Tennessee: House votes to reduce scholarship retention standard

By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II

NASHVILLE — Sweeping legislation that includes an across-the-board reduction in the cumulative grade point average needed to maintain a lottery-funded scholarship passed the House on Thursday.

The measure sponsored by Education Chairman Les Winningham, a Huntsville Democrat, was approved 92-1. The companion bill is detained in the Senate Finance Committee.

Under current rules, students must be enrolled full-time in college, have a GPA of at least 2.75 after their freshman year and a cumulative 3.0 GPA in subsequent years to keep the scholarship.

Winningham’s proposal would keep the GPA requirement at 2.75. The Senate version, however, would give students an extra year to raise their GPA back up to a 3.0.

“I think this is one of the best pieces of legislation we’ve had in a long time,” said Rep. Richard Montgomery, R-Sevierville. “When you take it to 2.75, it gives these young students a chance to keep their scholarships.”

Rep. Brian Kelsey, the only dissenting voter, said he opposed the legislation because he believes it lowers standards.

“If we’re going to have the best and brightest, then we need to keep the standards high,” said the Germantown Republican.

Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle agree that some form of reduction is needed to keep the merit-based award after figures released earlier this year by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission showed 50 percent of students lost their HOPE scholarships after their first year in college and 68 percent by their fourth year.

The issue has been choosing a fiscally responsible proposal because of lower-than-expected lottery revenue projections for next year.

Winningham’s proposal is expected to cost $17.5 million, compared to roughly $7.2 million for the Senate version.

Nevertheless, House Democrats believe the higher cost is worth it.

“We’re doing the right thing,” said Rep. Joe Towns Jr., D-Memphis.

The omnibus bill also includes a measure that would allow honorably discharged Iraq and Afghanistan veterans to use lottery funds to attend school.

Earlier Thursday, the House approved by a vote of 68-23 a bill to use $100 million of the state’s nearly $460 million in lottery reserves to make the state’s K-12 schools more energy efficient. It also would establish a council to award grants or loans for improvements such as better lighting or insulation.

“This gives Tennessee a chance to take the lead and development an energy efficiency program across the state,” said Winningham, the bill’s main sponsor.

Read the full text of HB0653/SB0611 and HB4039 on the General Assembly’s Web site at: http://www.legislature.state.tn.us