What are the Hope Scholarship Award amounts?

Check the link for hope scholarship award amounts.

What is the difference between the HOPE Grant and the HOPE Scholarship?

HOPE Grant – the HOPE Grant is designed for students pursuing a certificate or diploma in non-degree programs at public institutions.  HOPE Scholarship – students who have demonstrated academic achievement and are enrolled in degree programs at public, private or technical colleges may qualify for the HOPE Scholarship.

Do I have to be a Georgia resident in order to receive the HOPE Scholarship?

Yes, a student must be a Georgia resident for 12 consecutive months prior to the first day of classes of the semester for which the student is applying for the HOPE Scholarship.  A dependent student’s residency status is based on their Parents’ residency status. Once a student is deemed to meet the Georgia residency requirements for purposes of HOPE Scholarship eligibility and begins receiving HOPE Scholarship payments, the student will continue to meet the Georgia residency requirements for purposes of HOPE Scholarship eligibility unless there’s a break in enrollment. Students that have a  break in enrollment of one or more consecutive semesters who establish residency in another state must re-establish Georgia residency for 12 consecutive months before regaining eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship.

Do I have to be a U.S citizen to receive the HOPE Scholarship?

A student must be a U. S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen for 12 consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of classes of the school term for which the HOPE Scholarship is sought. “Eligible non-citizen” means a person who, in accordance with the Federal Title IV Regulations, is:

• A United Statespermanent resident with a Permanent Resident Alien Card (I-551); or
• A conditional permanent resident (I-551C); or
• The holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing
• any one of the following designations:
• Refugee,
• Asylum Granted,
• Parolee; or
• Cuban-Haitian Entrant.
• Victims of human trafficking, in accordance with the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection
• Act, may also be considered eligible non-citizens.
• Persons with an F1 or F2 visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa, or a G series visa are not eligible non citizens.

Are there any other requirements for the HOPE Scholarship?

Yes. In addition to the residency and citizenship requirements, students must also meet the following:

• Register with Selective Service (men only).
• Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Post secondary Education Act of 1990.
• Not be in default or owe a refund on a federal or state financial aid program.
• Not have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.

One thing that is not required for the Hope is a background check sample; however some scholarships may require a background check as part of the application process.

Do I have to complete the FAFSA in order to receive the HOPE Scholarship?

No, completing the FAFSA is not a requirement for the Hope Scholarship because the scholarship is merit based and not financial based.  Update:  This has recently changed see the new FASFA requirements for hope.

How much is the HOPE Scholarship?

The scholarship is based on the tuition rate at the college which the student is attending.  See the Hope Scholarship Tuition rates here.

Do I have to be a full time student enrolled in 12 hours or more, in order to receive the HOPE Scholarship?

No.  Students attending a private college or university must be enrolled for at least 6 semester hours per term.

When is the HOPE Scholarship paid?

In most cases the Hope Scholarship awards are disbursed within a few weeks of the semester start dates once enrollment is verified.  Hope Scholarship award amounts will typically show up as a credit on the students tuition bill.

How do I apply for the HOPE Scholarship?

Follow the procedures for Hope Scholarship application.

When should I apply for the HOPE Scholarship?

First time applicants:  If you were not determined to be a HOPE Scholar upon high school graduation, you may apply for the HOPE Scholarship after attempting 30 semesters hours of college coursework and maintaining a 3.00 GPA.

Is there a time limit to when I can receive the HOPE Scholarship?

Yes, Effective with the FALL 2011 semester,  GSFC has added a timeframe to apply for the HOPE Scholarship. A student who has received HOPE Scholarship payment prior to Summer term 2011, may receive the HOPE Scholarship until June 30, 2015, as long as the student continues to meet all other eligibility requirements. A student who has not received HOPE Scholarship payment prior to Summer term 2011, and meets all other eligibility requirements for HOPE Scholarship, may receive the HOPE Scholarship until seven years after his or her high school graduation date, GED test date, Home Study program completion date or date the student stopped pursuing a diploma. The seven year period ends on June 30th of the seventh full year following the student’s high school graduation date.

