Tennessee State Aid

Tennessee HOPE Scholarship 

The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (HOPE Scholarship) is a State scholarship for undergraduate students. We have developed a comprehensive HOPE Scholarship website that has a significant amount of information and will answer most questions regarding the HOPE Scholarship at Maryville College. Please review the important information below about the HOPE Scholarship.

Lottery scholarship amounts vary, depending on the particular award(s) for which the student is eligible. The base scholarship, the HOPE Scholarship, will depend on when it is first received  and the grade level of the student. Specific award amounts are defined by the TN Student Assistance Corporation. Please review and then refer to your award summary on the college’s online financial aid system.


Traditional HOPE Scholarship

The Traditional HOPE Scholarship is what is known to most simply as the ‘HOPE Scholarship’. It is available for graduating high school seniors who meet the minimum requirements to receive the award. In order to continue receiving the award, you must meet the minimum GPA requirements at each 24-hour benchmark. Visit here to find out those requirements.

Tennessee HOPE Access Grant

The HOPE Access Grant is a one-time only award available for graduating high school seniors who do not meet minimum HOPE Scholarship requirements. The requirements for this grant are listed below.

  • Entering first-year students must have minimum weighted 2.75 GPA AND 18-20 ACT score (950-1030 SAT); AND
  • Parent or independent student (and spouse) adjusted gross income of $36,000 or less

The grant is non-renewable. However, if a student receiving the HOPE Access Grant meets the minimum requirements for the HOPE Scholarship at the first 24-hour benchmark, the student’s award will be updated for the following year to the Traditional HOPE Scholarship. If ineligible at the 24-benchmark, a HOPE Access recipient shall be eligible for HOPE at a later benchmark if the student maintains continuous enrollment without the award and meets the GPA requirements at said benchmark.

*This award cannot be combined with the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship.

HOPE Aspire Supplemental Award

The Aspire Award, also known as ‘HOPE Need’, is a need-based supplemental award. Student’s receiving the Traditional or Provisional Method HOPE Scholarship may qualify for the HOPE Aspire award if they meet the following criteria.

  • Parent or independent student (and spouse) adjusted gross income of $36,000 or less

*This award cannot be combined with the General Assembly Merit Scholarship.

General Assembly Merit Scholarship

The General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS), also known as ‘HOPE Merit’, is a merit-based supplemental award. High school seniors receiving the Traditional HOPE Scholarship may qualify for GAMS by meeting the following criteria. 

  • Entering first-year students who have graduated from a Tennessee public school or category 1,2,3 private school must have minimum 3.75 weighted GPA AND 29 ACT score (1360 SAT)
    • A Home school graduate must, in addition to meeting the HOPE scholarship requirements, during the course of a home school program:
      • Achieve a 29 Composite score or above, on a national test date for the ACT test or a 1360 (math plus critical reading scores only) or above, on a national test date for the SAT test for GAMS consideration.

Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship

The Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship is available to students age 25 & over who meet ALL of the following criteria.

  • Student must be 25 or older (by first day of classes) upon re-enrolling in an eligible postsecondary institution after at least a two-year hiatus or for the first time
    • Beginning Fall 2018, students must enroll in a baccalaureate degree program at an eligible four-year institution as an entering first-year or have at least two (2) years break in enrollment after last attending any college
  • Student must be continuously enrolled at an eligible postsecondary institution in every Fall & Spring term
  • Student must maintain satisfactory academic progress
  • Student must be a TN resident for at least one year prior to applying for the award
  • Student’s Adjusted Gross Income (and spouse, if applicable) is $36,000 or less
  • Student must first complete 12 hours with a 2.75 GPA to be eligible for this award

The HOPE Scholarship, also known as the Lottery Scholarship, is funded by the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program. To receive HOPE funding, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. The deadline for fall semester HOPE awards is September 1 of each academic year. Maryville College encourages ALL students to submit the FAFSA each October 1st when it opens for the next academic year.

