WEST MEMPHIS, Ark. — The Powerball jackpot is up to $1.5 billion.
States, like Tennessee, that put lottery dollars toward education and the HOPE scholarship are optimistic about what that means for the state.
Students at Arkansas State University Mid-South in West Memphis hoped to reap the benefits of the $1.5 billion Powerball jackpot.
“I’m glad it’s going for a good cause,” Ashley Scaife said.
A majority of the money made from lottery tickets in Arkansas goes straight to a scholarship fund for college students.
“For this run, we’ve sold almost $17 million in Powerball tickets as of yesterday,” Arkansas lottery director Bishop Woosley said. “So when you start to do the math on that, you’re probably looking in about $8 million in scholarship money.”
Students hope the money will make a difference for people who may not have been able to afford higher education.
“It’s good that they’re directing the money in a positive place,” Scaife said. “Investing in the youth and everyone who needs education is very important.”
Staff members told WREG more money pouring into the school could mean updated classrooms.
“We just need I guess a little bit more money for upgraded books and computers,” an employee said.
“If the students have more money then, hopefully, they’re seeing less student debt that they have to get into,” Woosley said.
