AY23 Academic Catalog/Handbook

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Scholarships

Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program

Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship is available to Georgia residents who have demonstrated academic achievement. The scholarship provides money to assist students with their educational costs of attending a HOPE-eligible college in Georgia.

All HOPE programs require students to meet basic requirements. An eligible student must:

  1. Meet HOPE’s U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements;
  2. Be a legal resident of Georgia;
  3. Meet enrollment requirements;
  4. Be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements;
  5. Meet academic achievement standards;
  6. Be in good standing on all student loans or other financial aid programs;
  7. Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990. A student may be ineligible for HOPE payment if he or she has been convicted for committing certain felony offenses involving marijuana, controlled substances, or dangerous drugs;
  8. Not have exceeded the maximum award limits for any HOPE program.

To receive HOPE Scholarship funding, students must:

  1. Meet one of the following academic requirements:
    1. Graduate from a HOPE-eligible high school with a minimum 3.0 grade point average (as calculated by GSFC).
    2. Receive a high school diploma through petition of the local school board, in accordance with O.C.G.A. §20-2-281.1, from a HOPE-eligible high school with a minimum 3.0 grade point average (as calculated by GSFC).
    3. Graduate from an ineligible high school, complete a home study program in Georgia, or earn a high school equivalency credential (e.g. GED®, HiSET®, CareerPlus HSE)  and score in the national composite 75th percentile or higher on the SAT or ACT prior to high school graduation, home study completion, or earning a high school equivalency.
    4. Graduate from an ineligible high school or complete a home study program in Georgia and then earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative postsecondary grade point average after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level coursework for retroactive HOPE Scholarship payment.
    5. Earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative postsecondary grade point average after attempting 30, 60, or 90 semester hours or 45, 90, or 135 quarter hours after high school graduation, home study completion, or receipt of high school equivalency.
  2. Be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at a public or private HOPE-eligible college or university in Georgia.
  3. Meet academic rigor requirements. Beginning with students graduating from an eligible high school on or after May 1, 2015, students must complete a specific number of academically rigorous courses, as identified on the Academic Rigor Course List, in addition to meeting the GPA requirements. This does not include students who received a high school diploma through petition of his or her local school board, in accordance with O.C.G.A. §20-2-281.1, nor does it apply to students graduating from home study programs.

Georgia’s Zell Miller Scholarship Program

Georgia’s Zell Miller Scholarship is available to Georgia residents who have demonstrated academic achievement. The scholarship provides money to assist students with their educational costs of attending a HOPE-eligible college in Georgia.

All HOPE programs require students to meet basic requirements. An eligible student must:

  1. Meet HOPE’s U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements;
  2. Be a legal resident of Georgia;
  3. Meet enrollment requirements;
  4. Be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements;
  5. Meet academic achievement standards;
  6. Be in good standing on all student loans or other financial aid programs;
  7. Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990;
  8. Not have exceeded the maximum award limits for any HOPE program

To receive Zell Miller Scholarship funding, students must:

  1. Meet all HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements and meet one of the following academic requirements:
    1. Graduate from an eligible high school or accredited high school program as the valedictorian or the salutatorian and meet all HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements.
    2. Graduate from an eligible high school with a minimum 3.7 grade point average (as calculated by GSFC) combined with a minimum score of 1200 on the math and reading portions of the SAT test or a minimum composite score of 26 on the ACT test in a single national test administration and meet all HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements.
    3. Receive a high school diploma through petition of the local school board, in accordance with O.C.G.A. §20-2-281.1, from a Zell Miller eligible high school with a minimum 3.70 grade point average (as calculated by GSFC), combined with a minimum score of 1200 on the math and reading portions of the SAT test or a minimum composite score of 26 on the ACT test in a single national test administration.
    4. Graduate from an ineligible high school or complete an unaccredited home study program and score in the national composite 93rd percentile or higher on the SAT or ACT prior to completion of high school or home study.
    5. Graduate from an ineligible high school or complete an unaccredited home study program with a minimum composite score of 26 on the ACT or minimum composite score of 1200 on the reading and math sections of the SAT and then earn a minimum 3.3 cumulative postsecondary grade point average after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level coursework. This option allows retroactive payment for the first 30 semester or 45 quarter hours after they are completed.
    6. Enroll in an eligible post-secondary institution between 2007 and 2011 as a freshman, meeting one of the academic qualifications listed above and earn a 3.3 cumulative postsecondary grade point average at the most recent Zell Miller Scholarship checkpoint.
  2. Be enrolled as a degree-seeking student.
  3. Meet academic rigor requirements. Beginning with students graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2015, students must complete a specific number of academically rigorous courses, as identified on the Academic Rigor Course List, in addition to meeting the GPA requirement. This does not include students who received a high school diploma through petition of his or her local school board, in accordance with O.C.G.A. §20-2-281.1, nor does it apply to students graduating from home study programs.