“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.”

The post Hope Scholarship increases GPA and attendance rates appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

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.

This version of the Zell Miller Grant will provide full tuition for any students at technical colleges in the state of Georgia by including and defining a new paragraph as part of the original Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility for students that attend qualified technical colleges in the state of Georgia.

HB 697 reads that a student attending a technical college in the state of Georgia who maintains a minimum GPA of 3.5 will qualify as a “Zell Miller Grant Scholar.” With this designation, all of the student’s collegiate expenses are then paid in full.

This bill does not change the eligibility or reward amounts for four year university students.  These students cannot qualify to be scholars under this bill. Zell Miller scholarship students at these universities must maintain a 3.7 GPA to receive full tuition through the Zell Miller scholarship.

For those students at technical colleges that are eligible, their tuition, books and room and board are all paid with the grant.

The Zell Miller Scholarship was created from the Hope Scholarship in 2011. They are now two separate scholarships.

The original Zell Miller Scholarship was only offered to high school students who maintained a 3.7 GPA and graduated with that GPA or higher. The award also requires that students receive a combined score of 1200 on the SAT or a 26 composite score on the ACT on one sitting of the test, according to the GAcollege411 website.  The student can also qualify by being the Valedictorian or Salutatorian for their graduating high school class. These requirements along with being a Georgia resident and other HOPE scholarship eligibility requirements also determined if a student would receive the Zell Miller scholarship.

The post Georgia HB 697 may form Zell Miller Scholarship for technical colleges appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

• Students must keep a minimum 3.0 HOPE grade point average (GPA) to stay qualified for the HOPE Scholarship.
• All college credit hours taken (attempted) since high school graduation are used in calculating the HOPE Attempted Hours and the HOPE GPA.
• HOPE Scholarship students are monitored to see if they are maintaining a minimum 3.0 HOPE GPA at the end of the semesters where they have attempted their 30th, 60th, 90th hours and at the conclusion of each spring semester.
• The HOPE Scholarship Award Amount is based on a per credit hour basis. Payment is maxed out or capped at 15 hours per semester.
• Once a student has 127 HOPE Attempted Hours or he/she has a total of 127 HOPE Paid Hours, or has earned a bachelor’s degree, the student is no longer eligible. This is applicable to all degree programs.
• HOPE Scholarship has a 127 hour “hard” maximum cap. As an example, if a student ends a semester with 126 HOPE Attempted or Paid Hours, the HOPE Scholarship will only pay for 1 hour of the HOPE award rate for the following semester (as long as the student satisfies other eligibility requirements).  However, if the degree program requires more than 127 hours, the HOPE Scholarship will cover the hours that are required for the degree program.
• Students who lose their HOPE Scholarship are only allowed to regain qualification one time.
• HOPE Scholarship eligibility for students who received HOPE Scholarship before summer 2011 will end June 30, 2015. Eligibility for students not receiving the HOPE Scholarship before the summer of 2011 will expire 7 years after the date of the students’ high school graduation.

See more information regarding the HOPE Scholarship Program that is available on the GAcollege411 Web site.

You can review the 2013-14 HOPE Scholarship regulations at the Hope Scholarship Knowledgebase.

Example HOPE Scholarship Award Amounts for the University of Georgia

The dollar amount of each semester’s HOPE Scholarship award is determined by multiplying $218.46 X the number of hours in which the student is enrolled, up to 15 hours.

Since the HOPE Scholarship amount is based on the total number of hours enrolled in the semester, the HOPE amount will be less when students enroll in fewer than 15 hours as reflected below. The HOPE Award Amount cannot be increased for students who enroll in more than 15 hours.  The award assumes that all tuition above 15 hours is actually capped at a 15 hour rate; that is, 15 hours and above is considered a full time rate and is charged at 15 hours.

See the GSFC “HOPE Award Amounts by Institution for Fiscal Year 2014, Beginning Fall Term” at here for enrollment in 15 hours or less.

