HOPE Scholarship
Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally
HOPE Scholarship provides students with state funds for tuition. The tuition award amount is determined annually by the Georgia Student Finance Commission as a "per credit hour rate" which is published on their website.
Zell Miller Scholarship
Zell Miller Scholarship pays full standard tuition for students who earned a 3.7 GPA (un-weighted) for all academic high school classes and earned at least a 1200 in one sitting on the Math and Verbal section of the SAT or at least a 26 on the ACT. Students who are Valedictorian or Salutatorian of their class are automatically eligible for Zell Miller Scholarship.
HOPE/Zell Miller Deadlines
The deadline to be reviewed for Georgia’s HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarships is the last day of class for the semester which the student is seeking payment from these funds. Students who think they may be eligible for HOPE Scholarship must contact the Financial Aid Office prior to the last day of the semester that they are seeking potential payment from the HOPE Scholarship Program.
HOPE/Zell Miller Check-points for eligibility
A student's GPA is evaluated at the following checkpoints:
| Semester Hours | Class Year |
|---|---|
| 30 attempted semester hours | End of First-Year |
| 60 attempted semester hours | End of Sophomore Year |
| 90 attempted semester hours | End of Junior Year |
| 120 attempted semester hours | End of Senior Year |
| Review occurs at the end of every Spring Semester (except for beginning First-Year students enrolled below full-time) | |
Eligibility Limits
- Students are eligible to receive the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship for up to 127 attempted or paid hours, whichever is reached first.
- Students must maintain a 3.3 GPA requirement at each checkpoint to keep the Zell Miller Scholarship. If a student does not have a 3.3 GPA but does have at least a 3.0 GPA when arriving at a checkpoint, the student can be reviewed for HOPE Scholarship.
- After 127 attempted or paid hours or once a bachelor's degree is earned, students become ineligible for scholarship funds.
- A student may receive the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship no longer than 10 years after their high school graduation date, GED test date, Home Study program completion date, or date the student stopped pursuing a diploma.
- Students who received the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship prior to Spring 2019 are eligible for 7 years after their high school graduation or equivalent date.
How is my GPA Calculated?
| Your GPA includes | Your GPA does not include |
|---|---|
| All hours attempted after high school graduation while in a degree program at a postsecondary institution, including hours taken at out-of-state and foreign institutions | Hours taken while in high school such as AP, Joint Enrollment, IB, and Dual Enrollment |
| Hours taken at prior institutions, even if GCSU does not accept the credit and even if HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship did not pay for the courses | Continuing education courses |
| Hours from which you withdraw | Hours that you drop during the drop/add period |
| Courses you repeat, no matter how many times you attempt them. | Grades earned through tests, examinations, and course challenges (ie. CLEP, AP Exams) |
| Credits from internships |
Second Chance to regain HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarships
HOPE Scholarship
Students who lose the HOPE Scholarship after 30 attempted hours or an End-of-Spring check-point may regain eligibility if they have a 3.0 GPA at the point of attempting 60 or 90 semester hours.
Zell Miller Scholarship
Students who lose Zell Miller Scholarship after 30 attempted hours or an End-of-Spring check-point may regain eligibility if they have a 3.3 GPA at the point of attempting 60 or 90 semester hours. A student can lose and regain Zell Miller Scholarship only one time.
- If the student does not maintain the 3.3 GPA, but does have a 3.0 or higher GPA, the student can be reviewed for HOPE Scholarship.
Resources
Additional HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship Resources