The new system for the HOPE scholarship proposed by Governor Deal will have adverse short-term and long-term effects on the Tech student body and the Institute as a whole. If the proposal goes through, students will see an immediate increase in out-of-pocket expenses. Since fees and books will no longer be covered, students will already be on the hook for hundreds of dollars more per semester, but the problem will be further exacerbated by the fact that most students on HOPE will be required to pay at least 10 percent of their tuition. A grandfather clause in the bill would help alleviate this possible predicament and help students adjust to the new system.
The long-term effects could be even more damaging on an Institutional level. Tech has a well-established reputation throughout the state of having a very rigorous academic work load. This coupled with the recent decision of the Board of Regents to open up what used to be Tech-only majors to more universities within Georgia will make Tech be at an even greater disadvantage when students are shopping for a college to attend. While Tech currently has a very strong brand, it can only be sustained by bringing in the best and the brightest.
Ultimately, the leadership on campus, both on the student level and the administrative level, needs to lobby for the best interests of Tech. Student leadership has sent mixed messages, but the two points often made by them have been that funding tuition at 100 percent is critical and that raising the college GPA requirements should not be on the table. Both of these demands were ignored in the proposal. SGA and the administration need to do what is in the best interest of current and future students; this proposal is not in the best interest of the Tech community. Both governing bodies should try to improve or block the proposal.
Consensus: Gubernatorial glitch
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