I already have a bachelor’s degree.  Can I receive the HOPE Scholarship?

Unfortunately, you are not eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.  The HOPE Scholarship is only for undergraduate students who have not earned a prior bachelor’s degree.  Once you have earned a bachelor’s degree, you are not eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.  However, you may be eligible for the Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant (GTEG).

What if I have more than 30 attempted hours before I applied for the HOPE Scholarship?

If you have attempted more than 30 semester hours of college coursework, you must also have at least a 3.00 HOPE GPA at the end of the semester in which you attempted your 60th and/or 90th semester hours to be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship. Reminder: HOPE eligibility evaluates all credit hours attempted at the college level.

Is there a deadline for the HOPE Scholarship application?

The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) allows the institution to set application deadlines for state grants and scholarships.  Contact the college or university that you plan to attend for specific dates.

How long does it take to get a determination of my HOPE Application?

This is also dependent of the university or college.  Contact the college or university that you plan to attend for specific dates.

If I received the HOPE Scholarship for a previous term, do I have to re-apply?

No, you do not have to apply for the HOPE Scholarship every semester as long as your meet the HOPE GPA requirements and there’s no break in enrollment.

Can I receive the HOPE Scholarship if I was not eligible when I graduated from high school?

Yes, after you have attempted 30 semester hours and maintained a 3.00 GPA or higher, you may be eligible forthe HOPE Scholarship.

Do I need all my transcripts from all my prior colleges, although I did not receive transfer credit?

Yes.  The GPA calculation for the HOPE Scholarship includes all credit hours attempted at the college level, including those attempted at other Institutions.

What if I disagree with my HOPE GPA calculation?

If you disagree with the Registrar’s evaluation of your academic eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship, you are welcome to contact the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) for a second opinion.  You can reach GSFC customer contact center toll-free at 1-800-505-GSFC or (770) 724-9000. Representatives are available Monday – Friday from 8:30AM to 5:00PM. GSFC’s mailing address is:2082 East Exchange Place, Tucker,Georgia, 30084

How often do I get evaluated for HOPE?

The Georgia Student Finance Commission require colleges to verify your HOPE Scholarship eligibility at the end of the semesters in which you attempted your 30th, 60th, and 90th credit hours.  These are referred to as “checkpoints.”  Your GPA must be at least 3.0 each time you reach a checkpoint; otherwise you will lose your HOPE eligibility. There is also an End-of-Spring Semester Checkpoint for all HOPE Scholarship recipients. You must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of each Spring semester in order to remain eligible. If you lose the HOPE Scholarship at 30 or 60 attempted hours, you can regain the scholarship if you meet eligibility requirements at the next checkpoint. If you do not have a 3.0 GPA at the 90th credit hour checkpoint, you can never regain eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship.

What are the HOPE Checkpoints?

End-Of-Spring Checkpoints:  This checkpoint applies if you were enrolled in 12 or more hours for at least one of your first three terms at any post-secondary institution you have ever attended and at the end of every Spring term after that.

Second-Tier:  You must have a 3.00 or higher HOPE GPA at the end of the term in which you have attempted 30 semester or 45 quarter hours to remain eligible until the next checkpoint.

Third-Tier: You must have a 3.00 or higher HOPE GPA at the end of the term in which you have attempted 60 semester or 90 quarter hours to remain eligible until the next checkpoint.

Fourth-Tier: You must have a 3.00 or higher HOPE GPA at the end of the term in which you have attempted 90 semester or 135 quarter hours to remain eligible until the next checkpoint.

Students who are not eligible for HOPE after attempting 90 credit hours are permanently ineligible for the HOPE Scholarship.

Will the HOPE Scholarship cover my entire program?

Not necessarily.  There are limits to the HOPE Scholarship: Attempted-Hours limit and Paid-Hour limit. Once a student reaches the Attempted-Hours limit, the Combined Paid-Hours limit, or Seven year expiration he or she is no longer eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.Attempted-Hours limit:  For the purpose of HOPE GPA calculation, ALL credit hours attempted at the college level are counted, including those assigned “W”, “WP” or “WF”. You cannot exceed 127 attempted credit hours from all institutions combined

Paid-Hours limit: All hours for which students received payment from Accel, HOPE Grant (Summer 2003 forward), and the HOPE Scholarship program are included in calculating the total Combined Paid hours. Students are eligible for a combined payment for a maximum of 127 semester hours, unless they are enrolled in specific programs that require more than 127 semester hours for graduation.  In this case the maximum number of covered hours is the hours required for the specific program for graduation.

