Chris Lawrence and Alex from Marginal Revolution have interesting posts on the Hope Scholarship Program in GA.

About ten years ago, Zell Miller inititated the Hope Scholarship Program. Using funds from a new state lottery, Miller enabled every student in the state with a B average or better to get a free ride at a state college. The idea was to increase the number of poor, but smart students in college. How has it all worked out?

Well, not so great according to Chris and Alex. Middle class students who were planning on going to college anyway are the main beneficiaries; they seem to be using their savings to buy cars. It hasn’t increased the number of poor students, though their parents are probaly financing the middle class students by purchasing lottery tickets. It has resulted in grade inflation in high schools. The only benefit is that it may keep smart students instate. Disaster.

The lessons of this implementation is that if you’re going to aim a program at a certain population, then you have to make it airtight so that the soccer moms keep their hands off. But more importantly, any school reform has to start at the youngest of grades. It is too late to attempt to reform education at the high school level. Better to use all those lottery dollars and dump them into state of the art nursery and elementary schools targeted at certain communities.