Georgia Lottery is struggling to keep up with HOPE

Tuesday September 1^st 2009

Although it is one of the most successful lotteries in North America, the Georgia Lottery is struggling to keep up with HOPE, which is the states popular scholarship programme. With growth far outgrowing the amount of money coming in from the lottery, students will start to see HOPE book fee awards drop from $300 to $150 starting in 2012 and by 2013 they could expect to lose the subsidies altogether.

On the more bleak side, if the current trend continues, they could also expect to lose mandatory fees too.

The cost of grant awards is expected to jump by 26% but in the past year the amount of lottery money going towards the scheme only grew by less than 1%, leaving lawmakers no choice but to start discussions into finding a way of restructuring HOPE. Their aim is to have the restructured programme in place by 2011 – 2012. The lawmakers will take note of what other states have done in regard to their lottery funded programmes. The Florida programme has implemented a cap on how much will be paid for tuition and it is possible that the funded scheme in Georgia may be forced to follow suit, although lawmakers have refused at this point to confirm whether this is an option. With the discussions yet to start, is  too soon to say whether this is an option.

The Georgia lottery, specifically created with a specific goal to support voluntary pre kindergarten and hope, was launched in 1993.

When you buy lottery tickets for many of the lotteries around the world you will inevitably be helping some charity in one way or another.

Written by Chris Brown

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