Additional UGA Specific HOPE Scholarship Information

HOPE Grade Point Average (GPA) and HOPE Attempted Hours under at +/- system

As an example, the University of Georgia implements a Plus/Minus grading system; however, not all schools have a +/- system; therefore, for the purpose of calculating the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) for HOPE Scholarship eligibility, only letter grades of A through F are recognized so any Plus or Minus will be disregarded.

2013-14 HOPE Amounts (Maximum $218.46 per Credit Hour)

The Zell Miller Scholarship Program

For a student to qualify for the new Zell Miller Scholarship, the student must graduate from an eligible high school 2007 or later with at minimum 3.7 grade point average (GPA) as calculated by HOPE Scholarship regulations and the student also must have scored at least a 1200 on the SAT (Math and Verbal) or a 26 on the ACT Composite, 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.

You can review the 2013-14 Zell Miller Scholarship regulations at the Hope Scholarship Knowledge base.

Zell Miller Scholarship Award Amounts

For 2013-14 the Zell Miller Scholarship provides a maximum Award Amount of:

• $4,014 to students enrolled in 7 or more hours, and
• $2,385 to students enrolled in 6 or fewer hours.

Returning Students and the Zell Miller Scholarship

The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) has provided colleges and universities the names of students who graduated from a Georgia high school prior to 2011 with at least a 3.7 grade point average (GPA) and (prior to high school graduation) scored at least a 1200 on the SAT or a 26 on the ACT in a single test administration or were their high school valedictorian or salutatorian. The Zell Miller Scholarship will be awarded to these students instead of the HOPE Scholarship if they are currently eligible for the HOPE Scholarship and their college HOPE Grade Point Average (GPA) at their most recent HOPE Scholarship checkpoint was at least 3.3.

Maximum 127 Attempted or Paid Hours

The Zell Miller Scholarship has a 127 Attempted Hour and Paid Hour hard cap. All college credit hours attempted since high school graduation are counted in determining the number of Zell Scholarship Attempted Hours. If the student finishes a semester with 126 HOPE and/or Zell Miller Scholarship Attempted or Paid hours, the Zell Miller Scholarship will only pay for 1 hour the following semester (assuming the student continues to meet other eligibility requirements).

Zell Miller Scholarship Grade Point Average (GPA) and Attempted Hours

As with the HOPE Scholarship, Plus/Minus grades are not used for calculation of the Zell Miller Scholarship GPA.  For the purpose of calculating the cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) for HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility, regulations recognize only letter grades of A through F so any Plus or Minus will be disregarded.

2013-14 Zell Miller Scholarship Amounts

The post Key Points of the Hope Scholarship Program appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

As a result of recently passed legislation (House Bill 131) during the 2013 Legislative Session,
dual enrollment courses taken at an eligible postsecondary institution after July 1, 2013 will now
be weighted in the calculation of a student’s grade point average (GPA) for the purpose of
determining eligibility for the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships. Dual enrollment coursework in
the core content areas of English, mathematics, social studies, science, and foreign language,
will be weighted the same as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB)
coursework.

How will GSFC know which courses are dual enrollment courses?

Public high schools currently report transcript data using the Georgia Department of Education’s (GA DOE) course numbering system as detailed in the State Board of Education (SBOE) Rule 160-4-2-.20 IDA(3) (a listing of state-funded subjects for kindergarten through eighth grade and courses for grades 9-12). GA DOE uses a nine digit numbering system (two digits to the left of the decimal and seven digits to the right) to identify coursework. For more than ten years, GA DOE has required schools to identify dual enrollment courses by coding the fifth digit to the right of the decimal as a “4” (p. 7-8 of the SBOE Rule 160-4-2-.20 IDA(3)). Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) currently identifies core coursework through the GA DOE numbering system and will continue to use it to identify dual enrollment coursework in core content areas. Therefore, coding the fifth digit to the right of the decimal as a “4” will indicate the attempted credit was in a dual enrollment course and the student’s grade will receive additional weight. No additional information or coding is required.

Private high schools will now be required to identify dual enrollment courses through the use of
the weighting indicator “D,” not through the GA DOE course number. Each private high school
must include the weighting indicator “D” in order for dual enrollment courses to receive the
same weighting as AP and IB coursework in core content areas. In addition, if the private high
school adds numeric weighting to the student’s grade appearing on the transcript, the points or
percentage added must be defined in the school’s profile for the weighting indicator “D.” If no
points are added, the “D” weighting indicator should be defined as “0.”

How much weight will be added to dual enrollment courses?

Dual enrollment coursework in core content areas will receive an additional weight of 0.5 after
the grade given by the school is un-weighted (if applicable) and converted to a number on a 4.0
scale (A=4; B=3; C=2; D=1; F=0) using the school’s own numeric to letter grade conversion
method. The maximum grade on a 4.0 scale is 4.0; therefore, if a student’s un-weighted grade is
4.0 no additional weight will be added as the maximum is already met.

The post Hope Scholarship and Dual Enrollment Courses appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

Here is a short list of requirements for the Hope Grant, Hope Scholarship, and Zell Miller Scholarship.  You can find more hope scholarship information at the hope scholarship knowledge base.

HOPE Grant Requirements

The HOPE Grant is available to students regardless of high school graduation date who are pursuing a certificate or diploma program.Students who are pursuing an associate degree or a bachelor’s degree are not eligible for the HOPE Grant. To be eligible for the HOPE Grant, you must:

• be a legal Georgia resident
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements
• be enrolled in a certificate or diploma program
• not have obtained a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent
• 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.
• not be in default or owe a refund on a student financial aid program
• maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college
• have maintained at least a 3.0 HOPE grade point average at the 30th and 60th hour checkpoints.

HOPE Scholarship Requirements

HOPE Scholarship Requirements for Freshman

To be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship as a freshman student, you must:

• have graduated from a Georgia High School in 1993 or thereafter with at least a 3.0 grade point average for college preparatory diploma or a 3.2 grade point average for other diploma types
• be a legal Georgia resident
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• be enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program
• not have obtained a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent
• be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements
• 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.
• not be in default or owe a refund on a student financial aid program.
• maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college.

HOPE Scholarship Requirements for Transfer/Returning Students

To be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship as a transfer/returning student, you must:

• have maintained at least a 3.0 HOPE grade point average at the End-of-Spring checkpoint AND the 30th, 60th, or 90th attempted hour including all college/university attempted hours
• be a legal Georgia resident
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• be enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program
• not have obtained a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent
• be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements
• 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.
• not be in default or owe a refund on a student financial aid program.
• maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college.

Students who have attempted 127 hours or more (including all college/university credit hours), OR who have already completed a baccalaureate (four-year) degree are not eligible for the HOPE Scholarship or HOPE Grant.

Zell Miller Scholarship Requirements

To be eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship, you must have graduated from an eligible Georgia high school and meet ONE of the following academic requirements:

• graduate from a HOPE-eligible high school as the Valedictorian or the Salutatorian. These students are eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship without consideration of the GPA or ACT/SAT requirements OR
• graduate from an eligible high school with a minimum 3.7 GPA combined with a minimum score of 1200 on the math and reading portions of the SAT or at least a 26 composite ACT score in a single test administration OR
• Complete a HOPE eligible home study program with a 3.7 grade point average combined with a minimum score of 1200 on the math and reading portions of the SAT test or at least a 26 composite score on the ACT test in a single test administration OR
• Graduate from an ineligible high school or complete an ineligible home study program with a minimum score of 1200 on the math and reading portions of the SAT test or a 26 composite score on the ACT test in a single test administration, and then earn a 3.3 grade point average on 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level coursework taken after high school graduation or home study completion. This option allows for payment of the first 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours after they are taken OR
• Have first enrolled in an eligible post-secondary institution between 2007 and 2010, meeting one of the academic qualifications listed above and having earned a 3.3 cumulative grade point average at the most recent HOPE Scholarship checkpoint.

