switch as a good move.

"This is a merit scholarship," she said. "This is not intended to reward kids with 70 averages."

• ABOUT THIS ARTICLE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution convened a group of about 20 Marietta High School students recently to talk about possible changes in the lottery-funded HOPE scholarship. The AJC chose the school because it attracts students from diverse backgrounds. In 2001, 65 percent of Marietta High School graduates qualified for HOPE.