HOPE vs. Zell Miller comes down to one GPA line and one test score. Georgia's HOPE Scholarship requires a 3.0 HOPE GPA and four rigor credits. The Zell Miller Scholarship requires a 3.7 HOPE GPA, the same four rigor credits, and a 1200 SAT or 25 ACT from a single test date. At most Georgia public universities in 2026-27, HOPE pays about 99% of what Zell Miller pays per credit hour. The bigger difference shows up at schools that charge flat tuition, and in how hard each is to keep.
Everything below is from the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), which runs both programs, on GAfutures.org and its 2026-27 award-amount tables.
Requirements side by side
| HOPE Scholarship | Zell Miller Scholarship | |
|---|---|---|
| High school HOPE GPA | 3.0 | 3.7 |
| Rigor credits | 4 | 4 |
| Test score | None | 1200 SAT or 25 ACT, single test date |
| Alternative path | -- | Valedictorian or salutatorian, with a 3.0 HOPE GPA and 4 rigor credits |
| GPA to keep it in college | 3.0 at each checkpoint | 3.3 at each checkpoint |
| Can you earn it in college? | Yes, at 30, 60 or 90 attempted hours | No |
Source: Georgia Student Finance Commission, GAfutures.org.
The HOPE GPA isn't your transcript GPA. GSFC calculates it from core courses only, on a 4.0 scale with no plus or minus. It removes your school's weighting, then adds 0.5 back to grades of B, C, D or F in AP, IB and dual enrollment courses. An A stays a 4.0, and honors courses get no weight. See how the HOPE GPA is calculated.
Rigor credits come from advanced math (such as Math III or trigonometry), advanced science (such as chemistry or physics), foreign language, or AP, IB or dual enrollment core courses.
Zell Miller's test score must come from one sitting. GSFC requires the score on "a single national administration" of the SAT, or a single national or state/district administration of the ACT. A 1200 built by combining your best sections from two dates doesn't count. The ACT equivalent is set each January from the College Board and ACT concordance; it has been a 25 for students graduating after December 31, 2023.
How much they pay in 2026-27
Both pay toward standard undergraduate tuition, not housing or fees. At public colleges, the amount depends on how many credit hours you take, up to 15. Amounts below are per semester, for fall 2026 through summer 2027:
| College | HOPE, 12 hours | HOPE, 15 hours | Zell Miller, 12+ hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| University of Georgia | $4,013.64 | $5,017 | $5,067 |
| Georgia Tech | $4,204.80 | $5,256 | $5,309 |
| Georgia State | $3,672 | $4,590 | $3,708 (12) to $4,635 (15) |
| Kennesaw State | $2,280 | $2,850 | $2,304 (12) to $2,880 (15) |
| Private colleges (most) | $2,985 | $2,985 | $2,985 |
Source: GSFC 2026-27 HOPE and Zell Miller award amounts. Private colleges pay $1,493 for half-time enrollment.
Two patterns:
- At UGA and Georgia Tech, Zell Miller pays a flat amount for 7 or more hours, while HOPE pays per hour. A HOPE scholar taking 12 hours at UGA gets $4,013.64, about 79% of the Zell Miller amount. At 15 hours, the gap nearly closes ($5,017 vs. $5,067).
- At most other public universities, both pay per hour, and HOPE is about 99% of Zell Miller at every course load.
For every Georgia college, see HOPE and Zell Miller amounts by college.
How to apply
There's no separate HOPE application. GSFC accepts either:
- The FAFSA, filed every year, or
- The Georgia Student Finance Application (GSFAPP) on GAfutures.org, for students who don't file the FAFSA.
The official deadline is the last day of the school term (or your withdrawal date, if earlier). GSFC still recommends applying "as early as possible," and colleges can set their own earlier deadlines. Georgia high schools send your transcript data to GSFC automatically; you can check your HOPE GPA in your GAfutures account under My High School HOPE GPA starting after 9th grade.
You also need to meet Georgia's residency rule. If your college decides you were a Georgia resident when you graduated from high school, you need 12 consecutive months of residency before the term. If you weren't, you need 24.
Keeping it: checkpoints, not every semester
GSFC checks your college HOPE GPA at 30, 60 and 90 attempted credit hours, and at the end of every spring term. HOPE requires a 3.0; Zell Miller a 3.3. If you fall short:
- Lost Zell Miller with a 3.0 or higher? You keep HOPE.
- Lost HOPE? You can regain it once, at the next 30/60/90-hour checkpoint, with a 3.0. A second loss is permanent.
- Zell Miller can also be regained once at an attempted-hours checkpoint, with a 3.3.
Both end at 127 attempted or paid credit hours, a bachelor's degree, or 10 years after high school graduation, whichever comes first. See how to keep HOPE in college.
What this means for you
- Check your HOPE GPA in GAfutures now, not your transcript GPA. Honors classes and plus grades don't help it.
- If you're near 3.7, the test score is the other half of Zell Miller. You need a 1200 SAT or 25 ACT in a single sitting before graduation, so plan your last test dates accordingly.
- At UGA or Georgia Tech, take 15 hours if you're on HOPE. Per-hour payment means a 12-hour schedule leaves about a fifth of tuition uncovered.
- Missed HOPE out of high school? You can still earn it with a 3.0 college HOPE GPA at 30, 60 or 90 attempted hours. Zell Miller can't be earned in college.