Requirements

• MUST meet general eligibility requirements first:
  • Current-year FAFSA or GSFAPP on file and HOPE Review form (if applicable)
  • Males registered with Selective Service
  • Meeting SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress)
  • GA Resident
  • US Citizen or equivalent
• MUST graduate from high school with a 3.0 GPA as calculated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission.
• MUST maintain a 3.0 GPA in college.
• Beginning Fall 2011 – if a student falls below a 3.0 GPA in college (at a 30/60/90 credit hour and/or end-of-spring checkpoint), they may only regain the HOPE Scholarship one time.
• A student may receive the HOPE Scholarship until:
  • Earning a Bachelor’s Degree or
  • Attempting 127 semester credit hours at a college or
  • Reaching 7-YEAR Limit: Students receiving the HOPE Scholarship for the first time in Summer semester 2011 or later have up to seven years from the date of high school graduation, date of GED Test, date of completion of an accredited Home School Program, or petition to receive high school diploma to receive the HOPE Scholarship.
  • The 7-year limit does not apply to students who received a HOPE Scholarship payment prior to Summer 2011.
  • Or reaching 10-YEAR Limit: Students receiving the HOPE Scholarship for the first time Summer semester 2019 or later have up to ten years from the date of high school graduation, date of GED Test, date of completion of an accredited Home School Program, or petition to receive high school diploma to receive the HOPE Scholarship.

HOPE Will Pay:

• Per credit hour up to 15 credit hours (rate subject to change each year based on tuition rates) and does not cover fees or books
• HOPE will only pay up to 127 total attempted semester hours.
  Example: If you have 126 total attempted credit hours, you will only receive HOPE for one credit hour for the semester.
• HOPE will not pay for Learning Support classes.

Requirements

• Graduate from an eligible high school or accredited high school program as the Valedictorian or Salutatorian.
• MUST graduate from high school with a 3.7 GPA as calculated by the Georgia Student Finance Commission combined with a minimum score of 1200 on the math and reading portions of the SAT test or a minimum composite score of 26 on the ACT test in a single national test administration.
• MUST maintain a 3.3 GPA in college.
• Beginning Fall 2011 – if a student falls below a 3.3 GPA in college (at a 30/60/90 credit hour and/or end-of-spring checkpoint), they may only regain the Zell Miller Scholarship one time.
• A student may receive the Zell Miller Scholarship until:
  • Earning a Bachelor’s Degree or
  • Attempting 127 semester credit hours at a college or
  • Reaching 7-YEAR Limit: Students receiving the Zell Miller Scholarship for the first time in Summer semester 2011 or later have up to seven years from the date of high school graduation, date of GED Test, date of completion of an accredited Home School Program, or petition to receive high school diploma to receive the Zell Miller Scholarship.
  • The 7-year limit does not apply to students who received a Zell Miller Scholarship payment prior to Summer 2011.
  • Or reaching 10-YEAR Limit: Students receiving the Zell Miller Scholarship for the first time Summer semester 2019 or later have up to ten years from the date of high school graduation, date of GED Test, date of completion of an accredited Home School Program, or petition to receive high school diploma to receive the Zell Miller Scholarship.
  • You can only earn the Zell Miller Scholarship out of high school and cannot apply for it later even if you meet the minimum GPA requirement.

How To Apply

If you think you may be eligible for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship, please read the instructions and information below:

1. Complete a GSFAPP on the HOPE website to fill out the GSFAPP (GA Student Finance Application) electronically.
2. Fill out the electronic HOPE Review Form and submit online to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for evaluation (up to two-week processing timeframe).

See instructions at the bottom of this page to see if you have to submit the electronic HOPE Review Form.
You must have the required minimum GPA eligibility after the semester where you earn at least 30, 60 or 90 total attempted credit hours, and you must maintain the minimum GPA through the end-of-spring checkpoints.

• All credit hours attempted at any institution will be counted toward the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship calculation.
• Grades of W and WF are counted as part of your total attempted credit hours calculation.
• Before HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility can be determined, all final, official transcripts from all institutions attended must be received and must include grades for all courses taken.

Any classes showing an In Progress (IP) status on a transcript will not be evaluated and will delay your HOPE Review evaluation.

New Freshman (No HOPE Review Form needed)

You MUST be determined a Final HOPE or Zell Miller Scholar by the State (Georgia Student Finance Commission) based on your high school transcripts. The GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid does not determine your HOPE or Zell Miller eligibility. You do not have to submit a HOPE Eligibility Review Form. If you believe you are eligible and you are not showing as eligible on the Offers link in the Charger Portal, or you do not see your HOPE or Zell Miller award on your Schedule/Bill, please send an email to finaid@highlands.edu to check on your status.

Transfer Students (HOPE Review Form needed)

If you are requesting the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship at GHC, you need to complete the HOPE Review Form and submit electronically to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid. All final, official transcripts must be received by the GHC Office of Admissions and evaluated by the GHC Registrar’s Office. Students who are transferring to GHC should be prepared to pay in advance and be reimbursed for any HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship payments later (if applicable) once eligibility is determined.

Students taking one or more semesters off (HOPE Review Form needed)

If you take one or more semesters off from GHC, you need to complete the HOPE Review Form and submit electronically to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.  This is because the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will need to determine whether or not you took classes at any other colleges in your absence from GHC. All qualifying college credit hours must be counted in the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship calculation. Processing timeframe is up to two weeks once the HOPE Review form and all applicable supporting documentation and/or information is received.

Transient Students (HOPE Review form needed)

If you are a GHC student attending another institution as a Transient Student, complete the HOPE Transient Request Form and submit electronically to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.   Our Office will process accordingly and send a HOPE Transient Certification to the Host Institution indicated on the form.  As a Transient Student visiting Georgia Highlands College, your Home Institution should submit a HOPE or Zell Miller Transient Certificate to GHC through the HOPE website  in order for us to award any HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship funds.

Home Schooled Students (HOPE Review form needed)

Any Home Schooled student seeking HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship funds must complete at least 30 attempted semester hours first. Once you complete at least 30 attempted semester hours, you must submit all final, official transcripts to GSFC (Georgia Student Finance Commission) to be evaluated and approved for retroactive HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship payments for the first 30 semester hours.
To receive the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship for future semesters after the first 30 attempted semester hours, please complete the HOPE Review Form and submit electronically to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.

GPA Reviews

HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility reviews are conducted at the 30, 60, and 90 attempted semester hour checkpoints and at the end of every spring semester after grades are submitted.

• If your GPA is below the required minimum GPA at a checkpoint, you will lose eligibility for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship and it can only be regained one additional time during your educational journey.
• This eligibility can only be regained at a checkpoint (30, 60, 90 credit hour checkpoint).
• For students who do not attend full-time (at least 12 credit hours) during their first three semesters at GHC, an eligibility calculation will be conducted after their third semester which is known as a Three-Tier checkpoint.
• You cannot regain HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility at a spring checkpoint.
• If you lose HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility at or beyond a 90 credit hour checkpoint, you cannot regain eligibility.

The HOPE calculation takes into consideration all college credit hours taken towards a degree program.

A HOPE Review Form must be submitted electronically to the GHC Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid for a checkpoint evaluation.  After a Second Loss of HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility, you cannot regain eligibility again.

You can read more about regulations regarding the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship Program on the Georgia Futures website.