1. Top high schools
The ten public high schools with the most HOPE-eligible students and the ten with the most students eligible for the even more elite Zell Miller Scholarship (fourteen schools total because of overlap) are clustered in five metro Atlanta counties. NOTE: These schools were ranked by number of scholars. Percentages are provided for the reader’s information.
2. Georgia adults with at least a bachelor’s degree
3. HOPE scholarship and grant recipients
Total number of students receiving HOPE scholarship (college) and Grant (technical school) awards.
4. Increasing competition
The rise in average two-part SAT scores of admitted freshmen
5. Diversity in the student population
6. Comparison of annual tuition and fees
In recent years, it has been easier for colleges to raise fees than tuition since HOPE was not obligated to cover fees. Consequently, add-ons now represent a much greater portion of total college costs.
7. UGA tuition and fees/semester
Georgia Student Finance Commission’s projections of future tuition and fees and what portions HOPE and Zell will pay.
8. How counties fare
9. How Georgia’s college aid compares to other states’
Georgia awards more scholarship dollars to its college students than any other state except South Carolina.
> HOPE Scholarship: The cons: Did the legistlature’s 2011 reforms ruin HOPE?
>HOPE Scholarship: The pros: The program has surpassed its goals. So why are people complaining?
> Our recommendation: Get rid of the Zell
These graphics originally appeared in our January 2014 issue.
[Updated June 5, 2014]
