Relying on HOPE

Inside March 11, 2003's Issue

-News-

Many students now rely on HOPE grant to fund their educations

By Chris Hammonds
Assistant Editor

Georgia's HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) Scholarship is former Governor Zell Miller's educational program that rewards students who have earned good grades by assisting students with the expenses of post-secondary education such as tuition, HOPE-approved mandatory fees and a $100 per semester book allowance.

According to the Georgia Student Finance Commission website, http://www.gsfc.org, 680,137 Georgia students have become eligible for the scholarship since it's beginnings in 1993. A total of $1,864,709,348.80 is used on HOPE funding.

Georgia Highlands College specifically has had 5,667 HOPE grant students, and the total amount of money spent on HOPE-approved expenses for the college is $8,905,454.65.

Georgia residents who are attending a Georgia public or technical college are eligible for HOPE so long as they maintain a 3.0 or greater grade point average (GPA) in their core curriculum classes upon graduating high school. Full time enrollment is not a requirement, but maintaining eligibility means students must keep a "B" average.

Students who graduated from high school in or after the year 2000 are required to have maintained a 3.0 or greater GPA upon exiting high school to be eligible for HOPE as a first-year student at a Georgia public or private college.

Non-traditional students who graduated high school before 1993 are also eligible. The requirements are that they must have maintained the 3.0 HOPE cumulative GPA after the quarter in which 45 hours of degree credit were attempted.

Non-traditional students are not eligible if they have already achieved a four-year degree or attempted more than 190 hours of credit prior to re-entering school.

If lost at any time, HOPE can also be regained. If a student drops below a 3.0 GPA after 30 semester hours, they will lose their HOPE funding, but may continue in school at their own expenses. After 60 semester hours, their GPA will be re-evaluated to see whether or not the student is eligible to renew their HOPE scholarship.

HOPE fees cannot be used on expenses that were already covered by PELL or other Federal grants received.

Those interested in more information about the HOPE scholarship can contact the Financial Aid Office at (706)295-6729.

For more on HOPE see the editorial in this issue, HOPE money important.