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Mon., February 6, 2012 5:14pm (EST)

Democrats Respond To Need Based Plan
By Elizabeth Choi
Updated: 4 months ago

ATLANTA  —  
The Democratic Caucus's plan will spend $34 million less than Governor Nathan Deal's new REACH Scholarship. (photo courtesy tobym)
The Democratic Caucus's plan will spend $34 million less than Governor Nathan Deal's new REACH Scholarship. (photo courtesy tobym)
The Senate Democratic Caucus is criticizing Governor Nathan Deal's need-based scholarship program. They say it fails to recognize the current problems with the HOPE scholarship and is a diversion from discussing the issues.

Senator Jason Carter of Decatur say his caucus has a solution that repairs HOPE. He says, "We have provided a legitimate, real, well thought out responsible plan for addressing the current crisis. It restores the full scholarship to the maximum number of students every year based on revenues and based upon the student's family needs." He continues, "The amount of income cap will change every year, based upon those lottery revenues to ensure that we balance the budget every year and those HOPE lives within its means."

The Senate Democrats plan would spend $34 million less than than the REACH Scholarship, according to Carter.