State lawmakers are considering a bill that would create Georgia’s first college scholarship program based on financial need. Currently, Georgia and New Hampshire are the only two states that don’t have such a program.
Georgia’s lottery-funded HOPE program, first awarded in 1993, is merit-based. That means students have to meet certain academic requirements to receive scholarships and grants. Lawmakers tightened the standards in 2011 for the HOPE scholarship to keep the program solvent. Despite record profits, the lottery couldn’t keep up with massive demand for the program.
The proposed need-based program would have minimal academic requirements. It would also be limited to students from families who earn $48,000 a year or less.
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