Deal Unveils REACH Scholarship Program

As state lawmakers continue debating the future of the HOPE Scholarship plan, Goveor Nathan Deal announced details of a private fund for prospective students.

On Monday, Goveor Deal kicked off a fundraising campaign from Georgia Tech by announcing the REACH Scholarship and its first corporate sponsor, AT&T, which donated $250,000.

Deal says REACH Scholars will be selected in middle school, and they will be required to sign a contract to maintain a certain grade average.  They must also remain crime, drug, and behavior issue-free and meet with a volunteer mentor until they graduate from high school.  Parents will also have to sign a contract to support their child with their education.

The scholarships are valued at $2,500 and can be used at any HOPE-eligible institution.  Georgia Tech is announcing it will match the $2,500 scholarship for REACH scholars who are accepted and enroll at the school.

"We believe that it will give us an opportunity to demonstrate to other school systems around the state that this is a program that they should be participating in. It will start small and hopefully it will grow rather quickly," said Deal.

Students are to be selected at the local level in a partnering school district. Douglas, Rabun, and Bulloch counties will be the first to initiate the REACH program, with other districts coming on board each year.

Advocates have long argued for a needs-based scholarship. A report issued last year showed that many students are being priced out of college with tuitions and fees going up by an average of more than 12 percent a year.

High school student Daphaney Johnson is participating in a similar program in Cartersville. She says the program assures her of the chance to go to college.

Democrats said that the goveor's announcement was a diversion from efforts to address the financially-struggling HOPE Scholarship.