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HOPE

HOPE Limits and Checkpoints
Georgia Student Finance Commission
May 24, 2004
1. HOPE Scholarship Attempted-Hours Limit:

Went into effect Fall term of 1993 (FY 94).
Students are not eligible to receive HOPE Scholarship funds if they have attempted 190 quarter hours or 127 semester hours or more of college degree-level credit hours, after graduation from high school, unless they are enrolled in specific programs of study designed to require more than 190 quarter hours or 127 semester hours for graduation; then they are eligible until a maximum of 225 quarter hours or 150 semester hours has been attempted, or the number of hours required for graduation has been attempted, whichever is less.
If a student earns a bachelor’s degree before reaching the Attempted-Hours limit; he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment.
If a student reaches the Attempted-Hours limit before reaching the Combined Paid-Hours limit; he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment. (See example A. below.)
If a student reaches the Combined Paid-Hours limit before reaching the Attempted-Hours limit; he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment. (See example B. below.)

2. HOPE Grant Paid-Hours Limit:

Requirement goes into effect Fall term of 2004 (FY 05).
The HOPE Grant Paid-Hours limit is determined by totaling only the hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment.
Hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment prior to the summer term of 2003 are not counted as Paid-Hours for the HOPE Grant limit.
Hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment for summer term of 2003, fall term of 2003, winter term of 2004, spring term of 2004, and summer term of 2004 are counted as Paid-Hours for the HOPE Grant limit, except if the student was also enrolled in high school during these terms.
Beginning with the fall term of 2004, all hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment are counted as Paid-Hours, regardless of whether the student is also enrolled in high school.
Recipients are eligible for a maximum of 95 quarter hours or 63 semester hours of HOPE Grant payment, or a maximum of 130 quarter hours or 86 semesters hours, or the number of hours required for graduation, whichever is less, but only if enrolled in specific programs of study designed to require more than 95 quarter or 63 semester hours for graduation.

3. Combined Paid-Hours Limit:

Hours for which students received payment from the Accel Program, HOPE Grant and HOPE Scholarship programs are all included.
Requirement goes into effect Fall term of 2004 (FY 05).
At that time, the hours for which HOPE Grant funds were paid will be tracked starting with Summer term of 2003 (FY 04), except for hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment prior to high school graduation and before Fall term of 2004.
At that time, hours for which Accel Program funds were paid will be tracked starting with fall term of 2004 (FY 05).
At that time, hours for which HOPE Scholarship funds were paid will be tracked starting with fall term of 1993 (FY 94).
Recipients are eligible for a maximum of 190 quarter hours or 127 semester hours of combined payment, or a maximum of 225 quarter hours or 150 semester hours, or the number of hours required for graduation, whichever is less, but only if enrolled in specific programs of study designed to require more than 190 quarter hours or 127 semester hours for graduation.
If a student earns a bachelor’s degree before reaching the Combined Paid-Hours limit; he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment.
If a student reaches the Attempted-Hours limit before reaching the Combined Paid-Hours limit; he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment. (See example A. below.)
If a student reaches the Combined Paid-Hours limit before reaching the Attempted-Hours limit; he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment. (See example B. below.)
If a student reaches the Combined Paid-Hours limit before reaching the HOPE Grant Paid-Hours limit; he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Grant payment. (See example F. below.)

4. HOPE Scholarship Attempted-Hours Checkpoint:

Went into effect fall term of 1993 (FY 94).
A HOPE Scholarship recipient must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the 30 semester/ 45 quarter hours, 60 semester/ 90 quarter hours, 90 semester/135 quarter hours checkpoints in order to renew.
HOPE Scholarship eligibility can be lost, gained, or regained at these checkpoints.

5. HOPE Scholarship End-of-Spring Checkpoint:

The first End-of-Spring Checkpoint will be conducted at the end of Spring quarter or Spring semester of 2005 (FY 05).
All HOPE Scholarship recipients must have a 3.0 GPA at the end of each Spring term, in order to continue their eligibility, except for Freshmen (1st tier) recipients who enrolled for less than 12 hours for each of their first three terms in a row. (See “Three-Term Checkpoint”.)
HOPE Scholarship eligibility can be lost at an End-of-Spring Checkpoint, but cannot be gained or regained at an End-of-Spring Checkpoint.
HOPE Scholarship eligibility can be lost at an End-of-Spring Checkpoint, but then regained at a future Attempted-Hours Checkpoint. (See example C. below.)

6. HOPE Scholarship Three-Term Checkpoint:

The first Three-Term Checkpoint will be conducted at the end of winter quarter of 2005 (FY 05) or spring semester of 2005 (FY 05).
This checkpoint only applies to freshmen (1st tier) recipients who enrolled for less than 12 hours for each of their first three terms in a row.
Freshmen (1st tier) recipients, who enrolled for less than 12 hours for each of their first three terms, and only these students, must have a 3.0 GPA in order to continue their eligibility.
After the Three-Term Checkpoint is applied once to a student, the End-of-Spring Checkpoints must be applied to that student, regardless of the number of hours enrolled each term.
HOPE Scholarship eligibility can be lost at the Three-Term Checkpoint, but cannot be gained or regained at the Three-Term Checkpoint.
HOPE Scholarship eligibility can be lost at a Three-Term Checkpoint, but then regained at a future Attempted-Hours Checkpoint. (See example D. below.)
The Three-Term Checkpoint is not applied if the recipient enrolls for 12 or more hours for the third term. (See example E.)

