Tennessee: 2-year colleges get fewer HOPE scholars

A study by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission shows fewer students awarded the HOPE scholarship are choosing to start off at community colleges, but two-year college officials say it has not affected overall enrollment.

“Community college growth (among first-time freshmen) is decreasing,” said David Wright, associate executive director of policy, planning and research at THEC.

In 2004, the percentage of first-time freshmen enrolled at Cleveland State Community College with the lottery scholarship was 61 percent, according to the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship 2008 Annual Report. But in the last four years that number sank to 55 percent.

The study showed that 40 percent of first-time freshmen at Chattanooga State Technical Community College in 2004 received HOPE, but in 2007 only 31 percent entered with the scholarship.

Traditionally many high school students who believed they were not prepared for the rigors of college started at a community college and then transferred to a four-year institution, Mr. Wright said.

But since HOPE recipients are awarded $4,000 to begin school at a four-year university and $2,000 to begin at a community college, many are choosing the former, said Cleveland State’s president, Dr. Carl Hite.

“I would have preferred that the dollar amount would be the same,” said Dr. Hite. “That dollar amount for the four-year college was attractive enough to say to the student, ‘I can afford to go to a four-year college rather than a two-year college.’ The lottery scholarship gave students different choices.”

But about 50 percent of students with the lottery scholarship lose it their freshman year. Many of them return to community college, said Dr. Hite.

Also, some students who haven’t lost their scholarship but are struggling in the four-year college environment leave to come to community college, said Eva Lewis, a spokeswoman at Chattanooga State.

“First-time freshmen are in decline, but many students are returning from four-year schools,” she said. “It evens out. Overall enrollment has not been affected.”

At Chattanooga State the total number of HOPE recipients enrolled has increased over time, Ms. Lewis said. In 2004 436 students received HOPE, and last year 719 students received the scholarship.