The Georgia Lottery says sales for the 2008 fiscal year ending June 30th totaled more than $3.5 billion, a new record in the lottery's 15 year history.

$858 million of that will be turned over to the state to help fund education programs like the HOPE Scholarship. This surpassing last year's record donation by more than $4.8 million.

"Being a student that was with the HOPE scholarship I think it's excellent because the more people that play the lottery the more people the more money we get so it's helping a lot of students who's parents are not financially able to do that so I think that's excellent," said Tierra Perkins, Thomasville resident and recipient of the HOPE Scholarship.

This year's fiscal numbers were more than $97 million dollars ahead of last year's record sales.

Governor Sonny Perdue joined lottery officials at the news conference Tuesday, announcing that the lottery program has transferred around $10 billion to state education programs.