Seven Year Expiration of Eligibility date: Click here for more information. A student who has receivedHOPE Scholarship payment prior to Summer term 2011, may receive the HOPE Scholarship until June 30, 2015, as long as the student continues to meet all other eligibility requirements. A student who has not received HOPE Scholarship payment prior to Summer term 2011, and meets all other eligibility requirements for HOPE Scholarship, may receive the HOPE Scholarship until seven years after his or her high school graduation date, GED test date, Home Study program completion date or date the student stopped pursuing a diploma.

Are GED recipients eligible?

GED students enrolled in a degree-seeking program are eligible for the HOPE Scholarship once they have attempted their FIRST 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of study with a minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average. The entry points are based on all degree credit attempted and coursework converted to degree credit since the student earned their GED. NOTE: A student who has not received HOPE Scholarship payment prior to Summer term 2011, and meets all other eligibility requirements for HOPE Scholarship, may receive the HOPE Scholarship until seven years after his or her high school graduation date, GED test date, Home Study program completion date or date the student stopped pursuing a diploma.

The post Georgia Hope Scholarship FAQ appeared first on Hope Scholarship.

Both the HOPE Scholarship and the HOPE Grant are funded by the state of Georgia through lottery proceeds, but the HOPE Scholarship has certain requirements, and the HOPE Grant is available to any Georgia resident. For length of the HOPE eligibility, see the text below.

To receive the HOPE Scholarship, high school students must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in a high school college prep track or a 3.2 average in other track.  Students who are initially ineligible to receive the HOPE Scholarship when they matriculate at a qualified College or University and who are Georgia residents may begin with the HOPE Grant.  After 30 attempted credit hours (which include all hours, support classes and certificate classes that are in a degree program), they can receive the HOPE Scholarship if they meet the requirements.

Therefore, many degree students start out with the HOPE Grant.  Both the HOPE Grant and the HOPE Scholarship cover tuition but no fees and no book allowance.  Students can’t get federal funds for more than 30 attempted hours of Learning Support, and HOPE has caps for hours. In addition, all grades are counted toward the cap of HOPE.

HOPE Grant Overview

A student may receive HOPE Grant payments for all course work required by an eligible post secondary institution for a program of study leading to a technical certificate or diploma, including Learning Support course work. The HOPE Grant Paid-Hours limit is 95 quarter or 63 semester hours of HOPE Grant payments for technical Certificate or Diploma credit hours that meet the definition of Paid-Hours*.  This includes all coursework paid for by HOPE at any institution.

Hope Scholarship Overview

A student is ineligible to receive the HOPE Scholarship payment once he or she reaches the Attempted Hours limit of 190 quarter or 127 semester hours. A student is ineligible to receive HOPE Scholarship payment once he or she reaches the Combined Paid Hours limit of 190 quarter or 127 semester hours from any combination of HOPE Scholarship Paid-Hours, plus HOPE Grant Paid-Hours, plus Accel Program Paid-Hours*.  This includes all coursework paid (as well as all hours attempted) by HOPE at any other institution.

*“Paid-Hours” means the post secondary quarter or semester credit hours attempted by a student, for which he or she received payment from the HOPE Scholarship Program, HOPE Grant Program, and/or Accel Program.

Zell Miller Scholarship Overview

Under HB 326, the state’s top students may qualify for the new full-tuition Zell Miller Scholarship, reserved for high school valedictorians, salutatorians, and graduates with strong GPAs and test scores who plan to attend an eligible public college or university.  Zell Miller Scholars attending a private Georgia college would receive an award of $4,000 per year.  Zell Miller Scholars must be their high school’s valedictorian or salutatorian, or earn a 3.7 high school GPA or higher and post, in one sitting, an SAT combined score of 1200 or higher in math and reading or an ACT score of 26 or higher.

