Tennessee senator Bo WatsonNASHVILLE — A special legislative panel is considering a proposal that would end high school graduates’ ability to qualify for Tennessee lottery scholarships through their ACT score alone.
The Senate Lottery Stabilization Task Force has been assigned by Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville to find ways to stem losses in the scholarship fund’s reserves.
“Our ultimate goal is to reverse the negative trajectory of the program,” said Senate Education Chairwoman Dolores Gresham, R-Somerville, said at the panel’s first meeting Monday.
Students must currently earn either a 3.0 grade-point average or score a 21 on their ACT to qualify for a scholarship worth $4,000 at four-year schools.
David Wright, who heads the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s policy and planning division, told the panel that without any changes, the lottery’s reserves would be depleted to the statutory minimum of $50 million by 2024.