Zell Miller Scholarship Requirements Award Guidelines:

• Percentage for academic year 2011-2012 will be 100% of the standard tuition rate charged in 2010-2011.
• No Book Allowances
• No payment of Mandatory Fees
• Remedial classes are not covered by the Zell Miller Scholarship.

You must also:

• be a legal Georgia resident
• be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• be enrolled in an associate or bachelor’s degree program
• not have obtained a baccalaureate degree or the equivalent
• be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements
• 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.
• not be in default or owe a refund on a student financial aid program.
• maintain satisfactory academic progress as defined by the college.
• maintain a 3.3 GPA in college

The post Hope Scholarship Requirements 2014-2015 appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

Georgia HB 324 has been signed into law.  This removes the requirement that the FAFSA be completed by all Georgia resident students applying for HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship funds.  Instead, we understand that GSFC will reinstitute the GSFAPPS application.  We have provided this Hope Zell Miller Scholarship Update to try and provide the most recent information.

The information below is based on information provided by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) May, 2011. Additional details are available at GAcollege411 and the hope scholarship knowledge base.

HOPE and Zell Miller are merit based scholarship programs available to students who have met the University System of Georgia and the GSFC residency requirements and are enrolled in an undergraduate degree seeking program. Students may receive HOPE or Zell Miller, but NOT both at the same time. This page outlines the differences.  Since the law for this program can change each year, please check back often for further Hope Zell Miller Scholarship Update information.

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Here is a complete printout of University System of Georgia 2013-2014 Tuition and Fees

Georgia Tuition and Fees 2013-2014 will follow the same path as previous years.  Tuition and fee rates have increased every year for more than a decade for College students and their parents. The tuition increases which were finalized by the regents for Georgia’s 31 public schools  match the same rate as the increases adopted last year, which were the lowest since 2002.  Along with tuition increases, the board of regents also passed along fee increases such as health service fees and other fees not associated with tuition.  Of course, the Hope Scholarship award amounts are based on tuition and not fees; therefore, any increase in fees are totally absorbed by students and parents.

For 27 schools in the University System of Georgia, students will see an increase of  2.5 percent more in 2013-2014 tuition. That results in an additional $32 to $83 per semester at schools ranging from Georgia Southern University to Dalton State University to Armstrong Atlantic State University, where the regents completed their Tuesday meeting in Savannah.

The remaining four schools, Georgia’s larger research universities, will see their rates rise even more. Georgia Tech students will absorb the largest increase, with in-state undergraduates paying an extra $270 — or 7 percent — each semester. University of Georgia undergrads tuition will rise $191 more per semester, a 5 percent increase. Georgia State University in Atlanta and Georgia Regents University in Augusta will each increase undergraduate tuition 3.5 percent, about $131 per semester.

The regents finalized the tuition and fee  changes even though the system is  getting an additional $54.6 million in funding from the Legislature for the next school year. Chancellor Hank Huckaby said the University System continues to struggle to keep up with soaring enrollment, higher health care premiums for employees and other costs after absorbing $1.4 billion in budget cuts in the past five years.

“We worked very hard to keep it at affordable levels,” Huckabee said. “But we’re nowhere close to where we were being funded five years ago.”

University system officials say the average tuition cost in Georgia remains below those in neighboring Southern states such as Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina.

The post Georgia Tuition and Fees 2013-2014 Finalized appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

Here is the text of the article…

“Georgia’s HOPE scholarship is one of the largest merit-based college scholarship programs in the United States, but it could be so much more. By rewarding both good grades and volunteer service, the HOPE scholarship could teach the rest of the nation how to produce educated, engaged citizens who know how to give back.

By requiring service, the HOPE scholarship would build on the legacy of the G.I. Bill, arguably one of the most successful and popular government programs in U.S. history. By the end of 1956, roughly 2.2 million World War II veterans used G.I. benefits to attend college. Giving veterans an education in return for their service helped create the “greatest generation,” building our country’s unparalleled economic strength and enriching our communities.

