For many, the dream of going to college without the HOPE Scholarship would be only that, a dream. So whenever changes are made to the scholarship’s requirements or the amount it pays in tuition they are met with incredible amounts of scrutiny and concern.
For those wondering why they have not been able to meet the HOPE’s changing requirements, or wondering why it did not cover as much tuition as was expected, this article should be able to shed some light on the subject.
In order to obtain HOPE out of high school, one must have a grade point average of at least 3.0 upon graduation.
To get it once in college, one must obtain this same grade point average which will be checked at the 30, 60, and 90 credit hour mark, at which point one may apply for it.
Applicants must also meet several other requirements as well, such as being a resident of the state of Georgia, being in compliance with the Selective Service registration requirements and more.
For a full list of the requirements for the HOPE Scholarship, visit secure.gacollege411.org, go to the financial aid planning section and choose the HOPE Scholarship link on that page.
Note, however, that HOPE will not cover 100 percent of one’s tuition, but instead will cover a percentage of it proportional to the credit hours being taken. For Georgia Highlands this amount can be found at the page mentioned above.
While HOPE does cover the vast majority of tuition, it does not take care of any fees a school may charge, nor does it pay for books as it once did. It is worth noting that if one graduates from high school with a GPA of at least 3.7, he or she may qualify for a special qualification of the HOPE Scholarship known as the Zell Miller Scholarship, which will pay for a larger percentage of tuition than does the HOPE Scholarship.
While the requirements to obtain HOPE may constantly change, by striving to always do one’s best academically it can still be obtained.
While it may not cover as much of one’s college expenses as it once did, it can dramatically reduce the amount students will need to pay back on loans in the future.
It turns out earning those A’s really can pay off in the long term.
