General Eligibility Requirements for HOPE

• Applicants must be legal Georgia residents for a period of no less than 12 months immediately preceding the date of registration.
• There are no income, age, high school GPA or graduation limitations for diploma and certificate seeking applicants.
• Applicants must meet the requirements of Selective Service Registration.
• Applicants must be in compliance with the Georgia Drug Free Postsecondary Act.
• Applicants cannot be in default or owe a refund on a federal Title IV Educational Loan or Grant.
• Full time enrollment is not required if you attend a technical college.

Specific Eligibility Requirements for HOPE

• Diploma and degree seeking students who wish to be considered for federal (Pell) and state (HOPE) student aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form.
• Students enrolled in certificate programs and diploma/degree seeking students who do not wish to be considered for federal student aid should complete the Georgia HOPE Scholarship & Grant Application.
• HOPE will pay tuition and HOPE-approved mandatory fees. Graduation, exemption, liability insurance and Instructional & Technology Support fees are not covered.
• HOPE Grant recipients must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress to maintain eligibility.
• The HOPE Grant will cover required certificate and diploma level courses that are a part of the student’s program of study, including developmental studies. The only exceptions are degree level courses that have direct and specific correlation to required courses in the student’s diploma or certificate program. For example, English 191 (degree level course) can be taken in place of English 101 (diploma level course), if approved by the institution. This student must meet the cut-off scores required for the degree level English or Math. The HOPE Grant will not cover degree level courses used to fulfill general elective requirements for a certificate or a diploma program.
• HOPE Scholarship recipients must maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade point average for all coursework attempted and be making satisfactory academic progress as defined by the school.

HOPE Grant/Scholarship Limits and Checkpoints Effective Fall Quarter 2004

• Effective Fall Quarter, 2004 students are eligible for HOPE Grant payment for a maximum of 95 quarter hours or a maximum of 130 quarter hours, or the number of hours required for graduation whichever is less, but only if enrolled in a diploma program that is designed to require more than 95 quarters hours for graduation. The credit hour count is retroactive to Summer Quarter, 2003.
• Hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment for Summer term 2003, Fall term 2003, Winter term 2004, Spring term 2004, and Summer term 2004 are counted as Paid-Hours for the HOPE Grant limit, unless the student was also enrolled in high school during those terms. The maximum HOPE Grant Paid-Hours that will be counted on a quarterly basis is 12 credit hours even if the student is enrolled for more hours.
• Beginning Fall term 2004, all hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment are counted as Paid Hours, regardless of whether the student is also enrolled in high school.

HOPE Scholarship and Grant Combined Paid-Hours Limit

• Effective Fall term 2004.
• Hours for which students received payment from the Accel, HOPE Grant and HOPE Scholarship programs are included in calculating the total Combined-Paid Hours.
• Hours for which HOPE Grant funds were paid will be tracked starting with Summer term 2003, except for hours for which a student received HOPE Grant payment prior to high school graduation and before Fall term 2004.
• Hours for which Accel Program funds were paid will be tracked starting with Fall term 2004.
• Hours for which HOPE Scholarship funds were paid will be tracked from the beginning of the program, Fall term 1993.
• Students are eligible for combined payment for a maximum of 190 quarter hours, unless they are enrolled in specific programs of study designed to require more than 190 quarter hours for graduation. In that case, students are eligible for a maximum of 225 quarter hours, OR the number of hours required for graduation, whichever is less.
• If a student reaches the Attempted-Hours limit before reaching the Combined Paid-Hours limit, he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment.

HOPE Scholarship Attempted-Hours Limit

• Went into effect Fall term 1993.
• Students are not eligible to receive HOPE Scholarship funds if they have attempted 190 quarter hours or more of college-degree level credit hours, unless they are enrolled in specific programs of study designed to require more than 190 quarter hours for graduation.
• If a student reaches the Attempted-Hours limit before reaching the Combined Paid-Hours limit, he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment.
• If a student reaches the Combined-Paid hours limit before reaching the Attempted-Hours limit, he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE Scholarship payment.

HOPE Scholarship Checkpoints

• Effective Fall term 1993, a HOPE Scholarship recipient must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the 45, 90 and 135 quarter hour checkpoints to be eligible to renew. HOPE Scholarship eligibility can be lost, gained or regained at these checkpoints.
• Effective Summer term 2004, all HOPE Scholarship recipients must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of each Spring term, in order to continue their eligibility, except for 1st tier recipients who enrolled for less than 12 hours for each of their first three terms.
• 1st tier recipients who enrolled for less than 12 hours for each of their first three terms must have a cumulative 3.0 GPA in order to continue their HOPE Scholarship eligibility.

HOPE Book Allowance
Students will be allotted a $100 book allowance if they enroll in six or more credit hours per quarter. For those students taking five or less credit hours, the book allowance will be $50. The bookstore will have the authorized HOPE book allowances on file for students who are eligible to receive a HOPE book allowance on the first day of class for the quarter. Online students who are eligible for HOPE will be allowed to charge against their HOPE book allowance and the bookstore will ship the books as soon as possible. Students who wish to purchase books from the bookstore by phone should be prepared to provide the course number, book title and ISBN number to the bookstore manager. Students who DO NOT charge against their HOPE book allowance at the bookstore will receive their HOPE book checks during the 7th week of the quarter.

