ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• HOPE Scholarship: Graduation from an eligible high school with a 3.0 or higher HOPE GPA.
  
• Zell Miller Scholarship: Graduation from an eligible high school with a 3.7 or higher HOPE GPA, and score at least 1200 on the SAT or 25 on the ACT.

The HOPE GPA is different from a student’s regular GPA. It’s calculated using only grades from core courses including English, math, science, social studies and foreign languages. Extra points are given to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Dual Enrollment (DE) degree-level courses.

All students must also take at least four rigor courses including advanced math, advanced science, foreign language, or AP, IB or DE courses, and enroll in a public or private Georgia college or university, to earn either scholarship.

AWARD AMOUNTS — PUBLIC COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES:

• HOPE Scholarship: An award rate subject to annual appropriations by the Legislature (100% in fiscal year 2024) of the previous academic year tuition.
  
• Zell Miller Scholarship: An award rate of 100% of the current academic year tuition.

Current and previous academic year tuition are the same in 2023 and 2024 at all but one of Georgia’s 26 state colleges and universities because tuition has not increased at those schools for the past three years.

AWARD AMOUNTS — PRIVATE INSTITUTIONS:

Students who attend private colleges and universities receive a flat award rate versus a percentage of tuition. For fiscal year 2024, the award rates for private schools are:  

• HOPE Scholarship: An award amount of $2,496 for 15 credit hours per semester.
  
• Zell Miller Scholarship: An award amount of $2,985 for 15 credit hours per semester.

Both scholarships can be used for up to 127 semester hours, 190 quarter hours, or until the student earns a bachelor’s degree, whichever comes first. They must be used within 10 years of first receiving the award.

RENEWAL CRITERIA:

• HOPE Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.0 GPA in college to remain eligible. Students who didn’t qualify for HOPE in high school can qualify for HOPE while in college, and can lose the HOPE award and regain it multiple times throughout their college career.
  
• Zell Miller Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.3 GPA in college, and can only lose and regain the scholarship once during their college career. 

The Georgia Student Finance Commission publishes HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship award charts for each school.

Source: Georgia Student Finance Commission

Header image: East Georgia State College graduation ceremony (Credit: University System of Georgia)

Read more about the HOPE and Zell Miller scholarships and how the Georgia Lottery funds education initiatives.