Georgia HOPE Scholarship

Georgia's HOPE Scholarship is available to Georgia residents who have demonstrated academic achievement. The scholarship provides money to assist students with their educational costs of attending a HOPE-eligible college in Georgia.

Basic Eligibility

All HOPE programs require students to meet basic requirements. An eligible student must:

A) Meet HOPE's U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements;

B) Be a legal resident of Georgia;

C) Meet enrollment requirements;

D) Be in compliance with Selective Service registration requirements;

E) Meet academic achievement standards;

F) Be in good standing on all student loans or other financial aid programs;

G) Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990;

H) Not have exceeded the maximum award limits for any HOPE program.

Initial Academic Eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship

The HOPE Scholarship program requires students to meet academic eligibility requirements in addition to the basic requirements. The type of high school or home study program a student attends and graduates from determines the student's HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements.

Types of high schools for HOPE Scholarship

An eligible high school or an accredited home study program is one which is accredited by at least one of the approved accrediting agencies listed below; this is true even if the high school or home study program is located outside the state of Georgia or outside of the United States.

A high school not accredited by one of the approved accrediting agencies as listed below is considered an ineligible high school.

A home study program which is not accredited by one of the approved accrediting agencies as listed below is considered an unaccredited home study program.

Below are the approved accrediting agencies for high schools and home study programs

High schools and home study programs located in Georgia must be accredited by one of the following approved agencies:

A) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

B) Georgia Accrediting Commission

C) Georgia Association of Christian Schools

D) Association of Christian Schools International

E) Georgia Private School Accreditation Council

F) Southern Association of Independent Schools

G) Georgia Independent School Association

High schools and home study programs located outside of Georgia must be accredited by one of the following approved agencies:

A) Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

B) New England Association of Schools and Colleges

C) Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools

D) North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

E) Northwest Accreditation Commission

F) Western Association of Schools and Colleges

G) Alabama Independent School Association

H) Southern Association of Independent Schools.

The high school or home study program must be accredited by an approved accrediting agency as listed above at the time of the student's graduation or completion. The accrediting agency should be listed on their website.

How do I apply for the HOPE Scholarship?

A student may apply for the scholarships by completing the GSFAPP (one time completion) or FAFSA (completed each academic year). Check with the postsecondary institution's financial aid office for scholarship eligibility after submitting an application. Additional documentation may be required by the postsecondaryinstitution.