He Said-TOPIC: Lottery scholarship requirements-Higher education can do better than so-so students
Forget about academic excellence. When it comes to school work, Tennessee has proven time and time again we’re committed to mediocrity.
State figures are circulating that show some 80 percent of college students will lose their lottery scholarships during their college career.
But wait, some state lawmakers ‘ and Gov. Phil Bredesen himself ‘ have proposed a solution. It doesn’t involve tutoring sessions or ways to help students work harder. Remember the goal ‘ mediocrity.
With that in mind, the General Assembly, in its ultimate wisdom, wants to dumb down the requirements for a lottery scholarship. It seems a 3.0 GPA, a mere B average, is too much to expect. So let’s just lower the GPA requirement to 2.75 and everyone will be happy.
I must ask: Is this a scholarship program or a welfare program? It’s no wonder so many people expect handouts. We’re telling them if they can’t meet the expectations, we’ll just lower the expectations. It’s a lesson that makes me cringe.
Our young adults aren’t learning hard work leads to success. They’re learning average grades are considered scholarship material.
Unfortunately, this is Tennessee’s mode of operation. When faced with improving high school graduation rates, school systems across the state boldly responded by offering easier courses.
It’s no wonder U.S. 15-year-olds rank 28th out of 41 industrialized countries in math. We’re 16th in reading, 22nd in science, and 29th in problem solving, according to the Program for International Student Assessment.
In a global economy where we’re literally competing against the world, Tennessee strives to be average. Let’s be honest. Are we trying to produce the best and brightest?
It all comes down to our basic philosophy. We can set the bar low and pat ourselves on the back when everyone jumps over it with ease. Or we can encourage students to exert a little effort and work to earn their $2,000 scholarships.
Tennessee should challenge its bright, young minds who want to retain their scholarships. Rewarding average grades with scholarship money is a sure-fire way to embrace this state’s storied tradition of unremarkable academic achievement.
Lawmakers would be doing this state a great disservice by lowering the GPA requirements for a lottery scholarship under the guise such a move would somehow benefit education.