Save The Hope Scholarship

This petition is in support of appealing to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to consider freezing college tuition for the next three years, and thus making an attempt at saving the HOPE Scholarship without cutting books and fees for students.


**NOTE: By signing this tuition, you are NOT actively supporting Lt. Governor Mark Taylor or his plan, and you are NOT NECESSARILY agreeing with the proposal to freeze tuition for the next three years. You, when signing this petition, are asking the Board of Regents to consider the proposal to freeze tuition for the next three years, and encouraging the state legislature to not cut the payment of books and fees for college students from the HOPE Scholarship. If you do support Mark Taylor and his plan to save the HOPE Scholarship, and/or you support the idea of freezing tuition costs for the next three years, thank you for your support and please note it in the comment section. However, if you do not, please support this petition simply to encourage the Board of Regents and the State Legislature that all options should be considered before decisions are hastily made, and that your opinion as a citizen and/or student in Georgia does matter! No matter what your opinion is, contact your local state representative or senator and let them know your opinion.


The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia has raised tuition on an average of 7\% a year. Last year, tuition in the state of Georgia was raised 15\%. With the rising tuition costs, the HOPE Scholarship has come under threat. In the last decade, the HOPE Scholarship (which is funded by the state lottery) has paid for more than 700,000 students to go to college in Georgia. Currently, the HOPE Scholarship is under review by the state legislature because it is estimated that by the 2008-2009 academic year, the program will have run out of money. Governor Sonny Perdue is currently promoting certain changes to the HOPE Scholarship that some feel will save the program. As of now, Sonny Purdue advocates:

1) Cutting funding for books and fees (currently paid for by the HOPE Scholarship), starting with the fall 2004 academic year.

2) Required minimum SAT score of 900.


While Governor Perdue may advocate these ideas, Lt. Governor Mark Taylor has a different idea. Lt. Governor Mark Taylor advocates:

1) Implement a 3.0 grade point average for every qualifying scholar, instead of the current 80 point average required.

2) Re-evaluate HOPE scholars every 24 college-credit hours.

3) Freeze college tuition and fees for the next three years.

By cutting books and fees payments from the HOPE Scholarship, this will automatically create $125 million that will be able to pay for tuition. But is it necessary to strike this support of students? Only if you believe the state lottery profits arent increasing. This month, the Georgia Lottery reported its most profitable 6 month period in its history. If this is true, then the cutting of books and fees is not needed.
However, if tuition and fees costs are frozen for three years, this will create $300 million dollars for the HOPE Scholarship. This, in addition to the $250 million in the HOPE Scholarships savings, and the other two points of Lt. Governor Mark Taylors, and the increasing revenue of the Georgia Lottery, should ensure the saving of the HOPE Scholarship through the 2008-2009 academic year, if not beyond.

Let your voice be heard! Sign this petition and let it be known that such important decisions will NOT be made until all voices have been heard. This matter concerns everyone in the state of Georgia, and everyone will be affected by it. Everyone should speak up before it is too late and the decision is made without our voice being heard. If anything, contact your local state representative and let them know your opinion on the matter.

Please visit the following websites:

http://ltgov.georgia.gov/00/article/0,2145,2199618_0_17060277,00.html
http://ltgov.georgia.gov/02/ltgov/home/0,2214,2199618,00.html
http://www.georgia.gov/00/home/0,2125,4802,00.html
http://www.usg.edu/
http://www.petitiononline.com/category_5.html
http://www.legis.state.ga.us/legis/2003_04/search/hb1116.htm (Contact your representative to vote AGAINST this bill, HOUSE BILL 1116)!