Republican Governor-elect Nathan Deal says deep cuts to education could be needed if the state wants to escape its budgetary crisis. That includes possible reductions to the HOPE Scholarship program.

Deal told the Atlanta Journal Constitution the program faces a more than $200 million shortfall this year. He says reducing or eliminating the book allowance could help.

Megan King is a 21-year-old Education major at Augusta State University.

She says her book allowance is already being used to pay for increased tuition and added fees.

"Every year that tuition raises our HOPE doesn’t go up so we’re just going to have to keep paying more and if they’re cutting back it’s going to get bad. I’m going to have to start taking loans."

Other changes proposed by Deal include eliminating the grant for students to take remedial classes.

The new governor will be sworn in on January 10th.

Tags: education, Nathan Deal, budget cuts, Augusta State University, Georgia HOPE scholarships, Megan King