The Georgia Lottery Corp. announced record profits for education for the first quarter of fiscal year 2018. Profits transferred to the State Treasury’s Lottery for Education Account will amount to $290.45 million, surpassing last year’s record first quarter transfer by $16.85 million.
 
“Educational programs funded by the lottery continue to lay the groundwork for Georgia’s evolving and growing workforce,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “The $19 billion generated by Georgia Lottery has provided the HOPE scholarship to more than 1.8 million college students and offered access to lottery-funded Pre-K programs for more than 1.4 million 4-year-olds. The ongoing success of the Georgia Lottery is major component of ensuring each child in Georgia attains a quality education from start to finish.”
 
The Georgia Lottery’s first quarter profits bring the total raised for educational programs in the state of Georgia to more than $19 billion since the lottery’s inception in 1993.
 
“We are celebrating a special milestone with $19 billion raised for education in Georgia,” said Georgia Lottery President and CEO Debbie D. Alford. “The greatest reward is knowing that Georgia’s students benefit from our success through lottery-funded HOPE Scholarships and Grants, as well as Pre-K. Our record first quarter is a great foundation to build upon for the remainder of the fiscal year.”
 
The Georgia Lottery’s record first quarter follows a record fiscal year. In fiscal year 2017, the Georgia Lottery reached the benchmark of $1.1 billion raised for education for the first time in a single fiscal year.
 
The first quarter of the Georgia Lottery’s fiscal year spanned from July 1, 2017, to Sept. 30, 2017.