From an early age most children dream of going to college and aspiring to be something great, however for some that glimmer of optimism is now dimming due to the recent changes in the HOPE grant.
For Mercer University juniors Jasmine Fuller and Thomaesa Brundage the thought of attending college seemed nearly impossible. Both stemming from a lower income family, the financial burden of college seemed endless.
Fuller was one of the first in her family to attend a four-year institution. “I come from a single mother household, and I have a brother a sister. My grandmother lives with us as well,” said Fuller.
Graduating as valedictorian of her class, the HOPE grant gave Fuller’s family financial freedom and an ease in knowing they would not have to pay for her college education. “I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to pay anything out of pocket. I knew that HOPE and any other scholarships would help,” articulated Fuller.
The HOPE grant covers nearly a quarter of Fuller’s tuition.
Similarly, Thomaesa Brundage’s chances of attending college were helped with the aid that HOPE provided.
“I did not think that I was going to come to college,” said Brundage. Brundage originally enlisted into the Navy, but changed her plans due to the likelihood of her fighting in the Iraq war.
The HOPE grant made it easier on Thomaesa, knowing that a substantial amount of her college tuition would be paid. “My grandmother told me that I could get the HOPE grant and it would help me to pay for books and tuition,” said Brundage.
Both Fuller and Brundage view the recent changes as a sort of punishment for those who are attempting to better themselves and their situation. “Even if it is inadvertent or blatant, it is still kind of like a punishment. These people were once able to do these things, and know they are not able to do them at all. It’s like I already don’t have anything, and now you are taking this one little piece of hope away from me,” said Brundage.
Fuller believes that the new HOPE requirements are taking away funds from those who need it most. Inevitably those who may not need the aid as much will be able to afford to pay the extra costs.
Georgia Independent College Association President and lobbyist Dr. Susanna Baxter represents private colleges in their quest to supply financial aid to their students. Her organization completes research on behalf of each these the institutions, including Mercer.
According to Baxter, the changes made in the HOPE grant are a very complicated process.
The modifications in the grant take effect during the fall of 2011. Students who take courses during the
summer term remain under the old rules.
Governor Deal and the state legislation has established a factor rate of 90 percent according to the new modifications. However, this factor rate is viable to change.
The total cost of tuition for the 2011-2012 academic year covered 100 percent of tuition for public institutions.
Meanwhile, private institutions have a base rate of $4000. With the modifications, students who attend a private institution qualify for $3600 in total aid.
Next year, students who qualify for this the HOPE institution, the HOPE grant will cover 90 percent of the
tuition that was paid the previous year. However, it will not be exactly 90 percent, due to the likelihood that tuition costs will increase.
Last year alone, tuition at state level institutions increased 16 percent. If this were to do the same next
year, students will receive 78 percent of tuition coverage.
No longer will the scholarship program for a student who goes to a public school institution be tied to the cost of
tuition, it will vary. The state is going to manage the grant program according to how much the lottery programs bring in.
“Hopefully if we are doing life right, we are not spending more than we are bringing in. We’ve been doing that in the lottery program. That’s why as much as our hearts can ache for students that were counting on money in these programs, they had to make changes. We couldn’t sustain in its current standpoint,” said Baxter.
The public colleges’ tuition had increased over 200 percent from the time the HOPE program started to today. With the program tied to tuition, proceeds needed to grow equally, and they failed to do so. This in turn led to the central issue regarding the adjustments.
Another immense change was the addition of the Zell Miller Scholars Program. It is estimated that the top ten percent of HOPE recipients qualify for this program.
In order to qualify, a high-school student would need to have a 3.7 grade point average and scored either a 1200 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT.
As a result, those who fall within the top ten percent of current HOPE grant recipients in the state receive full tuition coverage. However, these students must maintain a 3.3. college grade point average.
For Zell Miller Scholars who attend a private university, such as Mercer, they will receive 100 percent of the aid normally given to these institutions. This amount totals to $4000 in aid each academic year.
Students who are currently enrolled in college may qualify to be a Zell Miller Scholar as well. It is the responsibility of the financial aid department at each institution to look at records and determine whether the student possessed those requirements before entering the university.
“Each financial aid director, with the help of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, will have to go back and look at each record. They will have to individually see if student ‘x’ entered our college with a 1200 on the SAT. If yes, and they have a 3.3 grade point average currently they receive $4000. If no, you can still be a HOPE recipient, you just won’t be a Zell Miller recipient,” explained Baxter.
Another change that the new legislation has made, limits students to regaining HOPE only once. They no longer have multiple times to regain. “That is a big change,” stresses Baxter.
Students are eligible to regain HOPE once, however once they regain and lose again they are no longer eligible to receive the HOPE grant funds.
Along with these requirements, Governor Deal’s new legislation does not fund remedial courses, post-secondary education and has cut funding from Pre-K programs.
Brundage, who attended a Pre-K program, believes it is essential in order to set a foundation for a child’s education. “Pre-K conditions a child for classroom readiness, and you have that academic genesis so that when you get into the classroom you don’t have this sort of out of place feeling,” expressed Brundage.
Both Brundage and Fuller have managed to overcome their situations. However, they are faced to analyze
their future now that their aid will not cover post-secondary education.
Brundage even urges that she wished the legislation did not pass. “I know far too many people who want to go to school, and who want to get out of their situation. They feel like school would be a way to do so. I feel like if you tell them, no you can’t go to school because you can’t have the financial aid. What are they going to do? Where are they going to go? I really hate to think about the consequences and the ramifications that will come from this. It may be down the line, but it will be noticeable,” expressed Brundage.