HOPE Reimbursement
Paying students who wish to apply for financial aid may submit the appropriate application to the financial aid office. Upon completion of their financial aid file, reimbursements will be processed automatically for eligible students. Reimbursements will be issued during the 7th week of the quarter.

HOPE GED Voucher
Students who earn a GED on or after July 1, 1993, will receive a $500 voucher that can be used for tuition, books, and supplies. At Lanier Tech, this certificate can supplement the HOPE tuition grant to purchase books or, to assist with other educational expenses.

Joint Enrollment and Dual Enrollment
A high school student who is seeking a diploma or certificate, and who meets all eligibility requirements permitting enrollment in an eligible public postsecondary educational institution on a joint or dual enrollment basis is eligible to receive HOPE Grant if he or she meets all other HOPE Grant eligibility requirements. Beginning Fall term 2004, hours for which HOPE Grant payment was received must be counted in the HOPE Grant Paid-Hours and the Combined Paid Hours limits.

Accel Program
Beginning Fall term 2004 dual credit students who are simultaneously enrolled at an eligible public Georgia high school and an eligible Georgia public or private postsecondary institution, taking college degree level courses can receive an Accel program award. The award amount for Accel is the same as for the HOPE program (tuition, HOPE-approved mandatory fees, and a book allowance). All hours paid for by Accel will be included in the Combined Paid-Hours limit, which includes payments from the HOPE Scholarship, HOPE Grant, and Accel programs.

Transient Students
Students who are currently enrolled at Lanier Tech and will be taking courses from other approved postsecondary institutions in Transient status must have a Financial Aid/Academic Transient letter completed by Lanier Tech. Students must complete a Request for Transient Status form which may be obtained in the Student Service Office. Transient letters are sent to the appropriate institutions documenting financial aid and academic status.

Lanier Tech Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy for Students Receiving Federal or State Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid from federal and state programs must be making satisfactory progress toward their diploma, certificate, or degree. Students are responsible for maintaining an acceptable level of progress regarding quality and quantity of work. Financial aid regulations require that we monitor course completion rate as well as cumulative GPA. To maintain eligibility for financial aid at Lanier Tech, students must earn a cumulative GPA (grade point average) of 2.0 or better, and satisfactorily complete at least two-thirds (67%) of all course work (credit hours) attempted.

Classes dropped on, or after, the first day of the quarter will appear on each student's academic transcript and will receive a grade of W (withdrawal), WP (withdrawn passing), and/or WF (withdrawn failing). Grades of U, S, I, W, WP, and IP are not used in calculating a student's GPA, but are counted as course work attempted. Courses receiving grades of W, WP, WF, U, I, IP, and F are not considered satisfactorily completed hours and will affect a student's future financial aid eligibility.

The Offices of Student Affairs and Financial Aid have developed the following standards of satisfactory progress which a student must achieve in order to maintain federal/state aid eligibility.

