Students Speak Out on HOPE Proposal

Chanting "HOPE is our only hope," hundreds of students protested cuts to the popular college scholarship program Wednesday morning.

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John Spink, jspink@ajc.comGeorgia Tech freshman Andrew Estis (left) and Oglethorpe sophomore Marilyn Zumwalt address a rally protesting cuts to the HOPE Schoarship at the state Capitol on Wednesday.

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John Spink, jspink@ajc.comGeorgia State University students (from left) Kendra Eberhart, Jasmine Bond and freshan Sha-mara Reeves take part in a protest over cuts the the HOPE scholarship on Wednesday at the state Capitol.

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Students marched from Hurt Park to the Capitol to urge lawmakers to defeat House Bill 326. The House approved the bill Tuesday and it moves over to the Senate.

They screamed "kill that bill" and carried signs that read: "S.O.S. Save Our Scholarship."

The bill lowers the scholarship amount for most students and cuts money for books and mandatory fees. Students will have to pay thousands more out of pocket for college.

Myeia Bautista, a freshman at Georgia State University, said the cuts will force her to drop out. Bautista, the first in her family to graduate high school, receives the scholarship but also works and uses loans to afford college.

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http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-politics-elections/students-protest-hope-cuts-858190.html