Georgia HOPE Grant

About this scholarship

The Georgia HOPE Grant is state financial aid for Georgia residents pursuing an eligible certificate or diploma at a participating Georgia college or university. It is separate from the degree-focused HOPE Scholarship and may be used by part-time or full-time students; continuing-education programs are not eligible. The grant covers a portion of standard tuition, with the actual amount determined by the institution and number of enrolled hours, so the official program does not promise one statewide dollar figure. Students apply through either the annual Free Application for Federal Student Aid or the online Georgia Student Finance Application. The official deadline is the last day of the applicable school term or the student’s withdrawal date, whichever happens first, although a college may impose an earlier requirement and the Commission recommends applying promptly. Applicants must meet Georgia residency and U.S. citizenship or eligible-noncitizen rules, comply with Selective Service and state drug-free education requirements, and remain in good standing on student aid. No particular high-school GPA is required, but recipients must maintain a 2.0 postsecondary cumulative GPA at designated checkpoints. Eligibility normally ends after 63 grant-paid semester hours, 127 combined HOPE-program hours, or receipt of a bachelor’s degree.

Eligibility

• Meet HOPE program U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements
• Be a legal resident of Georgia under the applicable state residency rules
• Enroll in an eligible certificate or diploma program at a participating Georgia institution
• Meet enrollment and Selective Service requirements, where applicable
• Remain in good standing on student loans and other financial-aid programs
• Comply with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act
• Maintain at least a 2.0 postsecondary cumulative GPA at the designated checkpoints
• Not already hold a bachelor’s degree or exceed the HOPE program paid-hour limits
• Submit either GSFAPP or the applicable FAFSA by the term or institution deadline