NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Republican Party applauds Gov. Phil Bredesen today for reversing his recent position and agreeing with Republicans that the state’s lottery-funded college scholarships should be awarded based on merit rather than the program be turned into another entitlement program, as state House and Senate Democrats propose.

According to an article in the Jan. 24 Tennessean, Gov. Bredesen is now supporting the proposals offered by the Republicans in the General Assembly that maintains the lottery scholarship criteria at a B average and earned on merit contrary to the Democrats who plan to introduce legislation that changes the scholarship program into an entitlement requiring only a C average.

Republicans and Bredesen are also in agreement that the retention criteria should be reviewed and possibly set at a 2.75 grade point average in light of the more difficult academic environment in college compared to high school.

Just last November at a higher education budget hearing Bredesen expressed support for altering the program to include a financial need-based qualification rather than only academic merit,” according to an article in the Dec. 24 Chattanooga Times-Free Press.

And in late November Bredesen told the Nashville City Paper that awarding scholarships based in merit was “elitist” because it helps students “who don’t need the help” because their parents can afford to pay their tuition.

Currently, a $4,000 HOPE scholarship is awarded to Tennessee high school seniors attending a four-year university in state and graduating high school with either a 3.0 GPA or a 21 on the ACT.

Democrats in the legislature are proposing to shift the program to an entitlement structure by both lowering the qualifying grade average to a C and offering different scholarship amounts based on financial need.

“We pleased that Gov. Bredesen agrees with Republicans on the need to keep the HOPE scholarship a merit-based scholarship, and on the need to avoid turning the program into an entitlement that could burden taxpayers,” said Robin Smith, chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party. “We urge him to encourage his fellow Democrats in the legislature to follow suit in keeping the best and brightest students in Tennessee.”

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Jan. 24, 2008, Tennessee Republican Party, www.tngop.org

Reference information:

Article by John Rodgers, Nashville City Paper, Nov. 30, 2007
http://nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=58150

Article by Angie Herrington, Chattanooga Times-Free Press, Dec. 24, 2007
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2007/dec/24/Lawmakers-split-on-more-needbased-scholarships

Article by Colby Sledge, The Tennessean, Jan. 24, 2008
http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080124/NEWS04/801240383/1001/NEWS

Bill Hobbs
Communications Director
Tennessee Republican Party
2424 21st Avenue, Suite 200
Nashville, Tennessee 37212
Phone: (615) 269-4260
Email: billhobbs@tngop.org