To keep the HOPE Scholarship in college, you need a 3.0 college HOPE GPA at each checkpoint. Georgia checks after 30, 60 and 90 attempted credit hours, and at the end of every spring term you receive HOPE. Zell Miller requires a 3.3 at the same checkpoints. If you fall short, you lose the scholarship, but you get one chance to regain it, at the next attempted-hours checkpoint.
The rules below are from the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC), which runs both programs, on GAfutures.org.
The checkpoints
| Checkpoint | When | Below 3.0 (HOPE) or 3.3 (Zell) | Can you regain here? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Attempted hours | 30, 60 and 90 semester hours (45, 90, 135 quarter hours) | Lose eligibility | Yes, once |
| End of spring | Every spring term in which you received the scholarship | Lose eligibility | No |
| First three terms | After your first three paid terms, only if you took fewer than 12 hours in each | Lose eligibility | No |
Source: GSFC, "Academic Eligibility in College." If you hit an attempted-hours checkpoint at the end of a spring term, that checkpoint applies instead of the end-of-spring one.
"Attempted hours" means every credit you sign up for after high school, including:
- Withdrawn courses: the hours count toward attempted hours, though the grade doesn't count in the GPA.
- Retaken courses: every attempt counts, in both hours and GPA.
- Courses you paid for without HOPE: they still count.
What doesn't count: credit earned before high school graduation (including dual enrollment and AP credit by exam), and remedial or learning support courses taken since fall 2011.
Losing and regaining HOPE
- You can regain HOPE one time, with a 3.0 college HOPE GPA at your next attempted-hours checkpoint (30, 60 or 90 hours).
- You can't regain it at an end-of-spring checkpoint.
- The 90-hour checkpoint is your last chance.
- A second loss is permanent.
The same rules apply to Zell Miller at a 3.3. And there's a safety net between the two: if you lose Zell Miller but your HOPE GPA is at least 3.0, you receive HOPE instead.
Earning HOPE in college
If you didn't qualify for HOPE out of high school, you can still earn it. Your college checks after you've attempted 30, 60 or 90 semester hours; with a 3.0 college HOPE GPA and all other requirements met, you become eligible.
Zell Miller can't be earned in college. You must qualify at high school graduation, with a 3.7 HOPE GPA and a 1200 SAT or 25 ACT, or as valedictorian or salutatorian.
Other rules that can end it
- 127 hours. Both scholarships stop at 127 attempted semester hours or 127 paid hours. Paid hours combine HOPE, Zell Miller, the HOPE and Zell Miller Grants, and the Accel dual enrollment program.
- A bachelor's degree. Earning one ends eligibility, whether or not HOPE paid for it.
- 10 years. If you first received HOPE or Zell Miller in summer 2019 or later, you can use it until June 30 of the 10th year after high school graduation. Active-duty military service and certain disability-related limits can extend this.
- Private colleges require at least 6 hours a term. University System of Georgia and technical colleges have no minimum.
- Transfers keep it if you move between HOPE-eligible Georgia colleges and keep meeting the requirements. It can't be used outside Georgia.
What this means for you
- Know your attempted-hours count. Withdrawals and retakes push you toward the next checkpoint faster without helping your GPA.
- Treat a first loss as a warning, not the end. Plan your next 30 hours to reach a 3.0 by the following checkpoint.
- Take full course loads early if you can. Taking fewer than 12 hours in each of your first three terms triggers an extra checkpoint.
- At UGA or Georgia Tech, HOPE pays per credit hour up to 15, so a full schedule is also worth more. See HOPE amounts by college.