TN Education Lottery Scholarships

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

All Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program recipients must:

Be a Tennessee resident one year prior to application deadline; Sept.1 for Fall or Feb. 1 for Spring and Summer (Dependent children of full-time religious workers, U.S. military or Tennessee National Guard members on active duty who maintain Tennessee residency while stationed out of state may be eligible) Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov (Applications must be received by Sept. 1 for Fall or Feb. 1 for Spring and Summer)

Enroll in an eligible postsecondary institution within 16 months following graduation from a Tennessee high school or completion of a Tennessee homeschool or GED program (Students graduating from some out-of-state schools may be eligible. For more information, call TSAC.)

Be enrolled in at least 6 hours Never drop a course without talking to your financial aid office about how it may impact your lottery scholarship eligibility Award amounts for part-time enrollment will be prorated based on attempted hours

TENNESSEE HOPE SCHOLARSHIP

The HOPE Scholarship is established and funded from the net proceeds of the state lottery and awarded to entering freshmen who are enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution within sixteen (16) months after graduating from a TN eligible high school.

Award information:

For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter

Four-Year Institutions and two-year institutions with on-campus housing: Up to $1,750 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior

Two-Year Institutions: Up to $1,500 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore

Award amounts are available for summer enrollment
Class status is determined by the postsecondary institution

For students who first received HOPE in fall 2009 through summer 2015

Four-Year Institutions and two-year institutions with on-campus housing: Up to $2,000 per full-time enrollment semester; including summer

Two-Year Institutions: Up to $1,000 per full-time enrollment semester; including summer

Eligibility:

Entering freshmen must meet the following criteria:

Have been a Tennessee resident for one year by September 1 of the application date. For students beginning spring and summer terms, residency determined by February 1 as of application date,
Graduate from a TN eligible high school
- Exceptions may be granted to TN residents who graduate from high schools located in states other than Tennessee. They include:
  - High schools located in bordering out-of-state counties
  - High schools in which dependents of active duty military members or civilian workers of the US Department of Defense, Tennessee National Guard on active duty may attend
    - Members of the Armed Forces or TN National Guard must have Tennessee as the Home of Record at the time of entry into military service; or be classified as an in-state student under the Tennessee Board of Regents promulgated rules by the FAFSA application date.
  - High schools in which dependents of full-time religious workers in foreign nations may attend
  - Out-of-state boarding schools that are regionally accredited or accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
Enroll in one of the Tennessee public colleges, universities, or private colleges. Click Here for listing.
Entering freshmen must achieve a minimum of a 21 ACT or a minimum of 1060 SAT, exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests (concordant equivalent score) OR
Overall minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA*)
Home School graduates – minimum 21 ACT exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests
GED ® recipients – minimum 21 ACT exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests and qualifying GED ® score. Minimum average Revised GED ® score is 170.
HiSet recipients – minimum 21 ACT exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests and qualifying HiSet score. Minimum average HiSet score is 15.
ACT/SAT exams must be taken on a national test date or state test date and prior to the first day of college enrollment. The ACT Residual test is not accepted.
Must enroll within 16 months following high school graduation at any postsecondary institution. However, enrollment at an ineligible postsecondary institution during the 16 months will make the student permanently ineligible.

*Grade point average means a grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors or other similar courses according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.

Eligibility of Transfer Students from Colleges and Universities outside of Tennessee

A student who is otherwise eligible for the HOPE Scholarship but instead enrolls in an out-of-state regionally accredited postsecondary institution either immediately following high school graduation or up to 16 months immediately following high school graduation may transfer to an eligible Tennessee postsecondary institution as a degree-seeking student and receive the HOPE Scholarship as described in TCA 49-4-929.

At the point of enrollment at the out-of-state institution, the student must maintain continuous enrollment and meet renewal requirements as described above without the HOPE Scholarship. All requisite eligibility requirements must be met while attaining the appropriate cumulative GPA at the corresponding benchmark.

If at any time the student drops from full-time enrollment to part-time enrollment or withdraws from the out-of-state regionally accredited postsecondary institution, the student will no longer meet the minimum requirements as described in TCA 49-4-929. However, upon transferring to an eligible TN postsecondary institution, the student may appeal the ineligible status in order to restore HOPE Scholarship eligibility if the change in enrollment status was due to a documented medical or personal reason. Click here for more details. Please note: grades earned at the out-of-state postsecondary institution cannot be appealed.

