During the 1990s, while as governor of Georgia, Zell Miller implemented a state lottery system where the proceeds from the fund are used to pay for a college education to resident students attending a public university there. Today, thousands of college students are receiving a four-year education for free as long as they maintain at least a 3.0 GPA.

Why doesn't our state lottery do the same and help thousands of Pennsylvanians obtain a college education too? Currently, all proceeds from our lottery system are used to fund two separate programs that provide low cost drugs for low-and middle-income seniors.

Beginning next year, however, thanks to President George Bush, seniors' prescription drugs will now be covered under Medicare. So I ask, why does our lottery system need to continue to fund these programs any longer after 2006?

Wouldn't it make more sense for our state legislature to pass a law and redirect the lottery proceeds into higher education so that you won't leave Penn State thousands of dollars in debt?

When Penn State President Graham Spanier goes to Harrisburg soon to lobby the state legislature for more money, this issue should be on top of his list and demand that the state government do more to invest in the education of the younger generation by using lottery proceeds starting in 2006