HOPE Scholarship
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The Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Program is a scholarship and grant initiative established in Georgia in 1993. Under the guidance of then-Governor Zell Miller, the program was designed to provide financial aid to exceptional students pursuing degree, diploma, or certificate programs. HOPE is applicable at eligible public and private colleges and universities throughout Georgia, as well as public technical colleges.[1] HOPE is funded entirely by revenue from the Georgia Lottery and is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC).[2][3]
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As of 2024, HOPE encompasses six distinct scholarships and grants, each with its own unique eligibility criteria and requirements. These include the HOPE Career Grant, the HOPE Grant, the HOPE High School Equivalency Examination Grant Program, the HOPE Scholarship, the Zell Miller Grant, and the Zell Miller Scholarship.[4]
The HOPE Scholarship Program has awarded over $14 billion to more than 2.1 million Georgia students since its inception in 1993.[4]
The Hope Scholarship regulations and requirements are codified in Georgia law and has undergone a number of changes by the Georgia Legislature.[5]
In 2005, a decrease in lottery revenue led to questions about whether sufficient funding would be available to continue offering the scholarship in its present form. Several suggestions were made to decrease the program's costs, including tying the scholarship to standardized test scores or checking students' college GPAs more frequently to avoid paying tuition for students who had dipped below 3.0. Political rivals of Governor Sonny Perdue criticized his management of the program, and HOPE's future became an important state political issue. Much of that year's debate was rendered moot when lottery sales increased the next year.[citation needed]