HOPE Scholarship
HOPE (Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally) is a Georgia scholarship program that is funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education. The program rewards hard-working Georgia high school students with scholarships in degree programs at any Georgia public college, university, technical institute, or eligible private institution.
Awards are made to graduating high school seniors with at least a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) as determined by Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC). While in college, HOPE recipients must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average. Students who are not eligible out of high school can gain eligibility after attempting 30 semester hours as long as they meet all other eligibility requirements. HOPE awards are based on credit hours of enrollment. HOPE does not cover fees, books or housing.
Zell Miller Scholarship
Zell Miller is a Georgia scholarship program that is funded by the Georgia Lottery for Education. It is a reward for scholastic achievement and an incentive to continue working hard in school. The program rewards exemplary performance in high school with tuition scholarships at Georgia public and private colleges and technical schools. Zell Miller will pay 100% of the standard tuition rate (this does not include any fees) for each Georgia public and private colleges and technical schools.
Graduating high school seniors must have at least a 3.7 GPA as determined by GSFC. In addition, students must have at least a 1200 SAT or 26 ACT score from one test sitting. Valedictorians and Salutatorians as reported to GSFC automatically qualify for the Zell Miller Scholarship. While in college, Zell Miller recipients must maintain a 3.3 cumulative grade point average. Zell Miller does not cover fees, books or housing.
How to Apply for HOPE
To apply for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the GSFapp. If the student is not a current HOPE or Zell recipient at East Georgia, a HOPE Scholarship Request Form must be submitted. Graduating high school seniors do not need to submit a request form. The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) reports eligible students in early July. Students should notify our office after July 15th if they believe they are eligible but have not yet been awarded.
*Note: The FAFSA is valid for Fall, Spring & Summer semesters of that academic year. It must be completed each year for consideration. Students who are admitted starting summer semester must complete two FAFSAs. For example, for Summer 2022, students should complete the 2021-2022 & 2022-2023 FAFSAs.
To apply for Dual Enrollment, students must complete the Funding application on the Georgia Student Finance Commission website and submit it to their high school. The high school will certify the application and send the student's information to East Georgia State College.
Transient students attending East Georgia State College must have their HOME institution electronically send a HOPE Transient Certificate of Eligibility to our office before we will be able to award funds. Depending upon the student's HOME institution's transient policy, the student may need to pay out of pocket and be reimbursed. The student's HOME institution must be a HOPE-approved institution in order to receive funds.
East Georgia students attending elsewhere as a transient must submit a Transient Permission form to our office.
HOPE GED Grant
Students who have earned the GED (General Education Development or General Education Diploma) in Georgia may be eligible for a one-time award of $500 from the HOPE GED Grant. This award can be used toward tuition and fees, books and supplies, and other educational costs to attend any eligible postsecondary college. The student must be a Georgia resident as determined by the college and have a completed the aid application (FAFSA or GSFAPPS) in order to be eligible for the GED Grant. Award expires 24 consecutive months immediately following the date the GED diploma is awarded to the student.
