Financial Aid Resources:
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
FAFSA – To apply for student financial aid, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This provides the information the financial aid office at your college or university needs to determine your financial need for federal and state programs, including the HOPE Scholarship Program. Apply as soon as possible after January 1st of your senior year; funding is limited. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.
FastWeb
FastWeb lists over 1.3 million scholarships totaling $3 billion. This FREE web-based scholarship search service lists itself as the most complete source of local, national, and college-specific scholarships anywhere. Once students complete their personal profiles, FastWeb provides customized lists of matching colleges, scholarships and more via email. Scholarships may be organized by type, deadline, dollar amount, and more. Additionally, students may find the right school by matching location, academic offerings, enrollment, setting, sports, and more through the FastWeb College Search. Go to www.fastweb.com.
The HOPE Scholarship for Recent High School Graduates
If you are a recent high school graduate and wish to receive the HOPE Scholarship for a degree program at a technical college, you must meet the same qualifications as a student seeking a degree at one of Georgia's public or private colleges or universities. To be eligible as a first-year student, you must:
- Be a legal resident of Georgia
- The HOPE scholarship award, the private HOPE award and the HOPE grant will be adjusted annually based on lottery revenue.
- Earn a "B" average in high school (a 3.0 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale, meeting the college preparatory track; if you are in the technical curriculum track, you must have a 3.2 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale)
Students who graduate from high school in the year 2000 and thereafter will be required to earn a "B" average in their core-curriculum subjects. Students must also graduate meeting the curriculum requirements in their program of study. Check with your high school guidance counselor for more information on the core-curriculum requirements.
Important 2011 Changes to HOPE:
Students earning a 3.0 GPA will get 90 percent of their tuition covered with books and mandatory fees no longer covered. Those attending private colleges with this scholarship will now get $3,600.
The Zell Miller Scholarship was formed to cover 100 percent of tuition at Georgia public universities or $4,000 if the student attends a private college. To qualify, students must earn a 1200 on the SAT or a 26 on the ACT. Students have to maintain a 3.7 GPA to keep the scholarship active.
Hope will now only cover 127 hours of credit.
Public Colleges, Universities, and Technical Colleges
Students planning to attend a public college, university, or technical college have two options for applying for the HOPE Scholarship. Please note that you only have to choose one of these options to apply for the HOPE Scholarship.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - If you wish to be considered for financial aid other than HOPE (i.e. Pell Grant, Student Loans) you should complete the FAFSA. If you complete a FAFSA, there are no other forms required to make application for the HOPE Scholarship (unless there are forms specific to your school). By using your GAcollege411 account (My411), and accessing the FAFSA application from GAcollege411, you can reduce the amount of time it takes to complete this form. Proceed to the electronic FAFSA.
- If you want to apply for the HOPE Scholarship...
