In state public schools are cheaper. Rural students are less likely to apply to out of state colleges as rural areas usually don't have as many upper income families. Most students go to public in state colleges (that's why they receive state tax dollars). In TN, if you take the SAT your either going out of state or your going to a private school, like say academic powerhouse Vandy.
If you want to compare what the lottery does and the level of students in GA and TN compare UT's and UGA's avg. admitted student. UGA is higher. UGA is the 18th best public university in the nation. We are tied for 44th. 41% of incoming FR at UGA are in the top 10 of their class, at UT only 26%. Go to U.S. World News Report and check for yourself:
http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/natudoc/tier2/t2natudoc.htm
Two things are constant... if you want an excellent military spend more on military; likewise if you want an excellent education system spend money on education. Its not coincidence that the finest educational colleges and universities in this nation are the most expensive.