Lawmakers in the Georgia House of Representatives voted Thursday to lower the grade-point average requirement for students seeking state HOPE grants With the change lowering the minimum GPA back to a 2.0, Lanier Technical College in Oakwood expects to see more students enrolling in the future. “The changes to HOPE GPA are very positive for our community, our region and our state,” said Dave Parrish, Lanier Tech director of marketing and public relations. Two years ago, House members raised the GPA for the HOPE grants to 3.0 when the program’s revenue was decreasing.