2023-2024 College Catalog

Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE)

HOPE Grant

The HOPE Grant component is available to students enrolled in a certificate or diploma program of study. HOPE Grant recipients must have a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or greater at the required checkpoints (30 and 60 semester hours) to continue receiving funding. Effective Fall 2017, HOPE Grant pays $70 per credit hour.

HOPE Scholarship

The HOPE Scholarship component is awarded to HOPE Scholars enrolled in an associate degree (AAT or AAS) program of study. HOPE Scholars are students who graduate from a Georgia high school with this distinguished honor or students who are ‘grandfathered’ into the program after attempting a minimum of 30 associate or baccalaureate degree semester hours with a 3.0 or greater cumulative GPA at the required checkpoints. HOPE Scholarship applicants must have a current year FAFSA or GSFAPP on file to be reviewed for eligibility. HOPE Scholarship will pay up to a maximum of 127. HOPE Scholarship recipients must have graduated from high school within the past seven years or received HOPE scholarship funding prior to summer semester 2011. Students become ineligible for HOPE scholarship seven years after the date they graduated high school or equivalent. Students who received a HOPE scholarship payment during the 2010-2011 award year will remain eligible through June 20, 2015, regardless of graduation date. Active duty military service time does not count against the seven-year period. Students can only regain the HOPE scholarship one time.

Combined HOPE Grant and Scholarship Limit: In addition to the HOPE Grant paid hours limit and the attempted HOPE Scholarship paid hours limit, there is a combined limit of 127 semester hours. If the student reaches the combined limit prior to reaching the Grant or Scholarship paid hours limit, the student will no longer qualify for Grant or Scholarship assistance.