For students who first received the HOPE Scholarship in fall 2009 and thereafter

The student must have a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA at the end of the semester in which the student attempted 24 and 48 semester hours.
The student must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of the semester in which the student attempted 72 and 96 semester hours.
- If the student’s program of study is greater than 120 semester hours in length (not to exceed 136 semester hours or the number of semester hours required to earn the degree), the student must have a minimum 3.0 at the end of the semester in which the student attempted 120 semester hours.
If the student does not have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of the semester in which the student attempted 72 and 96 semester hours, then the student must:
- Have a minimum 2.75 – 2.99 cumulative GPA and have a semester GPA of at least 3.0 at the end of the semester in which the student attempted 72 and 96 semester hours. The student’s continued eligibility will be determined on a semester-by-semester basis and must maintain full-time enrollment.
If a student ceases to be academically eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, the student may regain the award one-time only. The award may be re-established once the student meets any of the above criteria and maintains continuous enrollment and satisfactory academic progress at an eligible postsecondary institution without the HOPE Scholarship.
The student must re-apply each year by completing the FAFSA and be continuously enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution in the fall and spring semesters and maintain satisfactory academic progress

Application process:

Apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at www.fafsa.gov. Applications must be received by September 1st for fall semester, February 1st for spring and summer semesters. Early application is recommended.

Termination Criteria:

All attempted hours after high school graduation, including remedial and developmental studies courses are included in the total attempted semester hours.

A student may receive the HOPE Scholarship until the first of the following terminating events:

Student has earned a baccalaureate degree; or
Five (5) years have passed from the date of initial enrollment at any postsecondary institution; or
Student has attempted 120 semester hours or has received the HOPE Scholarship for eight (8) full-time equivalent semesters at any postsecondary institution; whichever occurs later.

A student who is enrolled in a program of study that exceeds 120 semester hours in length may receive the HOPE Scholarship until the first of the following terminating events:

Student has earned a baccalaureate degree; or
Five (5) years have passed from the date of initial enrollment at any postsecondary institution; or
Student has attempted at any postsecondary institution the lesser of the number of semester hours required to earn the baccalaureate degree or a total of 136 semester hours or the student has completed eight (8) full-time equivalent semesters.
Note: The scholarship will be prorated in the eighth (8th) semester for students who have received the award for 7.25 semesters, 7.50 semesters or 7.75 semesters.

Medical Disability - A student with a documented medical disability and certified by a licensed physician and can only enroll part-time may appeal to TSAC for an extension to the five (5) year limit as long as the student continues to meet all applicable academic and nonacademic requirements for the HOPE Scholarship and ten (10) years have not passed since the student’s initial enrollment at a postsecondary institution. For students who have first received the HOPE Scholarship in Fall 2009 and thereafter, a documented medical disability extension may be appealed once the sum of years have exceeded the five (5) year limit, a receipt of the HOPE Scholarship or HOPE Scholarship for nontraditional students has exceeded eight (8) full-time equivalent semesters, or the total semester hours have been exceeded.

ASPIRE AWARD

Award information:

For students who first received HOPE in fall 2009 through summer 2015:

Four-Year Institutions: Up to $750 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer
Two-Year Institutions: Up to $750 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer

For entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter:

Four-Year Institutions: Up to $750 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer
Two-Year Institutions: Up to $250 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship; including summer

Eligibility:

Meet Tennessee HOPE Scholarship requirements AND
Must have parents’ or independent student’s and spouse’s adjusted gross income of $36,000 or less on IRS tax form

GENERAL ASSEMBLY MERIT SCHOLARSHIP (GAMS)

Eligibility:

Students graduating from a Tennessee public school or category 1, 2, 3 private school must have a minimum 3.75 GPA* AND 29 ACT or a minimum 1350 SAT, exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests (concordant equivalent score)
ACT/SAT exams must be taken on a national test date or state test date and prior to the first day of college enrollment after high school graduation. The ACT Residual test is not accepted
Students graduating from Homeschool programs (and non-category I, II, & III Schools), in addition to meeting the HOPE scholarship requirements, and during the course of a homeschool program, must meet the minimum academic requirements to qualify for the General Assembly Merit Scholarship. Click here for more details on how to qualify.

For students who first received the HOPE Scholarship in fall 2009 and thereafter:

Award amount – Up to $1,500 supplement to the HOPE Scholarship. The award is divided equally between fall, spring and summer semesters. Awards to part-time students are prorated.

TENNESSEE HOPE ACCESS GRANT

Award information:

For students who first received HOPE in fall 2009 through summer 2015:

Four-Year Institutions: Up to $1,375 per full-time enrollment semester; including summer
Two-Year Institutions: Up to $875 per full-time enrollment semester; including summer

entering freshmen beginning with fall 2015 and thereafter:

Four-Year Institutions: Up to $1,250 per full-time enrollment semester, including summer
Two-Year Institutions: Up to $875 per full-time enrollment semester; including summer

Eligibility:

Have been a Tennessee resident for one year by September 1 of the application date. For students beginning spring and summer terms, residency determined by February 1 as of application date,
Graduate from a TN eligible high school
- Exceptions may be granted to TN residents who graduate from high schools located in states other than Tennessee. They include:
  - High schools located in bordering out-of-state counties
  - High schools in which dependents of active duty military members or civilian workers of the US Department of Defense, Tennessee National Guard on active duty may attend
    - Members of the Armed Forces or TN National Guard must have Tennessee as the Home of Record at the time of entry into military service.
  - High schools in which dependents of full-time religious workers in foreign nations may attend
  - Out-of-state boarding schools that are regionally accredited or accredited by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS)
Enroll in one of the Tennessee public colleges, universities, or private colleges. Click Here for listing.
Entering freshmen must have a minimum 2.75 GPA* AND 18 - 20 ACT or 940 - 1050 SAT, exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests (concordant equivalent score) AND
ACT/SAT exams must be taken on a national test date or state test date and prior to the first day of college enrollment after high school graduation. The ACT Residual test is not accepted
Parents' or independent student's and spouse's adjusted gross income of $36,000 or less on IRS tax form
Grant non-renewable – Student will be eligible for Tennessee HOPE Scholarship by meeting HOPE Scholarship renewal criteria and maintaining enrollment and other applicable requirements without the award

Application process:

TENNESSEE STUDENT ASSISTANCE AWARD PROGRAM

To be eligible, the applicant must:

complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and
have a valid Expected Family Contribution (EFC) of 2100 or less, and
be a Tennessee resident, if a dependent student, parents must also be a Tennessee resident, and
be enrolled at least half time at an eligible Tennessee postsecondary institution, and
maintain institutional satisfactory academic progress according to the standards and practices of the institution, and
not be in default on a loan or owe a refund on any grant previously received at any institution, and
who have not received a baccalaureate degree.

To receive priority consideration, students are strongly encouraged to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after October 1 each year.

Prior-year TSAA recipients (renewal awards) will receive the award if they meet all eligibility requirements and correctly complete the FAFSA on or before February 1. Remaining funds will be awarded to the neediest applicants who did not recei ve the award the prior year and correctly completed the FAFSA by February 1. Awards are based on the availability of funds and are made until those funds are depleted.

Award information:

Maximum award amounts are determined by the TSAC Board of Directors prior to the beginning of the fall term. The amount of the award is based on the institution indicated on the student’s FAFSA. Award amounts for an academic year are:

Four-year/two-year private $4,000
Four-year public $2,000
Two-year public $1,300
Career Schools $2,000
TN College of Applied Technology $1,000

The final amount is determined by the institution. The financial aid office may revise the amount of the award for one of the following reasons:

Overaward - the TSAA is one of several government-funded programs of financial aid for students. A variety of privately funded programs are also available as well as the assistance many parents are able to provide their children. TSAC policy requires the institution to certify that each recipient’s aid, when combined with other resources, does not exceed the cost of attending the institution. If a situation arises in which a student’s aid and resources exceed the cost of attendance, the financial aid office at the institution must reduce or cancel the award to prevent an overaward.
Part-Time Enrollment – TSAA’s initial award is based on full-time enrollment. The student’s institution will certify each term of enrollment and if a student is enrolled less than full time the institution must adjust the award accordingly.
Early Withdrawal – award recipients who withdraw prior to the completion of a term may have a portion of the award reduced in accordance with the institution’s published refund policy.

Award recipients must use the TSAA for educational expenses. Funds are disbursed to the institution on behalf of the recipient and will be credited to the student’s account in accordance with the institution’s published policy.

Award recipients may receive awards until:

Award recipients may receive awards until the program of study is complete or for the following, whichever comes first:

4-Year Program up to 8 semesters or 12 quarters/trimesters;
3-Year Program up to 6 semesters or 9 quarters/trimesters;
2-Year Program up to 4 semesters or 6 quarters/trimesters;
1-Year Program up to 2 semesters or 3 quarters/trimesters; or
6-Month Program up to 1 semester or 2 quarters/trimesters.

Eligible institution:

Award recipients must attend an eligible Tennessee school, college or university and be enrolled at least half time. You must list the eligible institution as your first choice when you initially complete your FAFSA. For a list of eligible institutions, please click here.

Transfer:

to change your institution, you can complete a Change of Institution Request Form by clicking here or go to the TSAC Portal - click here to log on and select your institution choice from the drop down menu. If you change your institution choice through the TSAC Student Financial Aid Portal the change is made immediately.

Because available funding is insufficient to reach all eligible applicants, early filing of the FAFSA is strongly encouraged as soon as possible after October 1. Awards are made until funds are depleted. First priority is given to U.S. citizens.

Thank your Legislator for TSAA here.

FOR QUESTIONS AND ADDITIONAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS, PLEASECONTACT THE TENNESSEE STUDENT ASSISTANCE CORPORATION

Phone: 615.741.1346

Toll Free: 800.342.1663

http://www.tn.gov/collegepays/section/money-for-college

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Application process:

Award information:

Eligibility:

Eligibility:

Award information:

Eligibility:

Application process:

TENNESSEE STUDENT ASSISTANCE AWARD PROGRAM

To be eligible, the applicant must:

Award information:

Transfer:

TENNESSEE EDUCATION LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS