Study: HOPE scholars make better grades, graduate sooner than peers

   10/30/02 — HOPE Scholarship recipients take more courses, make better grades, and are more likely to graduate college in four years than their peers - whether or not they keep the scholarship, according to a new study by Georgia State University researchers.

   The study examined borderline HOPE recipients to see whether they performed better than their peers who didn't receive the scholarship, and to find out what happened when students lost the award. Borderline HOPE scholars, researchers discovered, earn about 14 more credit hours over four years, have a grade-point average about .17 points higher, and have a 72 percent higher chance of graduating a four-year institution after four years than are students who were similarly prepared for college, but didn't meet the HOPE requirements.

   "We already knew that the vast majority of HOPE recipients lose their scholarships after completing 30 credit hours of college work," said Gary Henry, professor of public administration and urban studies, political science, and educational policy studies. "Our study found that these students still tend to have a better grade-point average and take more credit hours than do students who never received HOPE. Loss of the scholarship reduces, but does not eliminate, the initial benefits of receiving the scholarship on credit hours and grade-point average."

   The Georgia legislature approved the HOPE scholarship in 1993 at the urging of then-Governor Zell Miller. The program, funded by proceeds from the Georgia Lottery, provides free tuition, fees and a book allowance for every high school graduate in Georgia who earns a minimum 3.0 grade point average in high school and maintains it through college while attending a public college or university in the state.

   In their study, "Is HOPE Enough?" Henry and Ross Rubenstein, assistant professor of public administration and educational policy studies, compared a group of borderline HOPE recipients with another group that had similar grades for high-school core courses, but fell just below the threshold of eligibility for the award because of their grades in non-core courses. The study was prompted in part by concerns that students were initially taking fewer credit hours at a time in order to remain eligible for the scholarship longer. In fact, Henry and Rubenstein found that HOPE recipients earn an average of almost 14 credit hours more over four years than do borderline non-recipients. This difference is equivalent to just over one course per year.

   "It's a relatively small difference, but statistically significant," said Rubenstein. "Perhaps it's because having the financial aid allows students to attend school for more hours in the day, rather than working. We don't know that, but we do know that our results don't support the assertion that HOPE students take fewer courses than non-HOPE students to retain eligibility."

   Read the full study: “Is HOPE Enough? Impacts of Receiving and Losing Merit-based Financial Aid.”

   For further information, contact Gary Henry at 404-651-2343.

   Below are four cuts with Gary Henry:

Cut 1:
henry1.mp3
HOPE scholars do well in college.
Length: :21
Outcue: the student

Cut 2:
henry2.mp3
Since the start of the program, the percentage of high school graduates attaining the 3.0 grade point average required for eligibility has climbed steadily.
Length: :21
Outcue: those students

Cut 3:
henry3.mp3
Henry says their research shows that the HOPE scholarship program is working.
Length: :12
Outcue: to graduate

Cut 4:
henry4.mp3
Even students who lose their eligibility for the HOPE scholarship after entering college still perform better than students who never received HOPE.
Length: :15
Outcue: grade point average

   Direct all questions or comments to Candace Chellew or call 404/651-3579. Reporters on deadline or after-hours inquiries page Betsy Robertson at 404/655-3456.

   Please let us know if you use Georgia State Radioline by taking a moment to fill out our feedback form.