Latest news with #HOPEScholarship
Axios
01-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Slipping lottery funds sidelined Tennessee governor's scholarship plan
Gov. Bill Lee's pitch to add scholarship funding to help technical college students pay for equipment and books is on hold for at least a year because of a dip in lottery revenue. Why it matters: Most Tennesseans can go to technical colleges tuition-free. But existing scholarships don't always cover the full price of attendance, which includes costly supplies and other fees that can add up fast. Those extra expenses stop many from enrolling. State of play: Lee's $12.1 million plan, part of his initial budget proposal introduced in February, would have drawn from lottery proceeds. Lottery funds pay for several state scholarship programs, including Tennessee Promise and the HOPE Scholarship. Yes, but: Lottery revenue is slipping, and there is less money to go around. Game revenue dropped by more than $70 million in fiscal year 2024, according to state data. By the numbers: Tennessee Education Lottery Corp. collected $501.3 million for lottery-funded education programs during fiscal year 2024, which ended last June. The corporation estimates those programs will continue to dip during the ongoing 2025 fiscal year, and they could fall below $475 million. Between the lines: A number of factors, such as inflation or gas prices, could be driving the revenue loss. Lottery officials tie the decline to the rise of legalized sports betting, which Tennessee approved in 2019. Zoom out: Sports betting revenue that previously flowed to lottery-funded scholarship programs has been rerouted to K-12 school upgrades as part of Lee's voucher plan, which became law this year. The big picture: Technical colleges provide major muscle for the state's workforce development efforts. (A special Tennessee College of Applied Technology site is being built alongside a massive Ford plant in West Tennessee to help prepare employees.) TCATs educate workers in manufacturing, auto repair, nursing, construction, mechatronics and other key fields. Tennessee doesn't have enough workers to fill all the open jobs in the state. Most businesses report a lack of trained workers. What they're saying: Lee's spokesperson tells Axios the governor expects to revive the scholarship plan in an effort to build out the workforce. "Governor Lee will continue working in partnership with the General Assembly to establish the Tennessee Works Scholarship," spokesperson Elizabeth Johnson said.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'A slap in the face,' WCS slams school voucher act requirements for teacher bonus
Wilson County Schools passed a resolution for teachers to receive a $2,000 bonus under the Education Freedom Act of 2025. During Monday's School Board meeting, Board Chair Jamie Farough read the resolution, required in order for teachers to receive the bonus. The one time $2,000 bonus is outlined in Section IV of the Education Freedom act, stating it is up to each individual board of education to announce participation before tax dollars will be allocated. 'The Wilson County Board of Education affirms its intention to participate in Section IV of the Education Freedom Act of 2025 relative to bonuses for teachers. However, this resolution should not be misconstrued as an endorsement of the Education Freedom Act of 2025.' Farough said, also noting that no such requirement has been in place before. The Education Freedom Act, also described as the 'School Voucher Act,' was introduced by Governor Bill Lee, but it faced backlash in the General Assembly and general public. A modified form was passed in the General Assembly earlier this year after a three-day special session. A scholarship to be used at a private school is available for up to 20,000 students in Tennessee, half of which are set aside for families of any income level. Wilson County Schools said 5,000 county students received $5,500 per student for the HOPE Scholarship last year in preparation for college while the K-12 vouchers for private schools are $7,000 per student. 'I think that's important to call out,' Farough said. 'The idea that this is school choice, it's not school choice [that only] 20,000 kids get this.' School boards throughout Tennessee have spoken out against the Education Freedom Act. The Wilson County Commission also criticized the act. 'Regardless of how anyone is going to take this comment…I'm going to say this as gently as I can,' board member Dr. Beth Myers said. 'I believe this requirement is a punishment for those of us who felt this voucher program was not appropriate. I just believe when we have these policy discussions there needs to be integrity, and if we disagree, we disagree, but there should not be this punishment for when we don't follow lockstep.' 'It feels like a slap in the face as a board member,' she added.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers want student loan ban for Georgians with criminal convictions, campus conduct violations
Members of the Georgia House of Representatives filed a bill to ban any Georgian with a criminal conviction from being eligible to receive student loans, grants or scholarships for higher education. This would include programs like the HOPE Scholarship or Zell Miller Scholarship in Georgia. The bill also includes violations of an institution's code of conduct, which may not be the same as a criminal conviction. House Bill 602 includes both. The ban would be in effect for students for two academic years post-conviction beginning at the first day of term, quarter or semester of enrollment following such conviction or determination of responsibility. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] The inclusion of both a criminal conviction or being found responsible for an institutional conduct violation is in part predicated on how disciplinary actions are handled on college campuses in Georgia. Accusations of violations are typically investigated by individual institutions. A finding of responsibility for a conduct violation is not, legally, the same as a criminal conviction, though criminal investigations and conduct investigations can be performed simultaneously, and one can lead to another at the discretion of those overseeing the proceedings. TRENDING STORIES: 5 Georgia Social Security Administration offices to close amid Trump administration overhauls Delta flight with more than 200 people on board forced to turn back after engine issue Popular Buckhead barbershop making its final cut after nearly 70 years HB 602 would make it so any postsecondary education institution in the state of Georgia that receives state funds would be subject to the proposed bill. It also makes note that the proposed bans would apply to not just criminal offenses but conduct violations surrounding disruptive conduct on campus. As for what the bill defines as disruptive, lawmakers included the following actions: Engaging in fighting, violence or other unlawful behavior Damaging or defacing property Physically blocking, making violent threats or creating loud or sustained noise or vocalization to prevent others from attending, seeing or participating in an expressive activity Materially disrupting entering or exiting or using campus facilities without the institution's consent Materially violating reasonable time, place and manner restrictions made by the institution Engaing in harassment [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lawmakers gavel in for special session on school vouchers, Hurricane Helene relief, illegal immigration
