Georgia's Merit-Based Scholarship Fund Draws Criticism

FoxNews.com ^ | Monday, July 01, 2002 | By Tom Corvin

[Shryke]

ATLANTA

[Shryke]

Yay for Georgia. I would love to know who the "opponents" to this are - by name. Then I would like to paddle them.

[Phantom Lord]

From what I have read and heard, Bs are handed out like candy in Georgia and parents are far to often threatening teachers to give their kid a B so they can get free college.

Also, Georgia requires students to apply for Pell grants (and other available federal money) before for they can get the Hope Scholarship. If the student gets the Pell Grant they do not get the Hope Scholarship.

And if one is turned down for a Pell Grant (parents make too much money) then they get the Hope Scholarship. So what it boils down too is that students of parents whose income is too high for federal assitance get the Hope Scholarship. And since they are going to be middle and upper class incomes and that the 'poor' purchase lottery tickets more than 'rich', poor people are paying for 'rich' peoples kids to go to college.

Personally, I like the sound of that. Bout damn time they poor kicked in a few bucks instead of always taking.

[Still Thinking]

Critics of the program say that because of the increased competition for available freshmen slots, fewer blacks are being accepted into the state's top universities compared to days when race, not grades played a dominant role in the decision process.

Are they publicly admitting blacks were getting slots in place of more deserving whites?

If so, that sounds like a damning indictment of affirmative action to me.

[Guillermo]

Of course, the race baiters are insane, but the program still stinks.

It was supposed to be 100% funded by lottery funds, they promised us. Well, since B's ARE given out like candy, and since people who CAN afford to send their kids prefer the "free ride", the costs have skyrocketed. Now funds from the general budget will have to be used to cover the shortfall.

Repeat after me: Unintended Consaequences.

[AdamSelene235]

Yay for Georgia. I would love to know who the "opponents" to this are - by name. Then I would like to paddle them.

Schools will charge what the market will bear. Providing easy money for schools with result in localized inflation. This could make college less affordable for everyone.

Paid my own way through Georgia Tech, FWIW.

[Sender]

Well, in the GA high school where my kids went and where my wife is a teacher, I can attest that they do NOT give out B's like candy. Of course some teachers are easier than others, but generally speaking, only the more serious high schoolers will graduate eligible for the Hope.

But as far as merit vs race-based admissions, that's a no-brainer. The only place that race should have in eligibility is to ensure that no one is being denied on the basis of race. The requirement to graduate with a B average applies equally to black, white, purple and green...you can't get any more fair than that. If minorities are complaining that they can't get a B average, then that's a separate problem they need to address.