Lynne Riley and the 30th Anniversary of the HOPE Scholarship

The Georgia Politics Podcast

This week on The Georgia Politics Podcast, we are back with “Part 2” of our recognition of the 30th anniversary of the HOPE Scholarship.

Joining in studio is Lynne Riley, President of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, to talk about the progression of the HOPE Scholarship over the years, and how it has fared since its inception 30 years ago. Due to skyrocket demand and economic downturns, the scholarship has seen changes – some controversial. Of note, Governor Kemp has proposed plans to return fully funding the scholarship for the first time since 2011 in his recent State of the State address.

There are a lot of nuances to the scholarship that not everyone is aware of, or knows that their children can or should be taking advantage of – from a younger age than many would assume. Lynne details some of those nuances and the many opportunities available to Georgia’s youth.

About Lynne Riley

Lynne Riley was appointed President of the Georgia Student Finance Commission in July 2020 to lead the agency in the administration of state and lottery funded scholarship, grant, and loan programs, ensuring access to higher education for Georgians. The nationally recognized HOPE scholarship program has provided two million students with over $13 billion in awards since its inception in 1993.

Riley previously served as Georgia’s first woman State Treasurer and State Revenue Commissioner. Elected in 2010 to serve in the Georgia General Assembly representing House District 50 (Johns Creek), Lynne began her career in public service as Fulton County Commissioner for District 3 (North Fulton) in 2004.

Lynne serves on the Board of the Education Finance Council and serves as CEO of the REACH Georgia Foundation. Riley is an alumnus of the Atlanta Regional Commission's Regional Leadership Institute and the Coverdell Leadership Institute. Lynne is the Chairman of the Emory Johns Creek Hospital Board of Trustees. Lynne was appointed to the Internal Revenue Service Electronic Tax Administration Advisory Committee in 2018 for a three-year term.

Lynne was Principal of Riley Accounting Services for 32 years. Lynne and her husband Mike made the Johns Creek community their home in 1988 and have three adult children and three grandchildren.

Connect with the Georgia Student Finance Commission online at gafutures.org

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