A few years back, when students received good grades on their report card, they got pats on their backs from their parents. Today, however, in some areas, not only do they get pats on their backs, they get money for it.
   According to the Chicago Tribune, over 5,000 freshmen at twenty Chicago public high schools gain money in cash for earning good grades. Every five weeks, students are checked in math, English, social sciences, science and physical education. Any student in the school areas of Chicago will receive $50 for an A, $35 for a B, and $20 even for a C.
   At the end of his or her sophomore year, a straight-A student could earn up to $4,000. This offer goes to the sophomores, too. The program aims for freshmen and sophomores because research shows a correlation between how well students do during the two years of high school and students being at risk of dropping out.
   However, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, schools pay their passing students $300 if they attend ninety percent of classes of the school year.
   Near Atlanta, Georgia, eighth graders through eleventh graders who take part in after school study programs earn $8 an hour. The program’s creator says their goal is to motivate students to stay in school.
   The chief of Baltimore schools, Andres Alonso, promised to spend more than $935,000 to give high school students as much as $110 each to improve their scores on state graduation exams.
   In 60 New York schools, about 9,000 fourth graders through seventh graders may attain as much as $500 for improving their scores on English and math test.
   In September of last year seven states applied for a grant, the Exxon/Mobile-funded program, that will allow students get paid about $100. The following states won: Arkansas, Alabama, Connecticut, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, and Washington.
   Kanesha Mullins, a freshmen, stated, “I think their bribing, but I’ll take the money.”
   Some schools store half the money the students make into each student’s bank account they get. The money in the bank stays there until the student graduates from high school. Students then get the money back for college intuition and books for college.