Where does GA lottery proceeds goes?
Georgia Lottery proceeds are used to fund specific education programs: 1) With a 3.0 grade point average, Georgia students may qualify for Georgia’s HOPE scholarships that may be used at eligible public and private colleges and universities and public technical colleges for tuition, mandatory fees, and book allowances; for tuition assistance for undergraduate students and paraprofessionals who aspire to be teachers; and for tuition assistance to teachers who seek advanced degrees in critical areas of need; 2) The Georgia Prekindergarten Program for all 4-year-olds; and 3) capital outlay projects including computer and other technological upgrades for schools, technical institutes, colleges and universities in the state. More than 1.2 million students have been able to attend colleges through Georgia’s HOPE scholarship program; more than 940,000 four-year-olds have attended Georgia’s Prekindergarten Program; and all of Georgia’s public schools have benefited from over $1.8 billion in ca
Almost $1.8 billion worth of Georgia lottery proceeds that could have gone for HOPE scholarships has instead been spent on a long list of other projects, including museums, security fences and metal detectors, and renovations of historic buildings. And millions are still being spent for special scholarship programs that benefit a few private colleges favored by powerful lawmakers. Now, with HOPE facing a shortfall and a state commission looking for ways to rein in expenses, some officials wonder whether the lottery-funded splurge over the past decade was a good idea. That wasn’t a concern during the early years of the lottery, when money was coming in so fast politicians almost had to invent ways to spend it. “When the faucet was turned on, we were gurgling over how to spend it all,” said Gov. Sonny Perdue, who was a Democratic Senate leader when the flow of funds began in the mid-1990s. Initially, then-Gov. Zell Miller, the founder of HOPE, was clear about how the money should be spen
Georgia Lottery Corp. officials say profits rose slightly over this time last year despite the sagging economy. The lottery said Friday it brought in $215 million during its first quarter of fiscal year 2010, up from $214 million for the same period last year. The first quarter of the fiscal year is from July 1 to Sept. 30. Georgia Lottery proceeds fund the HOPE scholarship program and free pre-kindergarten for 4-year-olds. Since it opened in 1993, the lottery has raised more than $11 billion that went to scholarships for 1 million students and pre-K for 940,000 children. Sources: http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/251/story/875542.