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Here is a list of the scholarships that I found using the name  “Hope Scholarship”.

1) Georgia Hope Scholarship (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally)
This is the primary focus of this blog. The Georgia Hope Scholarship helps students in Georgia with GPAs of 3.0 or better. The scholarship has two forms: one provides a full 100% scholarship (The Zell Miller Hope Scholarship) and one that provides a percentage of tuition (The Georgia Hope Scholarship).  More information can be found on the Georgia Hope Scholarship articles on the site.
2) Tennessee Hope Scholarship
This is also a focus of this blog. The Tennessee Hope Scholarship helps students in Tennessee with eligible GPA and ACT or SAT scores. The scholarship provides tuition assitance for students. More information can be found on the Tennessee Hope Scholarship on the site.
3) The H.O.P.E. Scholarship (Helping Others Pursue Education)
From the H.O.P.E. website: The H.O.P.E. Scholarship is a non-profit organization designed to empower financially challenged students attending historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The organization was founded by two Howard University alumni committed to serving their communities. We are raising money to reward deserving students with scholarships through the assistance of students, alumni and supporters of the black
college community, frequent fundraisers, and corporate sponsorships.  Our mission is to make quality education affordable to deserving students. No student should be denied access to a quality education simply because they lack the necessary funds. Household incomes cannot continue to dictate academic outcomes.It does not require a person
with lots of money and lots of success to make a difference in society; hard work, determination and a passion for service can turn any dream into a reality.With the assistance of students and alumni in the black college community, frequent fundraisers, and corporate sponsorships, we are raising money to reward deserving students with $500 scholarships.

4) The Hope Scholarship Fund (Educating Children in Developing Countries)
From their website:
We are a non-profit, tax-exempt organization that works to provide hope and opportunities to impoverished children in developing countries. By providing them with access to an education, they gain the ability to choose their futures.The Hope Scholarship Fund to give children of families caught in the cycle of poverty the opportunity to pursue the life they wish to live. The student’s drive and natural abilities, rather than their poverty, will be what determines the career path they can take.

5) South Carolina Hope Scholarship Program
The SC Hope Scholarship has information on this blog. The South Carolina Hope Scholarship helps students in South Carolina. More information on the South Carolina HOpe Scholarship can be found on the site.

6) Project Hope Scholarship Program (Help One Person Excel)
This Scholarship is for students attending a specific college, in this case, Edison State College.
The Project HOPE (Help One Person Excel) Scholarship Program awards a limited number of academic scholarships for
students who meet certain eligibility criteria to complete their Associates of Arts or Associates of Science degree from
Edison State College.
7) HOPE Scholarship (Hispanic Organization for Public Employees)
From their website:
Amount: $1,500 (for students attending San Antonio College, Palo Alto College, St. Phillip’s College, Northwest Vista, and Northeast Lakeview College)
The scholarship is open to any incoming freshman or college student. Preference will be given to dependents of active or retired CPS employees who meet all the criteria. Must attend an Alamo Community College District Campus.
May pursue a degree in any concentration. No income requirement is set forth however, colleges/universities require applicants to fill out a free application for student financial aid. Have and maintain a 3.0 GPA or able based on a 4.0 scale each semester.Community service involvement is required.Provide two letters of recommendation. Must maintain full-enrollment status throughout the duration of the scholarship of the scholarship term.
8) Hope Scholarship Tax Credit
The Hope Scholarship provides a federal income tax credit based on the first $4,000 in postsecondary education expenses paid by the taxpayer during the tax year.The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (P.L. 111-5) included the American Opportunity Tax Credit, which expands the Hope Scholarship. This expansion is temporary, limited to the 2009 and 2010 tax years. However, President Obama’s FY2010 budget proposes making these changes permanent. The Hope Scholarship provides a tax credit of up to $2,500 per student per year for
qualified higher education expenses during the first four years of post-secondary education. (The amount of the Hope Scholarship is $3,600 for Gulf Opportunity Zone Students.) The amount of the credit is 100% of the first $2,000 of qualified tuition and related expenses per student and 25% of the second $2,000 of qualified tuition and related expenses.

