The Tennessee 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 16 months after graduating from a Tennessee eligible high school. Only courses leading to a student’s eligible program of study (associate or baccalaureate degree program) can be awarded under the HOPE Scholarship. Eligible applicants should have an SAT score of 1060 or an ACT score of 21, and they must have a 3.0 GPA. This only applies to certain colleges or universities. Applications must be received by September 1st for fall semester, March 1st for spring semester and May 1st for summer semester.
In order to renew this scholarship, 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; or have a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA at the end of the semester in which the student attempted 72 semester hours and any multiple of 24 semester hours thereafter. 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.