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Comment by duaneb | Hacker News Reader

How's the in-state tuition for students who can't maintain a GPA in high school because they worked through it?

Is a university really an appropriate place to send someone who couldn't keep up with high school coursework, whatever the reason, in the first place? At the very least, wouldn't we need some kind of preparatory education in between? There may be exceptions but I think it'd be hard for universities to evaluate if they are academically qualified.

As an aside, I know of several states that have similar programs - I'd thought that in many states, so long as you scored sufficiently high on the SAT or ACT, you were eligible to automatically get a partial (if lower) or full (if higher) scholarship to in-state public institutions.

>Is a university really an appropriate place to send someone who couldn't keep up with high school coursework, whatever the reason, in the first place?

A really good question. I'd say the US does a very poor job of either providing that preparatory edu for those who need it or guiding those who fall out of the educational system into trade schools and other vocations, something that Germany also does very well. Not sure what the solution is for the US... we're so focused on the people at the top and the bottom that everyone else is left out.

For what it's worth, most programs really can't assume much about incoming classes having a solid background, so there is a lot of remedial effort in first year anyway.

So yes, if you were basically competent but didn't put the time in in highschool, for whatever reason, then sure - if you're willing to do the work no reason they can't succeed.

And given that high schools are such a mixed bag, I do think it's worth at least looking at giving more kids a shot. It might be interesting to have a slate of such scholarships reserved for students who wouldn't qualify on entry, but would after first semester/year.

Which isn't to say everyone should go, I really wish there were more real vocational options. But if they want it and can do the work, absolutely.

Georgia has a good way of dealing with this as well. As recently as a few years ago(they made some recent changes, I'm not sure about now) you could go to a college, get a 3.0 GPA and become eligible for the scholarships. There is also a fantastic exchange program that allows academically late bloomers to transfer to better schools once they start performing better. Both of my brothers took advantage of these means. They both transferred from community colleges to Georgia Tech from community colleges once they got their act together.( and both ended up graduating with highest honors and with less than 10k in debt) If you are that confident you are capable of college but werent able to prov it in high school, i think having to put up a years worth of costs before the state will help you out is a good gatekeeper to making sure only those for whom that is actually the case benefit from the system. At a minimum, it raises the stakes of you succeeding.

That sounds like a good program.

This seems an odd one to be "downvoted", enough so I'm curious why. I wouldn't have noticed except it changes the font color.

For most schools its around 3,000-4,500 a semester for about 12-18 hours. Community college cost a little bit less but not by much (GaTech, Kennesaw State, Ga State, Ga Perimeter College)

Our largest school, University of Georgia, its a bit more. Something like $10,000 a semester but the tuition is the same at each school the fees are much higher at UGA.

*Georgia Tech - I am not 100% on tuition/fees for this school.

I feel you on the working while in school thing, thats the reason I lost my Hope Scholarship!

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