General Provisions & Eligibility Requirements

1. Students must be enrolled in an eligible program to be approved for federal or state financial aid. Students accepted into the Developmental Studies or the Institutionally Accepted admission status are not eligible for Title IV aid. Regular or provisionally admitted students may receive Title IV benefits if eligible. Technical certificate programs are evaluated on an individual basis to determine if they meet the minimum training requirements for Title IV benefits.
2. Students who do not have a high school diploma or the equivalent (GED) are not eligible for Title IV financial aid unless they have passed an independently administered test approved by the Secretary of Education.
3. Exempted and audited courses may not be counted in the calculation of a student's total credit hours for determination of Title IV financial aid benefits.
4. Title IV aid can be awarded for on-line/Internet Courses to students enrolled in diploma and degree programs; however, diploma seeking students are limited to taking NO MORE THAN 50% of their courses via the Internet. If a student exceeds the 50% limitation, they will not be eligible for Title IV funds for the remainder of the program.
5. "I" (incomplete) is used to indicate that the student is doing satisfactory work but has not completed all requirements for the course by the end of the quarter. Any course receiving an "I" designation must be completed by the midterm of the following quarter or the "I" will convert to a grade of F.
6. Students enrolled in Developmental Studies courses are considered to be making satisfactory academic progress unless they receive a grade of "U." Developmental studies courses are included in hours attempted. Students are allowed to receive financial aid for no more than 45 credit hours of Developmental Studies courses.
7. When a course is repeated, the most recent grade is used in the computation of the student's overall GPA. Exceptions to this would be grades of W, WP, and AU. When a W, WP, or AU is the most recent grade, the previous grade will be used in the computation of the student's overall GPA. If a student repeats a course and the most recent grade is an "I", the school's academic policy concerning the conversion of an incomplete to a grade will be followed. Each individual program of study sets limits on the number of times a course may be repeated.
8. Academic progress determinations will be made quarterly after grades have been posted.
9. To maintain eligibility for financial aid at Lanier Tech, students must successfully complete 67 % of all cumulative credit hours attempted and maintain a cumulative GPA (grade point average) of 2.0. Courses receiving grades of I, IP, W, WP, WF, F, and U (for Developmental Studies) are not considered completed hours. A student who fails to maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or to complete 67 % of all credit hours attempted will be placed on financial aid probation for one quarter. The purpose of financial aid probation is to alert the student that his or her academic performance is not acceptable. A student placed on financial aid probation must attain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 and achieve the required completion rate by the end of the next quarter in attendance to remove himself/herself from the probationary status. Failure to obtain the required GPA and completion rate places the student on financial aid dismissal and results in the loss of Title IV eligibility and state aid eligibility.
10. Students must complete their educational objective within a maximum time frame based on enrollment status and program length not to exceed 150 % of the published length of the program. For example, for a four quarter program, the maximum time frame to receive financial aid is six quarters. Enrollment of less than full-time will be pro-rated accordingly. No financial aid will be available after the specified limits. However, factors beyond the student's control, such as conflicts in scheduling classes, will be considered.
11. Any course for which a student registers will be counted in the maximum time frame and percentage calculations as specified in number ten. Quantitative and qualitative standards must be cumulative and must include all periods of the student's enrollment, even periods in which the student did not receive SFA funds must be counted.
12. Transfer students will be assumed to be maintaining satisfactory academic progress for the first quarter enrolled. After the first quarter, the student will be responsible for meeting all Lanier Tech academic progress requirements.
13. A student will be notified in writing by the financial aid office if she/he is in violation of the standards of Satisfactory Progress, the termination of Title IV, and/or state funds.
14. Students have the right to appeal the denial of financial aid if they feel there are extenuating circumstances, which have prevented them from meeting the specified requirements. Appeals must be written, must specifically address the extenuating circumstances and must be presented to the Financial Aid Director within ten (10) days of notification of the failure to make satisfactory progress. The Financial Aid Review Committee meets, at the beginning of each quarter. All documentation and/or letter of appeal must be received by the Financial Aid Office at least one day prior to the Committee's scheduled meeting in order to be considered at that meeting. The committee will provide a written decision to the student within four (4) calendar days of the committee's meeting. If a student has circumstances that prevents them from filing an appeal within the ten (10) day deadline, they may request that an exception to this policy be made.
15. Reinstatement of financial aid after a student's aid has been terminated for lack of satisfactory academic progress can be achieved once a student has attained the required cumulative GPA of 2.0 and has successfully completed 67% of all credit hours attempted.

How to Maintain Your HOPE Scholarship
Students receiving the HOPE Scholarship must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined above, even if they have not reached the renewal checkpoints listed below in paragraphs A through E.

1. Students who are eligible to receive HOPE as entering freshmen may receive payment through the term that they have attempted (not earned) at least 30 semester or 45 quarter hours. However, all HOPE Scholarship recipients must have a grade point average of at least a 3.0 at the end of every Spring term in order to continue their eligibility, except for freshmen enrolled for less than 12 credit hours for each of their first three school terms. Freshmen recipients who enroll for less than 12 credit hours for each of their first three school terms must have a cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 at the end of their third term in order to continue their eligibility.
   
   All attempted hours and corresponding grades as shown on official transcripts are counted toward the HOPE cumulative grade point average, including remedial study. Additionally, withdrawals are counted as attempted hours even if there is no academic penalty. Any college degree credit hours attempted or earned before high school graduation and hours exempted by examination do not count as hours attempted and are not included when calculating the HOPE cumulative grade point average.



2. If you have a HOPE cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 by the end of the term you attempted 30 semester or 45 quarter hours, you may renew your scholarship for 31 through 60 semester hours or 46 through 90 quarter hours attempted.



3. If you have earned a HOPE cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 by the end of the term you attempted 60 semester or 90 quarter hours, you may renew your scholarship for 61 through 90 semester hours or 91 through 135 quarter hours attempted.



4. If you have earned a HOPE cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 by the end of the term you attempted 90 semester or 135 quarter hours, you may renew your scholarship for 91 through 127 semester hours or 136 through 190 quarter hours attempted. However, the total cumulative number of credit hours for which you can receive payment from any combination of the HOPE Scholarship, HOPE Grant, and Accel programs is 127 semester hours or 190 quarter hours.



5. If you are enrolled in a specific undergraduate degree program which is designed to be a five-year program, you may renew your scholarship for a total of 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours attempted or the number of hours required by the program, whichever is less. However, the total cumulative number of credit hours for which you can receive payment from any combination of the HOPE Scholarship, HOPE Grant, and Accel programs is 150 semester hours or 225 quarter hours or the number of hours required by the program, whichever is less.

Renewal Application
Students must reapply for financial aid once each academic year (July 1 to June 30) by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid form and/or a HOPE Scholarship Application or Hope Grant Application. This process must be completed each year after January 1 to be considered for assistance in the next academic year, with Summer Quarter beginning the academic year.