Students must meet the following requirements:

  • Have been a TN 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 – Please refer to the TN Student Assistance Corporation’s web page for the HOPE Scholarship for detailed information.
  • Must enroll in an eligible TN public college, university, or private college (or an out-of-state regionally accredited college, university, private college) within 16 months following high school graduation. However, enrollment at an ineligible TN institution (or non-regionally accredited out-of-state institution) any time after high school graduation will make the student permanently ineligible.
  • Entering first-year students must have…
    • a minimum of a 21 ACT composite (1070 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR
    • an overall weighted minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA) – This 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.
  • Home School graduates – be enrolled as a home school student in a home school program for a minimum of one (1) year prior to graduation AND score a minimum 21 ACT composite (1070 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests.
  • GED Applicants – minimum 21 ACT composite (1070 SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests and qualifying GED ® score.  Minimum GED ® score will be determined by the Tennessee General Assembly during the 2017 legislative session.
  • If a student ceases to be eligible for HOPE, except for the General Assembly Merit scholarship, the student may regain HOPE one-time only.
  • ACT/SAT exams must be taken prior to the first day of college enrollment. Residual test scores are not accepted.

 *Important note about Knox County, Williamson County, and Memphis City Schools: Please be aware that if you have graduated from one of these high schools, your cumulative final high school GPA could be different than your TN Lottery Scholarship GPA.  For HOPE purposes, your eligibility depends upon the TN Lottery Scholarship GPA listed on your final transcript.

Transfer Students

Transfer students are largely self-identifying. First, you should make certain your final transcripts (college AND high school) get to Maryville College. Then, you should confirm that your school of choice for the HOPE Scholarship is Maryville College by visiting the TSAC Student Portal. Finally, you should identify yourself with the Maryville College Admission’s Office as a Transfer Student AND HOPE Scholarship recipient.

Beginning Fall 2015, you can receive the HOPE Scholarship until the first of the following events:

  • you have earned a Baccalaureate degree; OR
  • you have been enrolled for 5 years at any postsecondary institution; OR
  • *you meet 120 attempted HOPE hours or have received the HOPE Scholarship for eight (8) full-time equivalent semesters, whichever occurs later in this last bullet.

 

Note:  The scholarship will be prorated in the eighth (8th) semester for students who have reached the max in attempted hours but have received the award for only 7.25 semesters, 7.50 semesters or 7.75 semesters.

HOPE Scholarship GPA Continuation Requirements

For HOPE Scholarship purposes, your HOPE GPA is calculated differently than your Institutional GPA. Your HOPE GPA includes ALL credits received after high school graduation including developmental and repeated courses. We do not include any credits received prior to high school graduation. For example, we do not count dual enrollment courses in your HOPE GPA.

24, 48 attempted HOPE hours checkpoint

  • 2.75 HOPE Cumulative GPA

72, 96 attempted HOPE hours checkpoint

  • 3.0 HOPE Cumulative GPA or
  • *2.75-2.99 HOPE Cumulative GPA AND 3.0 HOPE semester GPA in your last semester.

Hope Scholarship Enrollment Continuation Requirements

For HOPE Scholarship purposes there are enrollment statuses a student must maintain to continue receiving the scholarship. If you change your enrollment status in one of the following ways, you are in jeopardy of forfeiting your HOPE Scholarship. Forfeiture means you are no longer eligible for the HOPE Scholarship for all future terms.

You will forfeit your HOPE Scholarship if one of the following occurs:

  • You have totally withdrawn from Maryville College after the census date.
  • You have dropped below full time enrollment (or from part time to less than 6 credit hours) after the census date (last day to drop before a W is received);
  • You have taken off a Fall or Spring semester (attending one credit hour will maintain your HOPE eligibility);

Receiving the HOPE Scholarship for Summer

You can receive a full HOPE scholarship (or a prorated award for part-time enrollment) in the summer as long as you meet eligibility requirements, even if you already received a full-time award in the fall and spring.

You must be enrolled in at least six (6) Summer credit hours to receive a summer HOPE scholarship. Your award amount will be based on your enrollment status. Please refer to our HOPE award amounts chart to determine how much you can receive.

**IMPORTANT** We recommend that you carefully consider your current HOPE status, before enrolling for any summer courses, to determine what your status may be after taking those classes! Please direct any questions to Maryville College’s Financial Aid Office.