And there are probably many others. If you know of others and want them on the hope-scholarship.net site, just contact us.

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(This Post takes data from and information from the Georgia Lottery Website describing “where the money goes“.

The following paragraph comes from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts Financial Report dated January, 19, 2011.)

The Georgia Lottery
The Georgia Lottery for Education Act provides that as nearly as practical, at least 45% of the amount of money from the actual sale of lottery tickets shall be made available as prize money. Through June 30, 2010, prizes amounted to 58.25% of lottery ticket sales net of tickets provided as prizes. The Georgia Lottery for Education Act also provides that, as nearly as practical, net proceeds shall equal at least 35% of the Georgia Lottery Corporation’s lottery proceeds. Net proceeds are required to be transferred to the Office of the State Treasurer quarterly. From inception to June 30, 2010, the Lottery Corporation has transferred 29.83%, over $11.9 billion, of lottery proceeds to the Office of the State Treasurer. The following three charts depict the prizes (percentage), net proceeds (percentage) and net proceeds (dollars transferred) from inception through June 30, 2010.

My Comments:

Note on the graph that the Georgia Lottery has returned the recommended 35% of net lottery proceeds to the scholarship program for only 3 years (1995-1997).  Since 1997, the net proceeds returned has slowly fallen year over year and currently hovers around the 26% range of net proceeds returned.

( The following writing is taken from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts Performance Reports dated March, 2011.)

We found that the language in the Lottery for Education Act is somewhat ambiguous regarding the amount of lottery proceeds that is expected to be transferred to the state. The Act provides that the GLC should “as nearly as practical” remit “at least 35%” of lottery proceeds to the state annually and also requires that the Lottery be operated in a manner that “maximizes revenues.” GLC has not remitted at least 35% of lottery proceeds since fiscal year 1997. GLC’s Board has directed GLC to pursue the goal of maximizing revenue for education.
If the General Assembly wishes to establish more direct control over the Lottery, clarifying the law by removing ambiguous language and conflicting goals would be necessary. However, if the General Assembly establishes a firm requirement regarding the minimum percentage of sales to be remitted to the State, it should ensure that the requirement level that it sets does not limit GLC’s ability to develop new products and to react to changing market conditions. If GLC was required to start remitting 35% of its sales to the state, it would have to abandon its current marketing strategy and it would almost certainly result in significant reductions in sales and proceeds. Achieving a 35% return to the state would require that prize payouts for instant games be reduced, which would most likely result in a (potentially significant) reduction in sales volume, and the net effect would be that the state would receive 35% of a much smaller amount of lottery sales.
In addition to commissions paid to sales staff, GLC has employee bonus (or incentive payment) plans for its executive staff and for its non-commissioned staff. In fiscal year 2010, GLC awarded approximately $532,000 in incentive payments to its executive staff and approximately $1.36 million to its non-commissioned employees (total incentive payments were O.O56% of GLC’s net sales). GLC’s incentive payments to executive staff ranged from $25,460 to $143,277 and its incentive payments to non-commissioned employees ranged from $1,321 to $23,184. We found that few other state lottery programs offer incentive payment plans to its executive and non-commissioned employees. A survey published in 2009 found that six of 43 state lotteries had incentive plans for their chief executives. Our survey of 10 states found two states had incentive plans for their executive staff and two states had incentive plans for their non-commissioned employees. In addition, the number of eligible employees and the amount of incentive awards was less in those states than is offered by GLC.
Finally, we found that while Georgia’s Lottery is generally considered to be high performing, most state lotteries created after GLC was established have not emulated many of GLC’s more innovative attributes. Of seven state lotteries created after 1993, one had a prize payout percentage near Georgia’s, one had a public corporation organization structure, and one awarded incentive pay to its executive level and non-commissioned employees.
In its response to the report, GLC indicated that performance measures are the best indicator of any business model and the audit accurately describes the GLC’s high performance. GLC noted that it was established as a public benefit corporation and given the flexibility to operate as an entrepreneurial enterprise to allow it to effectively respond to an ever-changing marketplace. In addition, GLC expressed concern about the ability to compare lotteries, indicating that each U.S. lottery has been established and operates under unique circumstances. Additional comments provided by GLC have been incorporated throughout the report.

