First, you must be eligible for the Hope Scholarship;  the gpa calculation for Hope will help. Once you determine that you meet the requirements, actually applying for the HOPE Scholarship is not difficult to do but you should always communicate with the college admissions and financial aid office that  you are planning to attend in order to ensure you are completing the application steps which they require.

Step One:

Check with your High School Counselor and request a transcript to determine Hope Scholarship GPA eligibility.

Step Two:

Create a GAcollege411 account.  You may need some information from your parents to complete the application.

Step Three:

Complete the online application process as follows:

Students have three options when applying for the HOPE Scholarship:

1) If you want to be eligible for other aid along with Hope, then complete the free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). By using your GAcollege411 account and accessing the FAFSA application from GAcollege411, you can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete this form. Proceed to the FAFSA.  You will need your parents to help complete the FAFSA due to questions concerning financial matters.

If you do not want to be considered for other financial (income based) aid, you do need to complete the FAFSA and can complete the GSFAPPS application.

2) GSFAPPS (electronic application).

3) GSFAPPS (paper application).

Application Deadline

You actually have until the last day of classes or exams to submit your application in order to receive HOPE funds for that semester or quarter, we highly recommend submitting your HOPE application as early as possible.  Even if you are eligible for Hope funds, you will still be required to meet the financial deadlines for payment at the college you are attending; therefore, if you delay application, you may have to pay out of pocket.  In short, the earlier you apply, the earlier the funds are disbursed to your school and credited to your account.

If You Need Help

If you need assistance completing the application, or have other questions or concerns relating to the HOPE Scholarship, the best course of action we recommend is contacting the financial aid office at the college/university you plan to attend, meeting and discussing your questions with your high school counselor, or communicating with the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC).

To find contact information related to the financial aid office at the college/university which you plan to attend, find your college/university information using an online search engine.

You can contact GSFC(Georgia Student Finance Commision) by: E-mail gacollege411@gsfc.org

The GSFC Telephone contact number is:
Toll-Free at 1-800-505-GSFC (4732)
In metro Atlanta (770) 724-9000
A representative is available Monday – Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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Attempted-Hours Limit.
A student is ineligible to receive HOPE Scholarship payment once he or she reaches the Attempted-Hours limit of 127 semester or 190 quarter hours.
Students Enrolled in specific Undergraduate Degree programs of study designed to require more than 127 semester or 190 quarter hours of coursework for graduation or First Professional Degree Programs are eligible for HOPE Scholarship payment for a maximum of 127 semester or 190 quarter Attempted-Hours.

First Professional Degree Program.
A student enrolled in a First Professional Degree program may receive HOPE
Scholarship payment until such student has attempted 127 semester or 190
quarter hours.

You’ll notice that the term “first professional degree program” is used in the regulation wording.  It is important to understand the definition of this term:
“First Professional Degree Program” means a non-undergraduate program of
study that: (1) Accepts students after the completion of two or three years of
postsecondary study; (2) Results in the award of a non-undergraduate degree;
and (3) Has been specifically approved by the Commission for inclusion as a
First Professional Degree Program. For the 2012-2013 Award Year, Doctor of
Pharmacy Degree Programs, Masters of Health Science with a major in
Occupational Therapy Programs, Doctor of Chiropractic Degree Programs, and
Doctor of Physical Therapy Programs offered by Eligible Postsecondary
Institutions are approved by the Commission, and therefore considered First
Professional Degree Programs. Regardless of approval by the Commission as a
First Professional Degree Program, no student is eligible to receive HOPE
Scholarship payment once he or she has earned a Baccalaureate Degree of any
type, from any postsecondary institution, at any time.

This is very clear wording with respect to the eligibility of the Hope Scholarship for graduate degree study.  The last sentence clearly states that no student is eligible to receive HOPE Scholarship payment once he or she as earned a bachelors degree of any type, from any institution, at any time.

So, not only is a graduate degree not eligible, but a second bachelors degree is also not eligible, and any coursework beyond the bachelors degree is not eligible.

The post Can Hope Scholarship be Used for Graduate Degree or Graduate School? appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

The HOPE Scholarship is a reward for scholastic achievement and an incentive to continue working hard in school. If your cumulative grade point average is below a 3.0 at the end of Spring term, or after your first three terms of enrollment for less than 12 hours per term, or after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours, you may regain HOPE at a future time. Re-entry checkpoints are after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours, 60 semester or 90 quarter hours, and 90 semester or 135 quarter hours of study. To regain HOPE, you must have a 3.0 cumulative grade average at the re-entry checkpoint. You cannot regain HOPE eligibility at the end of Spring term, unless that term is also when you have attempted 30 semester or 45 quarter hours, 60 semester or 90 quarter hour, or 90 semester or 135 quarter hours with a 3.0 cumulative grade average.

How To Reapply for HOPE Scholarship

Depending on your personal circumstances or the institution you attend, one of several different forms can be used to reapply for the HOPE Scholarship each year. Contact the Financial Aid Office at the institution you will attend for specific application instructions that best suit your situation. You must complete the application process through the institution’s Financial Aid Office on or before the last day of the academic term (semester or quarter) or your withdrawal date, whichever comes first, in order to be paid for that
academic term.
The postsecondary institution you are attending may also require that you complete the institution’s application for financial aid or Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Filing Appeals and Exceptions

In order for an appeal or exception to be considered, the student must file a written appeal or request an exception, with supporting documentation, within 45 days of receiving notice of denial. Please address correspondence to:

Compliance, Georgia Student Finance Commission, 2082 East Exchange Place, Tucker, GA 30084.

This information sheet highlights Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship Program. For the complete HOPE Scholarship Program Regulations, visit there Web site at www.gacollege411.org or call for more information in metro Atlanta at (770) 724-9000 or toll-free in
Georgia at 1-800-505-GSFC (4732).

The post How Can I Regain Hope Scholarship appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

Included are key points as relating to Georgia’ Hope Scholarship program and findings…

“The first such program was the Georgia Hope Scholarship Program, which initially awarded students with full tuition to Georgia public institutions if they met certain high school GPA requirements. Fourteen other states have enacted similar policies since 1993, offering tuition discounts based on academic credentials (Orsuwan & Heck, 2009).
More recent state merit based scholarship programs enacted since the Georgia Hope Scholarship Program varied in funding source, award criteria, and award amount. While most state programs were funded through lottery revenues, other states utilized one time litigation settlement agreements to fund scholarship programs (Orsuwan & Heck, 2009). Furthermore, each state had distinct criteria regarding award criteria: GPA, SAT, ACT, class rank, state tests, or any combination of these account for the measures used to allocate awards. The award amounts were just as varied as the award criteria: full tuition and fees for four years or a one-time award of $1,000 were two extremes. Regardless of the funding source, criteria, and award amount, prior research depicted the influence of state merit based scholarship programs on students’ enrollment within their home state for higher education (Orsuwan & Heck, 2009).
The objective to retain residents in their home state for college was the short-term objective of state merit based aid programs. The long-term goal of some the state merit based aid policy initiative was to keep college graduates in state. Given a state’s investment, retaining its college graduates was critical to a state’s economic development. Strathman (2004) found that college graduates leaving their state upon graduation negatively impacted state appropriations for higher education. Further, social benefits associated with college graduates—lower unemployment, higher tax revenues, and voter participation—were often cited as valuable assets for states (Baum & Ma, 2007). Recent findings indicated that students receiving state merit based scholarships were 74% more inclined to leave that state upon college graduation (Ishitani, 2011). This troubling finding suggested that state merit based scholarship programs, regardless of their influence on high school student migration, may lead to unintended consequences such as outmigration of college graduates. Although this study will focus on migration of high school graduates, understanding students’ mobility post-college is an aspect that cannot be ignored and is a subject requiring additional research.
Purpose of the Study
Previous research delved into various issues related to student migration following high school. In many instances, studies conducted extensive state level analysis aiming to address how specific policies at a single state affect student enrollment patterns. For example, Groen (2003) studied migration effects in Georgia given the goals of the Hope Scholarship Program. However, he primarily focuses on migration of Georgia Hope recipients once graduating from college. In addition, Hickman (2009) aimed to study how Florida’s Bright Futures Program related to student migration out of state. These studies were valuable at the state level, and they have indicated a need for a national study of state merit based scholarship programs. Orsuwan & Heck (2009) recently studied how state scholarship dollars and pre-paid tuition plans affected migration.”

“The findings of our research demonstrate the presence of state merit based scholarship
programs influencing residents to stay in their home state for higher education. This finding only partially affirms what policy makers intended to influence with the enactment of programs such as the Georgia Hope Scholarship (Zhang & Ness, 2010).”

“Our study also poses some interesting questions for how policy makers interpret research findings on tuition pricing and outmigration. Given the insignificant findings of tuition prices at two- and four-year public institutions, further research is needed to more acutely measure tuition net-price, which accounts for tuition less any financial aid. Our study urges future policy makers to address the notion of net-price of tuition by creating better national data collection on the net-price, which would improve research examining student migration patterns. The recent National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) initiative to collect more robust data on institutional net-price has potential to more accurately derive metrics of tuition net-price for future research.
Another consideration for policy is that our results illustrate that state appropriations have influence in decreasing outmigration. Our research shows that as state appropriations increased, out-of-state migration decreased. This result is important to consider for state legislators as they reflect on the future of state merit based scholarship programs. Additionally, assessing the effectiveness of these programs is important during turbulent budget years, as many costly programs are discontinued or phased out.”

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“Translating Aspirations into Behavior. Long before
students apply to or enroll in college, they develop
educational aspirations and expectations and begin to
behave in ways that will support those expectations—
taking the right courses, studying hard, and preparing
for exams. While upward of 90 percent of high school
students from low-income families may aspire to attend
college, only 54 percent of these students realistically
expect they will be able to do so.  Without a concrete
sense that some kind of postsecondary education is
a possibility if they choose to apply themselves, even
qualified students will be unlikely to behave in ways
that set them up for success.
The good news is, research suggests that it is possible
to influence aspirations. Take the Georgia HOPE
scholarship program, which provides funding for Georgia
students to attend a Georgia public college or university
so long as they graduate high school with a
3.0 GPA. In their 2002 study, Gary Henry and Ross
Rubenstein found that the percentage of high school
students earning a GPA of a B or better increased by
2.9 percentage points between when the program
began in 1993 and when the class of 1998 graduated.
Moreover, as University of Michigan economist Susan
Dynarski found, “After the introduction of HOPE, the
attendance rate of 18–19-year-olds in Georgia rose 7.9
percentage points more than it did in the other southeastern
states.”

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The data is reported by the “State Higher Education Finance” report which was released by the nonprofit association of higher education chief executive officers.

The  calculations are based on “net” tuition which takes into account both the tuition and fees that students pay and also how much state aid adjusts those costs through programs such as Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship program. The amounts were adjusted for inflation, with all dollars expressed in constant 2013 values.

However, although Georgia students pay a lot more in tuition than they did five years ago, the average tuition paid by a full-time Georgia student, is just under $1000 less than the national average with Georgia at $4,484 with the U.S. average at $5,445, the report notes.

During this time period of increased tuition and fees, Georgia was also reducing the award amounts funded through the Hope Scholarship Program.  Based on GSFC (Georgia Student Finance Commission) numbers,  the HOPE Scholarship and HOPE Grant declined from a peak of $748 million in the 2010-11 school year to about $526 million for the current year.

With new rigor requirements, GPA levels (Zell Miller Scholarship), and other changes, Georgia State lawmakers also cut the number of students getting the awards as well as the value of the scholarships. For example, approximately 256,000 students received HOPE aid in 2010-11, but only approximately 198,000 received it this year.

There is some speculation that the HOPE Scholarship may have actually helped catalyze the steep rise in tuition costs, said state Rep. Spencer Frye.

Initially, HOPE covered the full costs of tuition and fees, so when the state Board of Regents hiked tuition, the dollar amount of HOPE scholarships increased in consort to compensate.  With the cost reductions in the Hope program, that is no longer the case.

Looking more closely at Georgia’s state research universities, the increase is more dramatic: in 2002-2003, University of Georgia undergrad tuition and fees were $3,616 per year. This year, it was $10,262 — not adjusted for inflation — according to state Board of Regents statistics; next year the tuition rate increases $560.

The State Board of Regents approved a 7 percent tuition increase for UGA. Georgia Tech students will see an increase of  9 percent more next year, but at most state schools the increase is a more modest 2.5 percent.

Now that the Hope Scholarship has gone through the cost reduction process, perhaps Georgia’s state universities should as well.  Perhaps, in the next five years, Georgia can come strive for best in class for lowest tuition and fees increases.

The post Georgia Second Highest Tuition Increase in Country appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

2014-2015 HOPE Scholarship Award Hourly Rate

2014-2015 Zell Miller Scholarship Award Hourly Rate

The post Georgia Tech 2014-2015 Hope Scholarship Award Amounts appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

As a result of UGA’s +/- system and Hope Scholarship method of GPA calculation, the GPA and HOPE Attempted Hours used in HOPE eligibility calculations often do not match the cumulative GPA and attempted hours on official UGA transcripts.

14-15 HOPE Amounts (Maximum $226 per Credit Hour)

To qualify for the Zell Miller Scholarship, students must graduate from an eligible high school 2007 or later with at least a 3.7 grade point average (GPA) as calculated by HOPE Scholarship regulations and must have scored at least a 1200 on the SAT or a 26 on the ACT, in a single test administration prior to high school graduation or be their high school Valedictorian or Salutatorian.

Initial eligibility for the Zell Miller Scholarship is determined by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). Students determined eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship are subject to all the HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements except they must maintain a minimum 3.3 grade point average (GPA) on all coursework attempted since high school graduation instead of the minimum 3.0 gpa required for HOPE Scholarship recipients.

Zell Miller Scholarship Award Amounts

The Zell Miller Scholarship award cannot exceed the student’s current UGA standard Undergraduate tuition amount on a per hour basis. The Zell Miller Scholarship amount initially reflected on UGA 2014-15 financial aid Awards assumes the maximum amount for which students are eligible for the semester. UGA Students Charged a Flat Tuition Rate

For 2014-15 the Zell Miller Scholarship provides a maximum Award Amount of:

• $4,295 to students enrolled in 7 or more hours, and
• $2,552 to students enrolled in 6 or fewer hours.

14-15 Zell Miller Scholarship Amounts

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Good news for Hope Grant recipients!  Although the Hope Grant does not supply funds for books or supplies, there is an award available to Hope Grant recipients that does.

Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) students who are receiving the HOPE Grant may also be eligible for additional financial assistance from a Georgia’s Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grant (SIWDG) Award for the following TCSG programs:

Commercial Truck Driving
Diesel Mechanic
Early Childhood Care/Education
Healthcare Technologies
Information Technology
Practical Nursing
Welding

To qualify for a Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grant, a TCSG student must be fully admitted to the college, enrolled in one of the above programs and receiving the HOPE Grant for the same term.

The amount of the SIWDG Award is a fixed amount* for each term of enrollment:
Enrolled Hours Award Amount per term
9+ hours $500.00
3 – 8 hours $250.00
1 – 2 hours $125.00

*Commercial Truck Driving – enrolled 9+ hours; one-time award $1,000.00

Contact your area TCSG college for more information.
*Eligibility for the SIWDG Award for the Commercial Truck Driving program is for
one term only. The HOPE GED Grant, HOPE Grant, and SIWDG Award can be
awarded in the same term, if all other eligibility requirements are met up to cost
of attendance. High school students in dual enrollment programs are not eligible
for the SIWDG Award.

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2010 Georgia Code
TITLE 20 – EDUCATION
CHAPTER 3 – POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION
ARTICLE 7 – SCHOLARSHIPS, LOANS, AND GRANTS
PART 7 – HOPE SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
§ 20-3-519 – Definitions

O.C.G.A. 20-3-519 (2010)
20-3-519. Definitions

As used in this part, the term:

(1) “Academic year” means a period of time, typically nine months, in which a full-time student is expected to complete the equivalent of at least two semesters’ or three quarters’ academic work.

(2) “Advanced degree” means a master’s degree, specialist’s degree, or doctorate in education conferred by an approved postsecondary institution upon completion of a unified program of study at the graduate level.

(3) “Approved teacher education program” means a program offered by a public or private postsecondary institution which program has been approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

(4) “Certificate” or “diploma” means a credential, other than a degree, indicating satisfactory completion of training in a program of study offered by an eligible public postsecondary institution.

(5) “Critical shortage field” means an area of study or an area of specialized expertise for which a shortage of qualified teachers or educators exists in Georgia, designated as such by the Georgia Student Finance Commission.

(5.1) “Dual credit enrollment” means enrollment by a student in a postsecondary course in which an agreement has been established between an eligible high school and an eligible postsecondary institution wherein the student earns Carnegie units of credit that count toward both high school graduation requirements and postsecondary coursework requirements.

(6) “Eligible high school,” until December 31, 2010, means a public or private secondary school which is:

(A) Located in Georgia and is currently or within the last two years has been accredited by:

(i) The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;

(ii) The Georgia Accrediting Commission;

(iii) The Georgia Association of Christian Schools;

(iv) The Association of Christian Schools International;

(v) The Georgia Private School Accreditation Council; or

(vi) The Southern Association of Independent Schools; or

(B) Located in another state and accredited by one of the following regional or state accrediting entities:

(i) The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;

(ii) The New England Association of Schools and Colleges;

(iii) The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools;

(iv) The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools;

(v) The Northwestern Association of Schools and Colleges;

(vi) The Western Association of Schools and Colleges;

(vii) The Alabama Independent School Association;

(viii) The Southern Association of Independent Schools; or

(ix) The Florida Council of Independent Schools.

