Though most teens get just a pat on the back for good grades, freshmen in Chicago's public high schools get checks. The payout is $50 for As, $35 for Bs and $20 for Cs.
It's called the "Green for Grade$" program, and it was designed by Harvard University. Students are paid every five weeks, with the money coming from private donations.
Chicago freshmen last fall earned about $266,000.
Recipients get half of what they earn up front; the rest is stored away until they graduate.
As a student who sometimes needs motivation or incentives to get particularly boring work done, I can sympathize, but I always manage to bring my grades up, even though I don't get any rewards for my As or Bs.
In a random sampling of Augusta teens, I found that my peers have starkly different views about this system.
Mary Grace Messick, a sophomore at Greenbrier High School, said she knows first-hand that a financial reward for good grades works. Mary and her sister get $10 for each A and $5 for each B.
Lauren Chesani, a freshman at Greenbrier, said students generally shouldn't be paid for making good grades, but she said she could see how it would work for students who are economically disadvantaged.
"From another point of view, I guess it would be a good idea, because that would give them money for needed items and help them get a good education," she said.
Maddie Stafford, a freshman at John S. Davidson Fine Arts School, said money has nothing to do with how smart someone is.
"A lot of students try harder so that they won't be poor, and I don't think it is a very (good) thing for schools to reward them like that."
Madelaine Dubin, a freshman at Augusta Preparatory Day School, says that she would probably like an incentive program at her school but that she thinks rewarding students with money sends the wrong message.
"It's like someone says, 'Hey, we'll pay you to put some effort into your life.' If they don't want to work, then let them become bums," she said.
Paul Perry, a junior at Greenbrier High School, said schools should provide incentives, just not financial ones.
"Many students don't care about grades, and if schools can think of new incentives, I think grades will rise," he said.
Lauren Noto is a freshman at Greenbrier High School.
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Some students care about the grades and they want to work. My kids never got paid for their grades. They might get a special gift for a wonderful report card but not money. I do not think promising money would make some students try harder. If they work and study just for money what do we teach these kids? School is not about money it is all about teaching values also. This is not a good example. I am totally against it. This is another way of teaching the kids that money is everything. And what do you think they will use that money for???
When our kids are in school that is their 'job'. Most people get paid to do their job. Sure, we want kids to want to make good grades because it's the 'good' thing to do, but that's not always reality. Giving them that little incentive makes them work harder and they're bound to learn something along the way. I don't know about the school system paying them though. I'd have to think about that a bit. But as far as parents paying, I don't see anything wrong with it. Consider it their 'bonus' for doing a good job.