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Lawmakers officially gaveled in Monday for a special legislative session on Governor Bill Lee's Education Freedom Scholarship Act, Hurricane Helene relief and illegal immigration while protestors chanted from outside the chambers to push legislators to take up gun reform after the deadly Antioch High School shooting last week. Lawmakers have been expected to take up Lee's school voucher bill first, which would use taxpayer money to pay to send students to private school or other options, if their parents choose. Lee told reporters in early Jan. 2025 he wants to give parents options for how to best educate their children. Here are the bills filed for the special session on vouchers, immigration, disaster relief 'That's what education freedom does. It allows parents to decide — and not the government to decide — what the best school is for their kid,' Lee said. 'To the degree that we can do that, we should do everything we can to make it happen.' However, it's controversial and costly. The program would cost around $425 million to implement in the first year and around $226 million each year after. Opponents have also argued school vouchers take money away from public schools because they are funded per-pupil. 'Ultimately public schools will lose money. Every state that has ever implemented a universal school voucher program, you've seen the same thing,' CEO and executive director of Professional Educators of Tennessee, J.C. Bowman, said. Lee's bill includes a 'hold harmless' provision that promises public schools won't lose funds due to disenrollment. There is still some debate on how that would work, and some questions about whether the same student would be paid for twice. 'Their argument is: why should I pay for a kid who is not enrolled in public school?' Bowman added. 'Why should I give the public school money for that kid that's not there?' Under the bill, 80% of the privilege tax from sports betting, which is currently being used to help fund the HOPE Scholarship, would be redirected to pay to build and maintain public schools. Some questioned how this legislation would impact the HOPE Scholarship, but Lee told reporters sports betting has generated more money than expected, so there is plenty to go around. 'The HOPE Scholarship has been funded through lottery and through that funding mechanism of sports betting,' Lee said. 'The funding has been adequate and, in fact, beyond what was necessary for HOPE Scholarship in the past, so what we believe is there is enough money and will be an excess of money, so we don't really see a concern about that.' Bowman told News 2 he doesn't want to see the issue of school vouchers 'rushed through' a special session and believes the votes will be incredibly tight after talking with lawmakers. 'I would say it's right about 47/47 with about six people undecided. I think it's that close,' Bowman said. Both the House and Senate passed their versions of the rules for special session, assigned committees and adjourned in less than an hour after gaveling in for the start of the special session. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
26-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Tennessee K-12 and higher education students will suffer due to school vouchers
As a proud representative of the University of Memphis and a staunch advocate for equitable public education, I am deeply concerned about Gov. Bill Lee's proposed statewide school voucher program. While it is framed as a solution to improve educational opportunities, the reality is that this proposal threatens to undermine both K-12 public schools and higher education in Tennessee. The proposed reallocation of 80% of sports betting revenue − currently funding the HOPE Scholarship program − to K-12 public school facilities is a dangerous precedent. For years, the HOPE Scholarship has been a lifeline for countless Tennessee students, enabling them to pursue higher education without the crippling burden of debt. This program, funded by the Tennessee Lottery, supports both the HOPE Scholarship and the Tennessee Promise program, which provides tuition-free access to community and technical colleges. Diverting these funds away from higher education scholarships risks destabilizing a system that has helped so many achieve their academic and professional goals. The strain on the HOPE Scholarship program is not hypothetical. State economists have projected that lottery revenues alone may fall short of meeting scholarship funding needs as early as next year. Redirecting sports betting revenue will create a $20 million shortfall for lottery-funded programs, jeopardizing the futures of thousands of students and their families who have relied on these scholarships. Governor Lee and his supporters argue that there will be sufficient funding for both K-12 and higher education, but this optimistic outlook ignores the growing demands on the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship program. From 2021 to 2024, the funding demands for this program have grown by nearly $100 million. If the governor's plan proceeds, the state will be forced to draw from the lottery's shortfall reserve, a fund designed for emergencies, not to patch holes created by legislative overreach. Equally troubling is the broader impact of vouchers on public education. Diverting public funds to private schools through voucher programs drains resources from already underfunded public schools, exacerbating inequities in our education system. Opinion: Tennessee's schools are a plane on fire. Don't turn down Gov. Lee's parachutes. Public schools in Tennessee serve the majority of our students, yet they continue to struggle with inadequate funding for students, teachers and programs. This legislation not only undermines our neighborhood schools but also creates a false promise for families seeking better opportunities. These private schools won't be held accountable to taxpayers and they will reject applicants for any reason or no reason at all. As a legislator, I cannot support a policy that sacrifices the future of Tennessee's students to fund an unproven and inequitable voucher system. The University of Memphis and other public institutions in our state are critical engines of opportunity and innovation. Weakening the foundation of higher education funding undermines our state's ability to produce a skilled workforce and attract economic investment. Instead of siphoning funds from higher education and public schools, we should be investing in solutions that strengthen these systems for all Tennesseans. This includes increasing teacher pay, improving school infrastructure, expanding access to early childhood education, and ensuring that every student, regardless of their ZIP code, has access to a high-quality public education. I urge my colleagues in the General Assembly to reject this voucher proposal and stand with the families and students who depend on strong public schools and robust higher education opportunities. The future of Tennessee depends on our commitment to education, and we cannot afford to gamble with it. State Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, represents District 33 in the Tennessees SEnate. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee lawmakers should reject school vouchers expansion | Opinion
