"State education officials are touting the benefit of students being able to use lottery money to pay for summer school, but some lawmakers are concerned that doing so may deplete funds," the Knoxville News Sentinel reports. "Summer school has become a 'critical tool' in reducing the time it takes for students to finish college, and access to lottery scholarships to pay for summer courses would accelerate graduation rates at University of Tennessee campuses, according to Jan Simek, UT interim president. 'It would be very helpful, especially in trying to get kids out in four years, or even three years for some disciplines, if they could have access to lottery scholarship funds to use in the summer sessions - which they don't have,' Simek told the News Sentinel's editorial board this month. At UT Knoxville, about 99 percent of all in-state freshmen qualified for HOPE scholarships this year, which pays $4,000 per year for four-year institutions and requires a B average in high school work, at least a 2.75 in college work after 48 credit hours and a cumulative 3.0 in subsequent years."