When can I expect to see the award applied to my account?

If you submit a summer aid application and list that you are interested in receiving HOPE for the summer you will automatically be offered the award if you received the award during the Spring semester; however, it will not be able to be guaranteed until Spring grades post and your TELS GPA is verified.

Please Note: You may require additional steps before summer HOPE may be applied to your account if you:

  • Are a new transfer student for the summer term,
  • Are only able to register for one course at the beginning of the term due to required prerequisites.

What will happen if I drop or add summer classes after my HOPE scholarship is applied?

If you drop or add classes after your HOPE scholarship is applied, your scholarship amount may decrease or increase. You will be responsible for repaying any portion of the award that is reduced if you drop courses July 1st or prior.

If you change your enrollment status by dropping classes after July 1st (such as dropping from full-time to less than 12 hours or dropping from part-time to less than 6 hours), you will lose eligibility for the HOPE scholarship for all future terms.

Please keep in mind that this date MAY NOT coincide with the College’s refund policy (or HOST School’s) in regards to dropping classes. Please review this refund information carefully if you choose to drop a course.

We strongly recommend that you speak with our Financial Aid Office before you stop attending, drop any summer course(s), or totally withdraw after the summer term begins. Such an action may result in having to repay some or all of the scholarship or losing eligibility for the scholarship for ALL future terms!

 Do summer classes count in my HOPE attempted hours and GPA

The classes you take this summer will be counted in your HOPE attempted hours and your HOPE GPA, even if you aren’t receiving the HOPE scholarship for the summer term (such as if you take 1-5 hours). Thus, the classes you take this summer will count toward your 120-hour maximum. If you reach a 24 hour benchmark at the end of the summer term and are ineligible based on GPA, enrollment, or the 120-hour limitation, you will not be eligible for the scholarship beginning with the fall semester.

 Am I required to enroll for the summer term?

You are not required to enroll in the summer term in order to keep your HOPE Scholarship. The HOPE Scholarship program does require, however, that you meet continuous enrollment requirements throughout each fall and spring semester.

 


 

Taking Summer Classes at Another School?

I’m taking ALL (or some) of my summer classes at another college. How can I use the HOPE?

Yes, students can use their HOPE Scholarship over the summer (or any other term) while taking classes at their local community college or university (the Host School). If ALL classes are taken at the Host school, the award is based on the type of school you are attending.

***Again, you must be at least 6 credit hours over the entire summer to be considered.***

Here are the steps to apply for HOPE to help cover classes taken at another school:

  • Be degree seeking and eligible for financial aid at Maryville College.
  • Be enrolled as a Transient Student at the Host school (must be an eligible Host school in the state of Tennessee,and register for classes there.
  • Complete Maryville College’s Consortium Agreement and Summer aid application forms in the Financial Aid Office.
  • Verify that Maryville College has received the Consortium Agreement form back from the Host school.

Important steps in the process –

    1. You are responsible for the payment of any and all educational costs incurred at the Host school and will likely be required to pay the Host School before your HOPE Scholarship is paid to you. HOPE Scholarship funds will not disburse until after July 1st at our institution.
    2. Funds are not sent to the Host school.  You must pick up your refund in Maryville College’s business office.
    3. It is your responsibility to ensure that an academic transcript from the Host school is received by Maryville College.  Without a transfer transcript on file, HOPE Scholarship funds for future terms may be put on hold.
    4. You must notify Maryville College if you drop credit hours or withdraw completely from the Host school during the term specified as you could be required to repay funds.

I’m taking ALL (or some) of my summer classes at another college BUT I’m only enrolled 1 – 5 credit hours. How is my HOPE affected?

While you cannot receive HOPE Scholarship funds, these credit hours AND grades still count in the HOPE attempted hours and HOPE GPA. **IMPORTANT** – Maryville College reserves the right to cancel ANY future awards if a Host school Summer transcript is received late in the subsequent fall or spring term and you are found to be ineligible for any reason.

 Visit the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation’s website for more information on HOPE scholarship programs, application procedures, deadlines and award amounts.