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.
Interesting article. I hoped I might be able to add a couple of points to expand on the above:
Revamping the HOPE Scholarship: Georgia’s Greatest Need for 2013
http://news.yahoo.com/revamping-hope-scholarship-georgias-greatest-2013-181000937.html
“HB 326 is problematic on innumerable levels, but one of its most saliently detrimental results will be the lack of diversity on college campuses which results from the new SAT requirement. In part because of historical and extant white racism that entails inferior educational opportunities for people of color, black and Mexican-American students tend to score lower than whites on the SAT.”
New HOPE benefits come as fewer students get the award
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/new-hope-benefits-come-as-fewer-students-get-the-a/nT5qk/
“Gov. Nathan Deal has touted good news for the HOPE scholarship — a proposal for higher award payouts and extra money for technical college students who study subjects in fields with worker shortages.
What isn’t being discussed is why Georgia can afford this. It’s because fewer students have HOPE.”
Three percent rise in HOPE
http://nique.net/news/2013/01/24/three-percent-rise-in-hope/
“Although the award amounts for HOPE scholarships are expected to increase, not all line items of the HOPE fund are recommended to increase. The total budgetary amount of the HOPE scholarship is anticipated to increase from $408,235,018 to $424,345,076, an increase of approximately $16 million, while the amount under that sum attributed to the Zell Miller Scholarships will decrease by approximately one million dollars.”
So one has to have a 3.0 instead of the 2.0 they had to have in 2011. More money is going to technical school, while the scholarship that goes to individuals making a 3.7 GPA or higher is getting cut, meaning less incentive to perform better?
Lastly, if I understand the 3% increase correctly, that means that with what I get in HOPE, I’ll have an increase in $30 right around the time the college is proposing the $25 Athletic Fee increase, so if that passes, I’ll never actually see that money.