Lotteries help higher ed, but don't complete the puzzle

An article in the Knoxville News-Sentinel notes stagnant enrollment in Tennessee's public colleges and universities just one year after the Tennessee Lottery and HOPE Scholarship program was instituted.

Education lotteries do help higher education, but followup is vital to ensure that students get the opportunities they need.

UT Knoxville has seen a dramatic rise in applications since the lottery scholarships debuted, but its overall numbers aren't increasing that much. It has turned away students the last two years.

Robert A. Levy, UT's vice president for academic affairs, said enrollment rose significantly at the University of Georgia when that state started its lottery scholarship program a few years ago.

"But that effect is suppressed here because this campus is desperately trying to control its enrollment," Levy said. "I mean, the Knoxville campus either has to control its enrollment or it has to find a lot of money to build new facilities and hire new faculty."

More than increasing applications, we need to improve infrastructure where it is needed, and focus on retention of new students.

While getting people in the door of a college is a vital first step, the benefits of higher education on the populace aren't realized until people graduate with diplomas in hand.