We recently increased the academic requirements for the HOPE scholarship in response to our state’s fiscal constraints. Today, high school students in Georgia earning a 3.0 grade point average or better qualify for scholarships to colleges in the state. That’s a great reward for academic performance. But if we’re eager to turn out good citizens, we have to do more.

Since 1993, Georgia has awarded HOPE scholarships worth almost $7 billion to more than 1.6 million students. Think of the impact on our communities and our students if each of them contributed by serving others. Tying service to scholarships would teach students that citizenship is a two-way street – benefits, yes, but responsibilities, too.

The value of student service time would add up in many ways, not the least of them economic. Last year, 203,000 students received HOPE scholarships. If we required each of these young people to spend just 100 hours volunteering while they were in high school, they would provide time worth nearly $150 million. Add a requirement to volunteer 50 hours each year during college, and we’d see an additional economic impact of $74 million.

Today, local governments and nonprofits face the challenge of providing more services with fewer resources. Student volunteers would bring energy and enthusiasm. And who knows, maybe some of these young people will come up with innovative solutions to community problems.

Research shows that service requirements benefit students in a host of welcome ways.

• Students who participate in community service are 22 percent more likely to graduate from college.

• Students who volunteer just one hour a week are 50 percent less likely to abuse drugs, alcohol or cigarettes.

• Youth who serve develop social and civic responsibility and are more likely to become lifelong volunteers, and to vote and participate as active citizens.

In addition, service learning motivates students to achieve and helps them develop leadership skills and self-confidence. Students who serve find mentors or career interests, encounter new worlds, beef up their resumes, and improve their chances of being accepted into the most competitive colleges and getting jobs.

Over the past few years, our legislators have been forced to change the HOPE scholarship’s eligibility requirements to maintain its economic viability. If we need to increase the requirements for eligibility again, let’s add a service requirement rather than continuing to increase the GPA. We need students who are committed to academic excellence and giving back to our state.

A service requirement for the HOPE scholarship would cultivate the next generation of civic leaders by keeping not only the brightest but also the best kids in Georgia.”

The post Should Service be a Requirement for the Georgia Hope Scholarship? appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

Beginning summer term 2013, a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) will be required in order to receive any state financial aid.* The 2012-13 or 2013-14 FAFSA may be used for summer term 2013. Please check with the financial aid office for any college-specific application policies and deadlines. Please note that effective June 8, 2013, GSFAPPS will no longer be available as an application for any state financial aid.

A 2013-14 FAFSA will be required for fall term 2013 and will be applicable through summer term 2014. A current year FAFSA is required for each year that you seek state financial aid. To complete the FAFSA, please click here http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

If you have questions about the new requirement or if you are unsure whether you are receiving any state financial aid, please contact the Georgia Student Finance Commission at (770)724-9000 or (800)505-GSFC (4732) or your school’s financial aid office. They will be able to assist you with any FASFA processing questions.

Sincerely,

Georgia Student Finance Commission

*State Financial Aid Programs

Georgia’s HOPE Scholarship

Georgia’s Zell Miller Scholarship

Georgia’s HOPE Grant**

Georgia’s HOPE GED Grant

Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant

HERO (Helping Educate Reservists and their Offspring) Scholarship

Georgia’s Public Safety Memorial Grant

North Georgia College and State University ROTC Grant and ROTC Grant for Future Officers

Scholarship for Engineering Education Program

Georgia Military College State Service Scholarship Loan Program

North Georgia College and State University Military Scholarship Loan

Georgia Student Access Loan (SAL)

**Completion of a FAFSA is not required for a dual-enrolled or joint-enrolled student (through Georgia’s Accel or HOPE Grant programs). However, if such student is 18 years of age prior to the beginning of the term for which funding is sought or will turn 18 during the term for which funding is sought, he or she must complete a notarized affidavit and provide acceptable documentation to the Georgia Student Finance Commission to prove lawful presence in the United States.

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