[dgdramadawg]

The HOPE scholarship was why I went to UGA (I moved to Georgia as a high school junior, so I was eligible)... my parents weren't going to pay for college, so I, of course, chose the school that I could get a free ride to. I challenge those of you who feel some HOPE students are a "drain on the system" to remember that just because a student's parents have enough money to send him/her to college does not mean that they will do so. Even with HOPE, I worked my way through college to pay for whatever my scholarships would not cover.

For those confused about the requirements for HOPE:
- You must be eligible for in-state tuition.
- You must have a 3.0 in high school and maintain that 3.0 in college.
- You must re-apply every spring.
- You must attend a public university in state (for a private school in Georgia, you may receive $3000 a year).
**Interestingly enough, HOPE is funded by the Georgia Lottery, which less people have been playing as of late, so the qualifications required for HOPE may be changing (either to need-based or to a higher merit requirement of a 3.5).

alum, you are correct that the major purpose of HOPE is to prevent "brain drain." State officials noticed that many of the state's brightest students were leaving the state to attend private schools. They also found that many of these students were staying in the states where they moved (e.g. Students who go to Vandy tend to stay in TN). Thus, HOPE was created so the bright students who are not eligible for need-based aid would have an incentive to stay in state.

This helped UGA to rise 8 spots within the first 4 years of HOPE in the US News rankings (and it has stayed in the Top 20 Public Schools at various ranks every year since HOPE's conception). HOPE has helped UGA become a better institution and many of UGA's strongest students (recipients of the merit-based foundation fellows and presidential scholars) have stayed at UGA for our Top 30 Law School, our Top 30 Business School, and our Top 10 Education Grad Program... students who graduate from these programs are most likely to stay in Georgia after graduation.

But back to the subject... I don't think that HOPE has anything to do with the stereotype that sorority girls at UGA are obsessed with brand names any more than I think Bright Futures has anything to do with the same stereotype at UF. These stereotypes have existed since before I moved to the south, since before these scholarships existed. Honestly, I think it is a general stereotype of the south versus the north... I don't think you would see a fraternity at BU having an "Old South" ball of the extravangance of KA at UGA, nor have I ever seen a Greek house up north of the size of the ones at UGA. So now that everyone understands what HOPE is and that it has nothing to do with stereotypes about the entire southeast, why do we think these stereotypes exist?