Reid promotes new HOPE Scholarship program

Elizabeth Dutton

Friday, Jan. 9, 1998 | 2:29 a.m.

Now there is hope for affording higher education, literally.

Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., and Community College of Southern Nevada President Richard Moore want Nevadans to take advantage of the new HOPE Scholarship program.

"Your federal government has made a huge change," Moore said.

The HOPE Scholarship will provide students with a 100 percent tax credit for the first $1,000 of tuition and required fees, and 50 percent credit for the second $1,000.

Nevada students who are enrolled at least half the time in 1998 in either post-secondary education or a program leading to a degree or certificate are eligible as long as they are drug free.

Eligibility is also met upon completion of financial requirements. Taxpayers must have filed a federal income tax return and paid federal taxes and have adjusted gross income of less than $50,000 for individual returns and $100,000 for joint returns. Students must either be claimed as a dependent or file their own tax return.

A press conference was held Friday at the CCSN Charleston branch as students rushed to beat the payment deadline for spring courses. Both Reid and Moore addressed the crowd, encouraging students to apply for the HOPE scholarship.

"The money you are going to pay in just a moment will probably be refunded to you at the end of the tax year," Moore said.

Reid stressed the importance of obtaining a degree.

"Our world's become much more complicated," he said. "You're not prepared for too many things when you graduate from high school."

One student who has already benefitted from the HOPE program was grateful for the assistance.

"This scholarship could never have been given a better name," said CCSN student Tiffany Drake.

Many students headed directly from the payment line to the HOPE scholarship information booth. Moore was pleased to see the lines so crowded.

"Those are working Nevadans changing their lives," he said.