Signed by Governor Nathan Deal

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that amends HOPE Scholarship requirements.

Highlights:

• Requires a student meet the following residency requirements to be eligible for a scholarship or grant (Sec. 2):
• The student is classified as a legal resident according to guidelines established by the Georgia Student Finance Commission; or 
• The student is an active duty military service member, spouse or dependent stationed in Georgia or lists Georgia as their home of record.

• Repeals legislation that the HOPE grant would include tuition, approved mandatory fees, and a book allowance not to exceed $100.00 per quarter or $150.00 per semester (Sec. 3). 

• Specifies that the HOPE grant equals the HOPE award amount as appropriated by the General Assembly and provisions relating to the Lottery for Education Account (Sec. 3). 

• Requires a sophomore, junior, senior, or first year professional student seeking an associate, baccalaureate, or first professional degree at an eligible postsecondary institution to meet the following requirements to be eligible for a HOPE scholarship (Sec. 3):
• Meet achievement standards by earning a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 at the end of a quarter or semester in which the student has attempted 45, 90, or 135 hours or 30, 60, or 90 semester hours; and 
• Meet enrollment standards by being admitted, enrolled, and classified as an undergraduate or first professional student.

• Authorizes a student to apply a HOPE scholarship and a HOPE grant to any portion of a student's tuition, given that the scholarship or grant does not exceed the tuition amount (Sec. 6)

Full Bill Text

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to pass a bill that establishes new eligibility requirements for HOPE Scholarship recipients.

Highlights:

• Defines "tuition" as "the charges to a student for postsecondary academic instruction without regard to other fees such as technology, activity, athletic, health, or other similar fees" (Sec. 1). 

• Specifies that a HOPE Scholarship may be applied to any portion of a student's tuition (Sec. 6). 

• Requires that in order to be eligible to receive a HOPE scholarship, students graduating from high school on or after May 1, 2015 must, prior to graduating high school, receive credit in at least two courses prior to the following categories (Sec. 13):
• Advanced math, such as Advanced Algebra and Trigonometry, Math III, or an equivalent or higher course; 
• Advanced science, such as Chemistry, Physics, Biology II, or an equivalent or higher course; 
• Advanced placement courses in core subjects; -International baccalaureate courses in core subjects; or 
• Advanced foreign language courses.

• Specifies that students may take one or more courses in each category; provided, however, that a course may only be counted one time (Sec. 13).

Full Bill Text