Navigating HOPE Scholarship Eligibility for Graduate Students

Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) has provided more than $16 billion of financial assistance for educational programs beyond high school. The HOPE Scholarship, funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education, is a merit-based award available to Georgia residents who have demonstrated academic achievement. While primarily known for supporting undergraduate studies, there are ways in which the HOPE Scholarship can extend to graduate programs, offering financial relief to eligible students pursuing advanced degrees.

The Genesis of HOPE

The legislation for this program was scripted in 1992 under the supervision of Governor Zell Miller and launched a year later to provide assistance towards the cost of tuition at eligible Georgia postsecondary institutions to incent and reward Georgia’s high achieving students. This unique initiative has helped more than 2.2 million students at eligible state public and private universities and public technical schools to create the “better-educated work force…and invest in (Georgia’s) economic future” as Miller envisioned in his 1992 State of the State Address.

Understanding the HOPE Scholarship Programs

HOPE consists of six different aid programs. The HOPE Scholarship is a merit-based award available to Georgia residents who have demonstrated academic achievement. A HOPE Scholarship recipient must graduate from high school with a minimum 3.00 grade point average (as calculated by GSFC) and maintain a minimum 3.00 cumulative postsecondary grade point average to remain eligible. The scholarship provides tuition assistance to students pursuing an undergraduate degree at a HOPE Scholarship eligible college or university in Georgia. A ten-year limit exists for students first receiving the HOPE Scholarship during summer term 2019 (FY20) or later. A seven-year limit exists for students first receiving the HOPE Scholarship during the 2011-2012 academic year (FY12) or later. HOPE Grant is available to Georgia residents who are pursuing a certificate or diploma. A HOPE Grant recipient must maintain a minimum 2.00 cumulative postsecondary grade point average to remain eligible. The grant provides tuition assistance to students enrolled at a HOPE Grant eligible college or university in Georgia. Zell Miller Scholarship is a merit-based award available to Georgia residents, similar to the HOPE Scholarship, but with more stringent academic requirements. A Zell Miller Scholarship recipient must graduate from high school with a minimum 3.70 grade point average (as calculated by GSFC), combined with a minimum SAT score of 1200 on the math and reading portions or a minimum composite ACT score of 25 in a single national test administration, and maintain a minimum 3.30 cumulative postsecondary grade point average to remain eligible. Eligible students are provided a higher level of tuition assistance while pursuing an undergraduate degree at a Zell Miller Scholarship eligible college or university in Georgia. A ten-year limit exists for students first receiving the Zell Miller Scholarship during summer term 2019 (FY20) or later. A seven-year limit exists for students first receiving the Zell Miller Scholarship during the 2011-2012 academic year (FY12) or later. Zell Miller Grant is a merit-based program available to Georgia residents pursuing a certificate or diploma. A Zell Miller Grant recipient must maintain a minimum 3.50 cumulative postsecondary grade point average to remain eligible. Eligible students are provided full standard tuition assistance while enrolled at a Zell Miller Grant eligible college or university in Georgia. HOPE High School Equivalency (HSE) Examination Grant was created beginning with the 2022-2023 Award Year (State Fiscal Year 2023). The grant provides assistance with the fee to seat for a state approved high school equivalency exam. HOPE Career Grant is available to Georgia residents who are receiving the HOPE Grant or Zell Miller Grant and pursuing an approved certificate or diploma at an eligible college or university in Georgia.

HOPE Scholarship: Core Requirements

To be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, students must graduate from high school with a 3.0 cumulative GPA as calculated by GSFC. Students must also be enrolled in a degree-seeking undergraduate program. The scholarship covers a portion of tuition costs associated with attending Georgia Tech or other higher education institution in the state of Georgia. The award amount of the scholarship varies based on the number of credit hours taken.

Maintaining Eligibility

HOPE Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.00 HOPE GPA. Zell Miller Scholarship Recipients must maintain a 3.30 Zell Miller Scholarship GPA. If you are otherwise eligible, you can continue to receive the scholarship through 127 HOPE Attempted or Paid hours, whichever comes first. OSFA checks a student’s HOPE GPA at 30, 60, and 90 attempted hours, as well as every Spring semester. While you can lose HOPE at the Spring semester checkpoint, you can only regain eligibility at the 30, 60, and 90 attempted hours benchmarks. A HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship recipient who has lost their Scholarship eligibility at two checkpoints cannot regain eligibility.

HOPE Scholarship and Graduate Studies

While the HOPE Scholarship is primarily designed for undergraduate students, there are specific scenarios and institutions where graduate students might benefit from similar aid or an extension of their undergraduate benefits.

