Local

Lawmakers propose change in GPA requirements for technical school HOPE scholarships

ATLANTA — A new proposed plan would drastically lower the grade point average requirement for Georgia students to receive the HOPE grant.

Channel 2's Lori Geary found out both Democrats and Republicans support the move.

Two years ago, in order to preserve HOPE scholarship funds from the Georgia lottery, lawmakers raised the requirements for technical college students from a 2.0 GPA to a 3.0 GPA.

The net effect was 15 percent of the 24,000 technical school dropouts last year quit because they lost the grant.

Republicans and Democrats agreed these students are different. Many of them are older than college-age who hold down jobs and are taking care of families

"I can tell you that there is a significant number of individuals who are from lower-income families and there are also a significant number that are over the age going to colleges and universities," Gov. Nathan Deal told Geary.

"The difference between having the grant and not having the grant is the difference between their ticket to the middle class and not," said state Rep. Stacey Evans, D-Smyrna.

The plan now is to change the HOPE GPA requirement back to a 2.0 for technical college students, costing anywhere between $5 million and $7 million.

Both the house and senate will have to vote on the proposal.