According to the regulations from the Georgia Student Finance Commission dated July 1st, 2013, the first tier Zell Miller Scholarship Regulations are:

1. Graduate from an Eligible High School as the Valedictorian or the Salutatorian; or
2. Graduate from an Eligible High School with a minimum of a 3.70 Cumulative Grade Point Average on a 4.00 scale as calculated by GSFC for Zell Miller and HOPE Scholarship purposes; and
a) Receive a composite scale score of 26 on a single administration of the ACT on a test administration by the time of high school graduation; or
b) Receive a minimum score of 1200 combined critical reading and math on a single National Administration of the SAT on a test administration by the time of high school graduation.

The key requirement is “single administration” and “National administration”.  The definition of “National Administration” is:

“National Administration” means an administration of the SAT by the College Board on one of the regularly scheduled dates that it is administered in the United States or internationally. An administration of the SAT through the College Board’s SAT On-Campus Program is not considered to be a National Administration for purposes of these regulations.

The GSFC also defines academic eligibility of the Zell Miller Scholarship as:

“Academically Eligible” means the student entered an Eligible Postsecondary Institution in 2007 or later as a freshman with a high school Grade Point Average of 3.70 or higher as calculated by GSFC, and received a minimum score of 1200 combined critical reading and math on a single National Administration of the SAT on a test administration by the time of high school graduation; or received a composite scale score of 26 on a single administration of the ACT on a test administration by the time of high school graduation; or having graduated high
school being named the Valedictorian or the Salutatorian.

So, it is clear that the SAT Score Calculation for Zell Miller Scholarship is based on the combined math and critical reading scores from a single attempt at the SAT and not from the best math and critical reading scores from multiple SAT attempts.

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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 the article which begins to help us understand the Hope Scholarship Changes for 2012:

“HOPE Scholarship recipients may see their financial aid awards reduced even more than originally predicted over the next few years due in part to the Zell Miller Scholarship, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The amount of money available for HOPE funding will be lower than expected due to an excess of Zell Miller Scholarship winners, according to an article published Sunday in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Georgia Student Finance Commission said around 5,000 more students have qualified for the Zell Miller Scholarship this year than anticipated. Both the HOPE and Zell Miller awards are funded within the same budget.

Changes introduced in an attempt to help revive the Zell Miller and HOPE programs were proposed to the Georgia Legislature Senate Monday, according to the article in the AJC.

The proposed changes would allow the top 3 percent of Georgia high school graduating seniors to qualify for Zell Miller’s full tuition coverage, eliminating the existing SAT requirement.

The proposal — sponsored by Democrats — would also convert HOPE into a need-based program. A family income cap would prevent some students from qualifying for HOPE coverage.

Gov. Nathan Deal introduced Zell Miller last year — at the same time HOPE awards were being reduced in order to help keep the program alive. At present, about 11,600 students throughout the state receive the Zell Miller award.

HOPE awards will continue to be cut while University tuition is expected to increase. Now, HOPE recipients at the University receive $3,182 a semester. This number is projected to decrease to $2,720 by 2013 and again to $2,461 by 2015.. By this point, HOPE would only cover about half of tuition.

The cost of the Zell Miller Scholarship is expected to grow in response to the award’s promise of full tuition coverage, which would result in further depletion of the HOPE budget.

Kate McCarthy, a freshman biology major from Atlanta, said she thinks difficult economic times have created a frustrating situation for students who rely on HOPE.

“No one is going to be happy about it. It’s frustrating to work so hard for something, and by the end of our four years here, it’s only going to cover a small portion of tuition,” McCarthy said.

The Georgia Student Finance Commission has already predicted an increase of more than $500 in the amount students are expected to pay toward tuition and fees by Fall 2013.

McCarthy said a need-based HOPE program would disqualify her from receiving the scholarship.

“HOPE is really the only scholarship available to me. I think it should be available to everyone because it’s state funded,” McCarthy said. “I like that it’s based on merit rather than on how much income your family makes.” “

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Meet one of the following academic requirements:

• Graduate from a HOPE-eligible high school as the Valedictorian or the Salutatorian.
• Graduate from an eligible high school with a 3.7 grade gpa combined with a score of 1200 on the reading and math portions of the SAT test or a 26 composite score on the ACT test in a single test administration.
• Complete a HOPE eligible home study program with a 3.7 gpa combined with a score of 1200 on the reading and math portions of the SAT test or a 26 composite score on the ACT test in a single test administration.
• Graduate from an ineligible high school or complete an ineligible home study program with a score of 1200 on the SAT reading and math portions or a 26 composite score on the ACT test in a single test administration and then earn a 3.3 gpa on 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college 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.
• Have first enrolled in an eligible post-secondary institution in 2007 or later, as a freshman, meeting one of the academic qualifications listed above and having earned a 3.3 cumulative gpa at the most recent HOPE Scholarship checkpoint.

Award Amounts

The money provided to Zell Miller Scholars varies and depends on the type of institution you are attending and your specific enrollment. (see award amounts).

Private Institutions

Students attending private colleges or universities receive the following:

• Full-time students: $2,000 per semester, $1,333 per quarter
• Half-time students: $1,000 per semester, $666 per quarter

Award Limits

A college degree-seeking student is ineligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship if the student has:

• Received payment from any combination of Hope Grant,  Zell Miller Scholarship, HOPE Scholarship, and Accel Program funds (through Spring term) totaling 127 semester (190 quarter) hours of credit; or
• Attempted 127 semester (190 quarter) hours of college credit, regardless of whether or not Zell Miller funds were received while attempting the hours; or
• Has earned a 4 year college degree, regardless of whether or not Zell Miller funds were received while earning the degree.
• Graduated from high school more than seven years ago and did not receive a HOPE Scholarship payment prior to Summer term 2011.

Application Procedure

• 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.
• Electronic application, with GAcollege411.
• Printable paper application.

Application Deadline

While you have until the last day of classes or exams to submit your application in order to receive Zell Miller funds for that semester or quarter, you should submit your HOPE application as early as possible. The earlier you apply, the earlier the funds are disbursed to your school and credited to your account.

Where to Go for Help

If you need help filling out an application or have other questions relating to the Zell Miller Scholarship, contact the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend, talk with your high school counselor, or contact the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC).

You can contact the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) by:

E-mail:
gacollege411@gsfc.org

Telephone:
Call us 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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