1. HOPE Scholarship

2. What is the HOPE Scholarship? The HOPE program is a Merit-based program. You earn scholarship dollars because of your grades.

3. 3 Types of HOPE Programs The HOPE Scholarship program that you are most familiar with is the one that requires a 3.0 academic GPA This program is for students who plan to attend college to earn a DEGREE. The 3.0 includes grades in core classes & academic electives in the areas of: English, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Foreign Language

4. More HOPE info The GPA does not include any weighting except for AP classes. These are given an extra.5 quality point. To calculate your HOPE GPA: – A’s = 4 points – B’s = 3 points – C’s = 2 points – D’s = 1 point – F’s = 0 points

5. HOPE Something you may not know…… Most colleges calculate your GPA like the HOPE does…when they say they are looking for a 3.2 GPA for example, they mean in academic classes

6. What does HOPE cover?? 90% of your tuition and no books or fees. The amount that it covers varies by college. There is a chart on www.gacollege411.org that tells you how much it covers at each college in Georgia. www.gacollege411.org You can also access this information on the Student Services page of the WHS website

7. Other HOPE Programs The newest HOPE Program is called the ZELL Miller Scholarship Requirement of Zell Miller: 3.7 academic core GPA 1200 reading and math SAT OR 26 ACT (in one sitting) OR Be number 1 or 2 in your class.

8. Zell Miller Scholarship What does the Zell Miller cover???? – In most cases, it pays 100% of tuition (cost for classes only). – To see what it pays for your college, go to www.gacollege411.org Click on financial aid and HOPE programs. There is a chart that tells you how much it pays per college. www.gacollege411.org

9. The HOPE Grant The HOPE Grant is the 3 rd program run by HOPE. It is designed for students who plan to earn a certificate or diploma from a technical college. The HOPE Grant, DOES NOT REQUIRE A GPA!!!!! That makes a Technical college a great place to start if your grades are not a 3.0!!!!!

10. The HOPE Grant What does it cover? Like the HOPE Scholarship, it covers a percentage of your tuition. The exact amount can be found on www.gacollege411.org. It usually covers a large percentage of your tuition!www.gacollege411.org If you start at a Technical college and make a 3.0 average for the first 30 hours you are there, you can then qualify for the HOPE SCHOLARSHIP AT A 4-YEAR COLLEGE!!

11. Applying for the HOPE The easiest way to apply for HOPE is to go to www.gacollege411.org www.gacollege411.org Click on the financial aid tab at the top of the home page and then proceed to the HOPE scholarship link. There you will find both an electronic and a paper application form. Cherokee County Schools will upload all transcripts to gacollege411, so all you have to do it to complete these forms.

12. FAFSA ( Free application for Federal Student Aid) ALL students should complete this form!! It is used as your application for need-based aid PLUS it is used for eligibility for other scholarships like the HOPE! The form is available at www.gacollege411.org and should be completed between Jan 1 st and March 1 st of your senior year.www.gacollege411.org

13. Helpful Hint If you and your parents complete your tax return early, it will make this much easier to complete your FASFA. You will not receive notification that you have received the HOPE scholarship until your final HS transcript is submitted to the state by WHS. This is automatically done at the end of the year by WHS.