Expansion of Tennessee’s HOPE Scholarship finding support in state committee

Legislation to make the HOPE Scholarship accessible to graduate students received support from two key education leaders in the State House on Monday.Representatives Justin Lafferty and Mark White both expressed strong support for the bill during discussion in this year’s first meeting of the State House Higher Education Subcommittee.“People that are out there busting it probably don’t need our help anyway because they’re going to find a way but something like this really does move the ball,” said Representative Justin Lafferty who serves as the subcommittee chair.“I’m all about supporting overachievers,” said Representative Mark White who chairs the House Education Administration Committee. “I can’t wait for this bill to come before us so I can support it.”The Tennessee HOPE Scholarship is a lottery funded scholarship that’s awarded to freshmen who are enrolled at an eligible postsecondary study institution after graduating from an eligible Tennessee high school.For four-year institutions, the scholarship provides up to $2,250 a semester for full-time enrolled freshmen and sophomores which then increases to $2,850 for juniors and seniors. For two-year institutions, it provides up to $1,600.Under current law, students can only receive the scholarship until they’ve either earned a baccalaureate degree or five years have passed from the date of initial enrollment.Legislation filed earlier this month by State Representative William Lamberth and State Senator Bo Watson would allow students who complete their undergraduate degree early, the ability to keep their HOPE Scholarship while pursuing a graduate degree for up five years of total scholarship assistance.Representative Lamberth says he realized the legislation was needed after speaking with a local high school teacher whose daughter finished her undergraduate degree in three years.“Her reward for that was she lost her fourth year of HOPE Scholarship eligibility,” said Lamberth. “You can take your time and take a few hours and just kind of lollygag along through college and you get every dime of the HOPE Scholarship award. But at the same time, if you do it quicker, there’s no reward.”Rep. Lamberth proposed a similar last change last year as an amendment on another bill.  The amendment made it through the committee process but didn’t make it into the final legislation that passed.This year’s bill will begin in the House Higher Education subcommittee’s lottery calendar that serves legislation related to the lottery fund.