09 May 2001
   
   
   The Honorable Gene Taylor,
   
        In 1994, Georgia began a scholarship program known as HOPE --
   Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally.  This scholarship program is
   funded by a state lottery (the Georgia Lottery for Education) and
   covers all residents of Georgia at both public and private
   universities in Georgia.  This program has had far reaching effects
   not only on university attendance but on university, high school, and
   national merit test performance.  A study conducted by Georgia's
   Council for School Performance has shown that Georgia's student's GPAs
   have increased since the introduction of the HOPE scholarship program
   as well as their SAT scores (discounting GPA inflation as a cause of
   the rise in GPAs.)  This increase is likely due to the fact that
   reimbursement is linked to performance of the student.
   
        I think that given Mississippi's current economical position with
   respect to education could be greatly improved with the introduction
   of a state lottery dedicated to generating funds for a state-wide
   performance-linked scholarship program.  Such a lottery would increase
   Mississippi's universities attendance and funds.
   
   Thank you for your time,




   Roy Keene
   Long Beach, MS