(6.1) On and after January 1, 2011, “eligible high school” means a public or private secondary school which is:

(A) Located in Georgia and accredited as such by:

(i) The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;

(ii) The Georgia Accrediting Commission;

(iii) The Georgia Association of Christian Schools;

(iv) The Association of Christian Schools International;

(v) The Georgia Private School Accreditation Council;

(vi) The Accrediting Commission for Independent Study; or

(vii) The Southern Association of Independent Schools; or

(B) Located in another state and accredited by one of the following regional agencies:

(i) The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;

(ii) The New England Association of Schools and Colleges;

(iii) The Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools;

(iv) The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools;

(v) The Northwestern Association of Schools and Colleges;

(vi) The Western Association of Schools and Colleges;

(vii) The Alabama Independent School Association; or

(viii) The Southern Association of Independent Schools.

(7) “Eligible postsecondary institution” means a school which is:

(A) A unit of the University System of Georgia;

(B) A branch of the Technical College System of Georgia;

(C) A private independent nonprofit postsecondary institution eligible for tuition equalization grants in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of Code Section 20-3-411; or

(D) A private proprietary postsecondary institution eligible for tuition equalization grants in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (C) of paragraph (2) of Code Section 20-3-411.

(8) “Eligible private postsecondary institution” means an eligible postsecondary institution which meets the criteria set out in subparagraph (C) or (D) of paragraph (7) of this Code section.

(9) “Eligible public postsecondary institution” means an eligible postsecondary institution which meets the criteria set out in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (7) of this Code section.

(9.1) “First professional degree program” means a nonundergraduate degree program that meets the requirements established by the program regulations promulgated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission which, at a minimum, shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

(A) Accepts students after the completion of the sophomore or junior year; and

(B) Results in the award of a nonundergraduate degree.

(10) “Freshman student” means a student at a postsecondary institution who has attempted less than 46 quarter hours or less than 31 semester hours.

(11) “Full-time student” means a matriculated student attending a postsecondary educational institution and enrolled for at least 12 semester hours or the equivalent in any given semester or quarter.

(12) “Grade point average” means the numbered grade average calculated using a 4.0 scale.

(12.1) “Half-time student” means a matriculated student attending a postsecondary educational institution and enrolled for six to 11 semester hours or the equivalent in any given semester or quarter.

(13) “HOPE grant” means a Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally grant for education awarded in accordance with Code Section 20-3-519.5.

(14) “HOPE scholarship” means a Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally scholarship for education awarded in accordance with Code Sections 20-3-519.2 or 20-3-519.3.

(15) “HOPE teacher’s scholarship” means a Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally scholarship for education awarded in accordance with Code Section 20-3-519.8.

(16) “HOPE GED voucher” means a Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally general educational development (GED) diploma voucher for postsecondary education awarded in accordance with Code Section 20-3-519.6.

(17) “Junior student” means a student at a postsecondary institution who has attempted at least 91 quarter hours but less than 136 quarter hours or at least 61 semester hours but less than 91 semester hours.

(18) “Mandatory fees” means fees approved by the Georgia Student Finance Commission that are charged by a postsecondary institution to every student enrolled in that institution, regardless of the student’s program of study.

(19) “Matriculated status” means being recognized as a student in a defined program of study leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate at a postsecondary institution.

(19.1) “Part-time student” means a matriculated student attending a postsecondary educational institution and enrolled for less than 12 semester hours or the equivalent in any given semester or quarter and who has never been enrolled for 12 or more semester hours or the equivalent in any given semester or quarter.

(20) “PROMISE teacher’s scholarship” means a scholarship awarded in accordance with Code Section 20-3-519.7.

(21) “Quarter hours” includes each quarter hour attempted, whether remedial or for credit toward a degree, certificate, or diploma.

(22) “Semester hours” includes each semester hour attempted, whether remedial or for credit toward a degree, certificate, or diploma.

(23) “Senior student” means a student at a postsecondary institution who has attempted at least 136 quarter hours but less than 191 quarter hours or at least 91 semester hours but less than 128 semester hours.

(24) “Sophomore student” means a student at a postsecondary institution who has attempted at least 46 quarter hours but less than 91 quarter hours or at least 31 semester hours but less than 61 semester hours.

(25) “Title IV” means Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, 20 U.S.C.A. Section 1070, et seq.

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