How to Qualify for the Georgia HOPE Scholarship

To qualify for HOPE, students must be a legal resident of the state of Georgia for 12 months prior to or be considered a Georgia resident for purposes of in-state tuition at the time of enrollment for the school term for which the scholarship is sought. Students who graduated from high school with a high school core curriculum GPA of at least 3.0 on a true 4.0 scale may qualify as incoming freshmen for the HOPE Scholarship.

Students who did not qualify for the HOPE Scholarship as incoming freshmen may still receive the HOPE Scholarship if they were a legal resident of Georgia at the time of enrollment for the school term for which the scholarship is sought, and have a 3.0 cumulative GPA after attempting 30, 60, or 90 semester hours of University course work. Students will only have one chance to earn/regain HOPE.

STEM course GPA Boost: Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, the cumulative HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship grade point average (GPA) calculated will include weighted grades for specific science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) college courses. The grade for any such course will be increased by an additional 0.5 point if such grade is a B, C, or D. Learn more about STEM weighted courses.

A student may receive the HOPE scholarship until the first of these events:

1. The student has earned a baccalaureate or first professional degree; or
2. The student has attempted or HOPE has paid a total of 190 quarter hours or 127 semester hours at any post-secondary institution; or
3. Students who received their first HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship payment in the Summer 2011 or after will have an expiration date assigned to their eligibility. Students who received their first HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship payment between Summer 2011 and Spring 2019 will have seven years of eligibility from the date of their high school graduation. Students who received their first HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship payment in Summer 2019 or later will have ten years of eligibility from the date of their high school graduation. A student who serves in the military during such periods is eligible for an extension of eligibility.

Keeping the HOPE Scholarship

HOPE eligibility is reviewed at the end of every Spring semester (unless you are a part-time freshman each semester) and at the end of the semester in which 30, 60, or 90 semester hours have been attempted. “Attempted hours” refers to all hours attempted in a degree program at a postsecondary institution after high school graduation, including classes that you may have withdrawn from or failed.

A student who has previously lost the HOPE scholarship may regain it once at 30, 60, or 90 hours. HOPE may not be regained at the Spring semester checkpoint unless that coincides with a 30, 60, or 90-hour checkpoint.

There is an attempted hours “cap” on the length of HOPE scholarship payment (127 attempted hours). The deadline to receive HOPE for the current year is the last day of class for the semester for which you are applying.

To be checked for eligibility, students must have completed the GSFAPP HOPE application or a current, completed (any verification requirements must be met) FAFSA on file. Check with a financial aid counselor regarding your eligibility.

Last updated: 11/7/2023