Lipscomb University's Extension

Lipscomb believes in the value of education we offer and strives to ensure costs are not a barrier for students or their families. Great news! The HOPE scholarship has extended the award to five years, allowing students to start their graduate education using these funds. This scholarship is a lottery system scholarship typically awarded to incoming freshman, Tennessee residents, enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution. Tennessee residents who received the HOPE Scholarship at their previous school must notify TSAC to transfer the HOPE scholarship to Lipscomb. Lipscomb University is committed to the holistic growth and development of global-minded individuals who work to impact their communities around the world with innovation, curiosity and faith.

Time Limits and Prior Degree Considerations

Once you earn your first Bachelor’s degree you are no longer eligible for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarships. Eligibility for the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships expires 10 years after the student’s high school graduation date for students who receive their first disbursement of the scholarship Summer semester 2019 or later. Eligibility for the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships expires 7 years after the student’s high school graduation date for students who received their first disbursement of the scholarship Summer semester 2011 through Spring semester 2019. Eligibility for students who received their first disbursement of the HOPE Scholarship Spring semester 2011 or earlier does not expire.

Regaining HOPE

A student who was not academically eligible for the HOPE Scholarship as an entering college freshman may become eligible for the HOPE Scholarship. Students who graduated from an ineligible high school or completed an unaccredited home study program but were not initially academically eligible may receive the HOPE Scholarship retroactively, if they earn a 3.0 postsecondary calculated HOPE GPA after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level credit. Sign in to your GAfutures account to access My College HOPE Profile and verify your Checkpoint History prior to requesting retroactive academic evaluation. If you fail to meet the academic renewal requirements and lose the HOPE Scholarship, you can regain the award one time only by meeting the renewal criteria listed below. You cannot appeal to regain your HOPE Scholarship if your GPA falls below the renewal requirements. To regain the HOPE Scholarship, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress and achieve a cumulative HOPE GPA of 2.75 after attempting 48 semester hours. If a student ceases to be academically eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, the student may regain the award one-time only.

HOPE GPA

Your HOPE GPA includes hours and grades for all courses taken after your high school graduation, including other institutions you may have attended. You can view your current HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship eligible GPA on www.gafutures.org. Your HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship GPA may be different than your UGA GPA. Login to www.gafutures.org and click “My College HOPE Profile” on the left side menu for a one-page portal where you can see your college GPA for the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship, view how many hours you have used, check your expiration date for the scholarship program and more. We encourage you to check this site often to ensure that your information is correct and that you are aware of your HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship GPA to maintain eligibility. UGA grades on a +/- grading scale but the plusses and minuses do not count in your HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship GPA. Effective Fall 2017, when calculating the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship postsecondary GPA, an additional weight of 0.5 will be added to grades of B, C, and D for approved degree level science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses taken at an eligible postsecondary institution Fall 2017 or later. You can find a link to the list of approved courses on the STEM Weighted Course Directory. This list changes annually, so be sure to look at the information for the correct year.

Read also: Fact-Checking the Hope Walz Story

Maintaining HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship Eligibility

You must be a resident of Georgia.
You must be a citizen or eligible non-citizen to receive funding.
You must be in a degree seeking program.
You must be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress.
You must not be in default or owe repayment on any federal or state aid.
Male students must be registered for Selective Service if required.
You must be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990.

Additional Considerations

Residency Requirements

To meet residency requirements for the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships, you must be a resident of Georgia at the time of high school graduation. Students who are not Georgia residents when they graduate high school will not meet residency requirements for the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships until 24 months after they establish domicile in Georgia. If that date falls after the start of a semester, the student will not meet residency requirements for the scholarships until the following semester. Example: Frank graduated from a high school in Texas. His father’s company transferred him to Georgia so the entire family moves to Georgia and establishes domicile on September 2, 2020. Frank is granted in-state residency for tuition purposes by UGA, but he will not meet residency requirements for the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships until September 2, 2022 which is 24 months after the date he established domicile. Since that date is after the start of Fall semester, we would not be able to determine his eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship until the following semester, Spring 2023.

STEM Weighted Courses

Effective Fall 2017, when calculating the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship postsecondary GPA, an additional weight of 0.5 will be added to grades of B, C, and D for approved degree level science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) courses taken at an eligible postsecondary institution Fall 2017 or later.

HOPE at KSU

If you are not a HOPE Scholar at the time of high school graduation, you could be eligible to earn the HOPE Scholarship by achieving a 3.0 HOPE GPA at the completion of 30, 60 or 90 attempted hours. Must not have reached your expiration of eligibility date.

HOPE Transient Request Form

You will need to complete the HOPE Transient Request Form.

Read also: South Carolina HOPE

tags: #hope #scholarship #graduate #students #eligibility