I love my alma mater, but I wish somebody over at Emory would have figured out a way to buy out the state at some point and have us as part of them.

I know this is a generalization, but I find it kind of egregious. Georgia is one of the only states left (AFAIK) where you can essentially attend an in-state college for free if you have a high enough GPA [0]. You can argue about the means by which that is achieved (the lottery), but as a current Tech student I know plenty of very talented students who wouldn't be able to attend college, let alone an engineering school, without these scholarship programs. I doubt that a state/government that truly was anti-technology or anti-"smart" would funnel what must be billions of dollars a year into academic scholarships.

[0]: https://www.gafutures.org/hope-state-aid-programs/hope-zell-...

Having a lottery determine who gets in is anti-smart (to steal your word) because it doesn't reward based on anything other than randomness. Maybe better described as socialist

All proceeds from the state lottery must, by law, go fund pre-K education and college tuition.

This was a necessary condition to legalize the lottery because conservative rural GA Christians believe lotteries are sinful.

In GA pre-K and state colleges are free to state residents.

What a backwards bunch of hicks! /sarcasm

So financial aid / scholarships are not only fickle, but also funded by things that hurt the communities that such scholarships would help out most.

Emory still has a lot of other issues, just because of being in the South.

Any young person in GA can work hard and go to top schools for free.

I think that’s a pretty awesome deal for disadvantaged communities. Especially compared to every other state that has legal lotteries and eye watering tuition.

Sure, I’d rather lotteries were illegal again. But I’d keep the HOPE baby as I dump the bath water. It’s a model for other states!

You’re aware those same hicks with their backward values that voted for values you don’t agree with are the same hicks, with the same values, that made GT free for you to attend?

Those conservative evangelicals who agreed to legalize the state lottery only if all proceeds go to tuition and early childhood education - they’re the reason your education was free.

I think things are too entrenched these days, but the schools strong points complement each other so well.

You appreciate the irony that this hostile state and her backwards residents paid to have this top school with top facilities and top researchers, right?