by Donald Acker

Across the country, university enrollment is increasing as government, and alumni contributions fall. Because many students ask for financial aid, schools fear they will be unable to accommodate the enrollment increase.

The lack of money is closely tied to the weakening U.S. economy. The Georgia Lottery, which funds the HOPE scholarship, is seeing stagnating sales but a rising demand for proceeds.

Tight money in the Capitol forced the University System of Georgia Board of Regents to raise tuition 6 percent at research universities and 4 percent at other four-year public schools.

According to BusinessWeek magazine, university spending is increasing five times as fast as state spending on education. The spending is not just due to more students. Schools are also sinking millions hoping to attract better professors and improve their rankings.

None of this bodes well for Chamblee students. This year, for example, 86 percent of CCHS seniors qualified for HOPE. According to guidance counselor Alan Loper, a majority of students have also applied for financial aid above and beyond HOPE.

In recent years, Loper said, more students have been unable to attend their college of choice because they could not get enough money. Almost 60 percent of the senior class will stay in state for post-secondary education and only one will attend an Ivy League institution.

Various plans hope to alleviate the budget problem. BusinessWeek tells of schools pooling together to save money on office supplies and to consolidate smaller classes. 

For example, four nearby colleges may teach Italian at only one campus. In Georgia, a proposed tobacco tax may help the state’s budget recover.