EXAMPLES:
A. A student could reach the Attempted-Hours limit before reaching the Combined Paid-Hours limit, and become ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment:
John graduated from high school in Ohio in 1985. He attended Ohio State University for two years and attempted 60 semester hours with a 3.5 GPA. He did not return to college until the Fall term of 2003, when he enrolled at a HOPE-eligible Georgia college. As a legal resident of Georgia, he began receiving the HOPE Scholarship at the 3rd tier. He is only eligible for 67 hours of HOPE Scholarship payment. He will reach the Attempted-Hours limit of 127 semester hours after only receiving HOPE Scholarship payment for 67 hours.
B. A student could reach the Combined Paid-Hours limit before reaching the Attempted-Hours limit, and become ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment:
Susan participated in the Accel Program during the 2004-2005 school year, while she was still in high school. She received Accel payment for 15 semester hours. She graduated from high school as a Class of 2005 HOPE Scholar, but chose to pursue a technical diploma at a HOPE-eligible public college. During the 2005-2006 school year, she received HOPE Grant payment for 40 semester hours. In the Fall of 2006, she enrolled in a college degree program. The college accepted 30 hours from her technical diploma program toward her degree program. Therefore, she attempted 30 college credit hours, after high school graduation, with a 3.0 and began receiving the HOPE Scholarship at the 2nd tier. She was only eligible to receive HOPE Scholarship payment for 72 hours, because she reached the Paid-Hours limit of 127 semester hours (Accel –15, plus HOPE Grant – 40, plus HOPE Scholarship – 72) after only having 102 Attempted-Hours.
C. A student could lose HOPE Scholarship eligibility at an End-of-Spring Checkpoint, then regain it at a future Attempted-Hours Checkpoint:
Tom is a Sophomore (2nd tier) HOPE Scholarship recipient who attempted 59 semester hours with a 2.99 GPA at the end of Spring term of 2005, and therefore lost his HOPE eligibility. Tom then attends the Summer term, without receiving HOPE Scholarship funds, and at the end of Summer term he has attempted 60 semester hours with a 3.0 GPA. He is eligible to begin receiving the HOPE Scholarship again, beginning with the Fall term, at the Junior (3rd tier) level.
D. A student could lose HOPE Scholarship eligibility at the Three-Term Checkpoint, then regain it at a future Attempted-Hours Checkpoint:
Alice is a Freshman (1st tier) HOPE Scholarship recipients who attempts 6 semester hours during the Fall semester of 2004, and 6 hours for Spring semester of 2005. Since she is a 1st tier student who did not attempt 12 or more hours for at least one term, she would not be checked at the end of Spring term. Then she attends Summer term of 2005 and attempts 9 hours and receives HOPE Scholarship payment for those 9 hours. She only has a 2.99 GPA at the end of Summer term, so she loses HOPE eligibility. She attends Fall term of 2005, without receiving HOPE funds, and attempts 9 semester hours. At the end of Fall term she has attempted 30 hours with a 3.0 GPA, and is therefore eligible to again receive HOPE Scholarship funds, beginning with the Spring semester of 2006, at the Sophomore (2nd tier) level.
E. A Freshman (1st tier) HOPE Scholarship recipient could have less than a 3.0 GPA at the end of the third term and still be eligible to continue receiving HOPE Scholarship funds:
Harry is a Freshman (1st tier) HOPE Scholarship recipients who attempts 6 semester hours during the Fall semester of 2004, and 6 hours for Spring semester of 2005. Since he is a 1st tier student who did not attempt 12 or more hours for at least one term, he would not be checked at the end of Spring term. Then he attends Summer term of 2005 and attempts 12 hours and receives HOPE Scholarship payment for those 12hours. Harry only has a 2.99 GPA at the end of Summer term, but does not lose his HOPE eligibility because he was not enrolled for less than 12 hours for his first three terms and has not attempted 30 semester hours. He attends Fall term of 2005, and attempts 6 semester hours, for which he receives HOPE payment. At the end of Fall term he has attempted 30 hours with a 2.99 GPA, and therefore loses his HOPE eligibility.
F. A student could reach the Combined Paid-Hours limit before reaching the HOPE Grant Paid-Hours limit and lose further eligibility for the HOPE Grant.
Jane entered the HOPE Scholarship program as a non-traditional student after attempting 45 college degree level credit quarter hours with a 3.0 GPA. She received HOPE Scholarship payment for 135 quarter hours during her Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years and graduated with a bachelor’s degree. A year later she enrolls in a technical diploma program of study that requires 95 quarter hours and she begins receiving the HOPE Grant. After receiving HOPE Grant payment for 55 quarter hours, she becomes ineligible for further payment from the HOPE Grant program, because she reached the Combined Paid-Hours limit of 190 quarter hours (135 hours – HOPE Scholarship, plus 55 hours – HOPE Grant).