HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships

The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) is implementing the College HOPE Eligibility Calculation System (CHECS). CHECS has been developed to centralize the review and approval process of determining eligibility for the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship Programs. Effective December 2018, Georgia Tech along with all other colleges and universities in Georgia will use CHECS to transmit grades and transfer credit information to GSFC for their review and approval to determine continued eligibility.

Effective January 2019, students will need to use GSFC’s website GAFutures to review their status and eligibility. Access to GAFutures does require the student to have a GAFutures account. Click here for more information on how to track your HOPE/ZELL Miller Academic Eligibility.

HOPE and Zell Miller are merit based scholarship programs available to Georgia students who have met the University System of Georgia and the GSFC residency requirements and are enrolled in an undergraduate degree seeking program. Students may receive HOPE or Zell Miller, but NOT both at the same time. This page outlines the differences.

HOPE Scholarship Zell Miller Scholarship
High School Eligibility Requirements A high school GPA of 3.0 as calculated by GSFC. A high school GPA of 3.7 as calculated by GSFC AND an SAT score of 1200 or ACT of 26.
College Eligibility Requirements Maintain a 3.0 HOPE GPA. Maintain a 3.3 ZELL GPA.
Check-points (Losing and regaining awards) Eligibility is checked at the end of each spring semester and when 30, 60, and 90 credit hours have been attempted.

Once lost, eligibility can be regained just once, and only at the 30, 60, 90 attempted hour checkpoints.

Students will be checked at the end of every spring term, even if they were not enrolled in classes that term. HOPE cannot be regained at this checkpoint unless it is also a 30th/60th/90th attempted hour checkpoint.

 Eligibility is checked at the end of each spring semester and when 30, 60, and 90 credit hours have been attempted.

Once lost, eligibility can be regained just once, and only at the 30, 60, 90 attempted hour checkpoints.

Students will be checked at the end of every Spring term, even if they were not enrolled in classes that term. Zell cannot be regained at this checkpoint unless it is also a 30th/60th/90th attempted hour checkpoint.
Time and Credit Hour Limits HOPE can be received either until the student has attempted 127 hours

OR

until 127 hours have been paid through the combination of HOPE/Zell Miller/HOPE Grant/Accel

HOPE eligibility may end seven (7) years from the date of high school graduation.

HOPE eligibility may end Ten (10) years from the date of high school graduation for students who received their FIRST HOPE payment summer term 2019 or later.

 Zell Miller can be received either until the student has attempted 127 hours

OR

until 127 hours have been paid through the combination of HOPE/Zell Miller/HOPE Grant/Accel.

Zell Miller eligibility may end seven (7) years from the date of high school graduation.

Zell eligibility may end Ten (10) years from the date of high school graduation for students who received their FIRST Zell payment summer term 2019 or later.
STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Course

Effective Fall 2017, when calculating the HOPE Scholarship postsecondary GPA, an additional weight of 0.5 will be added to grades of B, C, and D for approved degree level STEM courses taken at an eligible Postsecondary Institution Fall 2017 or later.

Please visit the STEM Weighted Courses Directory to view approved STEM courses.

Effective Fall 2017, when calculating the Zell Miller Scholarship postsecondary GPA, an additional weight of 0.5 will be added to grades of B, C, and D for approved degree level STEM courses taken at an eligible Postsecondary Institution Fall 2017 or later.

Please visit the STEM Weighted Courses Directory to view approved STEM courses.
Award Amounts

Awards are based on anticipated enrollment in 15 credit hours each semester.

For 2023-2024, annual awards will be set at a maximum of $10,258.

For students who are enrolled for the summer semester, the HOPE Scholarship will pay per credit hour based on the summer tuition cost in addition to the maximum mentioned above.

Beginning Fall 2011, there are no awards for fees or books through this program.

Awards are based on anticipated enrollment in at least 15 hours each semester.

For 2023-2024, the maximum annual award is $10,258.

For students who are enrolled for the summer semester, the Zell Miller Scholarship will pay per credit hour in conjunction with summer tuition cost in addition to the maximum mentioned above.

For students who are approaching the credit hour limit described above, awards are reduced based on remaining eligibility.