My comments:

The Georgia Legislature should clarify the role of the Georgia Lottery with respect to percentage of net proceeds returned to the scholarship program.  Based on the financial and performance report from the Georgia Department of Audits and Accounts, the Georgia Lottery provides some of the best salaries and bonuses to its executives.   This, along with marketing dollars, could be reduced to help achieve a higher net percentage of lottery proceeds paid to the scholarship program.  Obviously, it is doable based on the results achieved in the years 1995-1997.  The Hope Scholarship is facing a funding problem.  All areas must reviewed for efficiency and evaluated based on the original goals and objectives of the program.  These reports from the GA Dept of Audits and Accounts shed light on some areas to review and evaluate.

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My older son is now a Junior at the University of Georgia, and I thought it would be interesting to look back at how the Hope Scholarship has affected his course of study now that he is at the half way point (I hope) of his undergraduate career.

First, was the choice of college. We knew that his grades and his SAT score, although above average, would not be sufficient to bring in scholarship dollars from out of state colleges or private colleges to the level that we were targeting. This was confirmed from a couple of offers from out of state schools. Good news is that he had choices. Along with the cost aspect of college choice goes the major selection. My son was firmly in the “undecided” camp with respect to college major. At the end of the day, the choice of “undecided” had more influence on deciding the choice of college than did anything else. My words to him were, “you can be undecided at the University of Georgia.” Given that he qualified for the Hope Scholarship, this made it an easy choice for him to make. Now that he is entering his junior year, he can choose to stay at UGA or transfer to another school if it helps him in his field of study. Fortunately, the Hope Scholarship rules allow students to move within the University System of Georgia schools and maintain eligibility for the funds from Hope to apply to tuition. Of course, none of it applies towards out of state schools.

The second affect that the Hope Scholarship has had on his first two years of college is his overall grade point average (GPA). My “deal” with him was that his main job was (and is) to maintain Hope eligibility. If he does this, I pay for any difference in tuition that Hope does not cover and I pay all other expenses for college: books, fees, transportation, food, living expenses, etc… It’s a great deal for him. It means that he does not need to get a job during his college semesters and can concentrate instead on his course of study. The result so far looks promising. He has maintained grades well above the Hope minimum. So, far so good… Nothing motivates a college student more than $$$. The bill from the school goes to his account. He sees the multi-thousands of dollars that he owes and the amount that is cleared due to funds from the Hope Scholarship. It is a great lesson for effort = reward.

The next benefit is occurring this summer. He is own a study abroad program in Rome, Italy. And, since the three classes that he is taking are University of Georgia classes, the Hope Scholarship funds are applied to the tuition for these classes. The cool thing about the Hope Scholarship is that it pays based on total hours taken and not when the hours are taken. It means that you can use funds toward tuition for classes taken in the Fall, Spring, May-mester, or summer. It doesn’t matter. The only rule in effect has to do with the total hours taken and the students GPA at those points. Hopefully, the GPA at the end of these 9 hours is not hindered by other aspects of being in Rome while taking the classes.

Lastly, the Hope Scholarship is vindication and recognition of 4 years of hard work during high school and continued effort during college. For some students, it is the first real world “black and white” experience. That is, you either qualified or you didn’t. There is no shade of gray. It was a goal for him during high school and continues to be a motivator as he starts the last half of his undergraduate career.

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First, for the high school senior:

There’s nothing that you can do to really change, academically, your current situation.  But, you should look at these options to make sure you are doing what is best for you.

1) If you qualify for the Hope Scholarship, that’s great.  However, don’t just decide to take the Hope and go to a school in Georgia if it is not right for you.  If you have a specific set of goals with respect to a major and career path, first pick the best school that you can get into that will help you with these goals.  If that matches with a Hope qualified school in Georgia, great!  If not, you may need to look outside the state for your best interests.

