Thanks to fellow Georgians’ eagerness to play a state-operated game of risk, Jordan Madden attends a reputable university free of charge.

Without it, Madden figures he would be enrolled at a community college or a more affordable, lower-level school. Instead, he stands one year away from a degree in public policy at Georgia State in Atlanta.

Picking up the tab for him and scores of other in-state students are purchasers of tickets sold by the Georgia Lottery. It is the rare state where all lottery proceeds are channeled toward schooling — primarily in the form of the HOPE college scholarship for undergraduates, which is widely considered the nation’s gold standard for such aid.

"It really does a great job in helping students across the state to have access to higher education,” Madden said.

Especially himself. Having tuition paid for has freed Madden up to engage in campus activities and seek internships rather than holding down part-time jobs.

"HOPE helped me beat that [financial] burden,” he said. "I don’t have to worry about working as much.”

The Merit-Based Approach

Because the scholarship is awarded on merit with a minimum 3.0 grade-point average upon graduation from high school and throughout college — as opposed to most other states, which tie their lottery-funded aid to financial need — the influx of higher-achieving students has enhanced the reputation of Georgia universities.

The plan enables Georgia to retain some of its more academically accomplished pupils who can avoid shelling out for more expensive options across state borders. Applications have risen at the major schools, as have GPAs for those applicants, though a direct correlation has not been confirmed through known studies. Home-grown entrants have driven the hike in enrollment numbers.

Https://Www.Lotterygeeks.Com/Lottery-Scholarship-Dollars-College-Georgia/