Beginning Fall 2011, there are no awards for fees or books through this program.
Payment Amounts Actual payment amounts for HOPE will be pro-rated down for students enrolled in fewer than 15 eligible hours. Actual payment amounts for Zell Miller will be for exact tuition charges assessed by the Bursar for eligible courses.

How to Apply

Annual Priority Deadline: Jan. 31

Annually, complete the GT App

AND

Complete the FAFSA OR the GSFAPPS (i.e. the HOPE Application).

Annually, complete the GT App

AND

Complete the FAFSA OR the GSFAPPS (i.e. the HOPE Application).
Appeals Process If your final award notice from our office did not include the HOPE scholarship and you believe you should qualify, appeal directly to GSFC. Please notify our office of the outcome once a determination is made. If your final award notice from our office did not include the Zell Miller scholarship and you believe you should qualify, appeal directly to GSFC. Please notify our office of the outcome once a determination is made

Frequently Asked Questions

A Georgia resident student who graduates from a home study program may be eligible to receive the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship at the first tier if an evaluation of the student's transcript and SAT/ACT scores determines such student to be a HOPE/Zell Miller Scholar.

Please submit a copy of your final transcript and ACT or SAT scores to the Georgia Student Finance Commission for evaluation. A student who is not eligible as a freshman will be reevaluated after attempting 30 college credit hours.

Georgia residents that graduated from an out of state high school must forward their final high school transcript and SAT/ACT scores to Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) to be evaluated for eligibility as an entering freshman.

Upon approval by GSFC, the student should submit the approval letter to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA). A student who is not eligible as a freshman will be reevaluated after attempting 30 college credit hours.

If the institution grants a Military Personnel Out-Of-State tuition waiver for a First-Tier student and that student has graduated from an eligible High School as a HOPE/Zell Miller Scholar, then the student meets the Georgia Residency requirements as a First-Tier student. No Out-Of-State tuition waiver, other than for Military Personnel and their dependents qualify students for HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility.

The HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship will not pay beyond 127 hours attempted even if your major requires additional hours.

Degree credit hours are counted as attempted hours regardless of whether the student receives payment for those hours from the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship.

A student may be eligible for the HOPE/ Zell Miller Scholarship if he/she is permanent resident alien prior to the first day of the term he/she is seeking the HOPE/Zell Miller scholarship. The student must submit to the OSFA documentation of eligible non-citizen status.

No. A student is not required to be enrolled full time to receive the HOPE/ Zell Miller Scholarship.

If a student is enrolled in the Co-op program and registers for additional credit hours, the HOPE/Zell Miller scholarship will pay for the eligible credit hours enrolled excluding Co-op hours.

No. The HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship is awarded based on your enrollment at a HOPE eligible institution within the state of Georgia.

Georgia residency is determined by the Office of the Registrar and governed by the Board of Regents University System of Georgia in-state tuition policy.

  • In general a first-tier student meets the Georgia residency requirements if he or she met the requirements to be classified as a Georgia Resident on the day of high school graduation or completion of a Home Study program and has meet such Georgia residency requirement for 12 consecutive months immediately prior to the first day of class.
  • Students who were not determined to be Georgia residents on the day of their high school graduation or completion of a Home Study program, such student must meet the Georgia residency requirements for 24 consecutive months immediately preceding the first day of class of the school term for which the HOPE Scholarship is sought.

Yes. A student can retain Georgia residency for purposes of the HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship, even if the student's parents leave Georgia if the student was correctly determined to be a Georgia resident at the time of admission to the university and the student has begun his/her post-secondary coursework.

Yes. The HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship will pay for your transient term at another Georgia institution if you are meeting the general requirements to receive the award and you complete the HOPE Scholarship Transient Form.

Yes. The HOPE/Zell Miller Scholarship will pay for your online courses if you are meeting the general requirements to receive the award. Please notify the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid of your plans to enroll for the summer so that we can determine your eligibility for financial aid.

Yes. HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship recipients must meet and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), as defined by the Institute’s policy.

An exception may be considered for students with Dual-Enrollment credit hours that fail to meet the quantitative standard (Pace) for degree completion, generally identified as 150 percent of the published length of the program.