2) Have you applied for need based grants and aid?  This is extremely important especially for private institutions.  You may find that a need based award may be better than what you would end up paying taking a Hope award in Georgia.  Remember, Hope does not cover room, board, fees, and all of tuition.  So, run the numbers and see what works best for you.

3) Have you considered other awards that are available to you?  Perhaps your parent(s) work at a company that provides scholarships.  Maybe you qualify for grants or scholarships based on community service, ethnic background, or you live in the right county.  These kind of scholarships take digging and work on your part.

4) Look for work/study opportunities.  These can be through the financial aid office of the college.  However, there are also work plans called “cooperative or co-op” programs that are not need based.  These are a favorite of technical/engineering colleges and universities.  You will need to have a competitive GPA because companies interview applicants for these positions.  You will find it is worth it because they pay extremely well.

For the new ninth grade student

1) Grades, Grades, Grades!!!  Do you realize that your freshman year class grades are as important as your junior or senior year grades?  When you calculate your total high school GPA, your freshman classes carry equal weight especially for the Hope Scholarship.  So, determine now that you will make choices that will enable you to maximize your grade output starting with your Freshman year.  This will put you on a competitive footing for GPA based scholarships in the future, and, perhaps more importantly, get you into your first choice college.

2) SAT and ACT prep.  The second most important thing for scholarships and college applications is your SAT or ACT score.  Don’t wait until a week before your SAT to think about the test.  Prepare now and prepare often.  Make it a goal to learn at least 200 SAT vocabulary words for each of your years in high school.  During your junior year and the summer before your senior year, you can ramp up and double this amount (or more).   You should also take practice tests and learn the appropriate techniques to approach the tests.  Do this and you will be rewarded with your efforts.

3) Number three is community service and school activities.  Don’t put your name on every available club or activity offered.  Instead, pick what you are interested in doing and spend real time working on it.  If you want to be differentiated on scholarships or college applications for service and activities, you will need to stand out for specific areas showing quality work effort.

4) When you become a senior, review the senior list: financial aid, etc…

For all of these recommendations, do what is best for you.  Do you have goals written down?  If not, write them down.  Plan short term and long term goals.  Make decisions based on the goals and you will find that achieving them is not only doable but becomes part of your daily life choices.  There are Hope Scholarship alternatives for you.  Plan well and don’t just except what others say is best for you.

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1. Standing out from a group: conspicuous
2. Marked by eminence and distinction

In a sentence:  Tonight we will honor the school’s most outstanding students.

So, the hope scholarship is a way to honor pupils who stand out from a group, are marked by eminence, and are distinctive from others.  This defines the scholarship as having a measurement for qualification based solely on performance of the student and not on other factors such as: financial means, heredity, religious, ethnicity, etc…

There is a move afoot to place new qualifications on the hope scholarship.  These qualifications would be financially based and eliminate outstanding merit as the main qualification for the award.  This need not happen.  Let’s continue to award and reward hard work and acknowledge the academic achievements made by “Outstanding” students.  There are already numerous grants that are based on financial qualifications.  The Hope Scholarship does not remove a student from qualifying for these awards; however, the reverse is not true.  Adding a financial requirement to Hope will disqualify some students from the scholarship.  Why must excellence take a back seat to mediocrity?

Whether you agree or disagree, let your thoughts be known to your representative in your State legislature and local news opinion and guest editorials.  Let’s keep the Georgia Hope Scholarship merit based.

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Hope Scholarship Study Abroad Details

Many schools have relationships in place with universities in other countries that allow students to take classes at those universities.  Many colleges also teach classes in areas abroad and those classes are in the curriculum of the college that the student is enrolled.  For example, the University of Georgia teaches classes on Roman Culture, Architecture, and History as University of Georgia classes taught by University of Georgia professors; however, the classes are in Rome, Italy.  These classes are eligible for Hope Scholarship funding.  The student just applies for the study abroad program and classes as normal; however, the student must inform the financial aid office that they are taking summer session classes under the study abroad program; and, as long as the classes are approved as in the curriculum of the course of study, they will be approved for funding.  Make sure you communicate with your college adviser and financial aid office to make sure all is well.

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