The survey determined the number of Georgia-resident

freshmen attending various colleges and universities

throughout Georgia for the fall 1998 semester, and how many of these

students had earned Georgia's HOPE Scholarship.

Only Georgia residents are eligible for HOPE.

At two of the schools Spelman College and Emory

University 100 percent of the Georgia-resident freshmen enrolled

are HOPE Scholars.

At the Georgia Institute of Technology, 99 percent of

the 1,190 freshmen are on HOPE.

"The brain drain from Georgia has slowed down to a drip,"

GSFC executive director Glenn Newsome said.

In addition, statistics released by the U.S. Department of

Education show the migration of Georgia students to out of state

four year colleges and universities declined between 1992 and 1996.

In 1992 the year before the HOPE Scholarship was

established 26 percent of Georgia freshmen left Georgia for

four year colleges and universities in other states.

percent.

Nationwide, 29 percent of freshmen in 1996 left their

resident states for college.

A recent article in USA Today said 70 percent of students

who leave do not return home to work after graduation.

"One of the main reasons Gov. Miller created HOPE was to

keep our best and brightest students in Georgia and stop the brain

drain," Newsome said.

HOPE Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally

provides tuition, mandatory fees and a $300 per school year book

allowance to Georgia students attending Georgia public

colleges, universities and technical institutes. HOPE provides a

$3,000 scholarship to students attending Georgia private colleges and

universities. Degree-seeking students must earn a 'B' average in

college.

HOPE Scholarships are funded entirely by proceeds from

the Georgia Lottery.

Since September 1993, more than 355,000 HOPE Scholars

have received $653.9 million for their tuition, fees and books.

HOPE is administered by the Georgia Student Finance

Commission. For information, visit www.gsfc.org or call

770-414-3056.

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