Government Budgeting and Finance question
Read the Orlando Sentinel Article and the PowerPoint Presentation linked under Chapter 5.
The article and our research make the point that merit scholarships are a bad use of lottery revenues because they cause a “Reverse Robinhood” effect. The Orlando Sentinel got hundreds of letters to the editor objecting to the article when it was published in December 2022.
The letters made the opposing points that the Bright Futures Scholarships reward students for their hard work, they lead to the best and the brightest students staying in Florida to go to college and then staying in the state to start their careers, and the awarding of the scholarships is color-blind and class-blind. There is nothing on the application that asks for the student’s race or income.
Which side of the argument do you take? Defend your answer.
Are there ways that we could change the scholarships that would make them more equitable? Explain.