Gwinnett Tech students may be eligible for state aid from the Georgia Student Finance Commission. You must have an In-State residency status to be considered for this funding. The Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Program pays a significant portion of your tuition and does not need to be repaid. This program is not based on financial need. For more information, visit the Georgia Student Finance Commission’s website.

The Financial Aid Office requires the submission of the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as the first step in applying federal or state funds. Visit www.StudentAid.gov  and use our school code (016139) to apply.

Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Scholarship

The HOPE Scholarship is a merit based award for Georgia residents who have been accepted into an Associate’s degree program. The scholarship provides tuition assistance and does not have to be repaid. HOPE Scholarships are calculated based on your enrollment status; you will be awarded $100 per credit hour (100% of the tuition), but it does not cover books or fees. HOPE Scholarship requirements include:

Eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship

  • Meet one of the following academic requirements:
    1. Graduate from a HOPE-eligible high school with a minimum 3.0-grade point average (as calculated by GSFC) OR
    2. Graduate from an ineligible high school, complete a home study program in Georgia, or earn a GED and score in the national composite 75th percentile or higher on the SAT or ACT prior to high school graduation, home study completion, or earning a GED OR
    3. Graduate from an ineligible high school or complete a home study program in Georgia and then earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative postsecondary grade point average after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level coursework for retroactive HOPE Scholarship payment OR
    4. Earn a minimum 3.0 cumulative postsecondary grade point average after attempting 30, 60, or 90 semester hours or 45, 90, or 135 quarter hours after high school graduation, home study completion, or receipt of GED.
  • Be enrolled in a degree program
  • Meet Academic Rigor Requirements: Beginning with students graduating from an eligible high school on or after May 1, 2015, students must complete a specific number of academically rigorous courses, as identified on the Academic Rigor Course List on GAFutures.Org. This does not include students who graduated from home study programs. 
  • Meet the HOPE program U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements
  • Be a legal resident of Georgia

Maintaining Eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship

  • Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA
  • GPAs will be checked at 30, 60 and 90 semester hours and at the end of each Spring semester.
  • If the scholarship is lost, it can be regained at a subsequent GPA checkpoint.

Expiration of Eligibility

  • HOPE Scholarship benefits are capped at 127 credit hours.
  • Students who have a Bachelor’s degree are not eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.
  • The 7 Year Limit:  First time HOPE Scholarship recipients in Summer 2011 to Spring term 2019 must use the HOPE scholarship within seven years of high school graduation. 
  • The 10 Year Limit:  Students who graduated summer term 2019 or later may receive HOPE Scholarship funding until ten years after the date of their high school graduation.
  • A student that served on active duty in the U.S. Military after his or her high school graduation, home study completion, or GED test, or date of petition, may request an extension of eligibility based on their active duty service time. The Request for an Extension to the Length of Eligibility Limit form must be submitted to GSFC to request the extension. 

Visit www.GAFutures.org for more information on the HOPE Scholarship.

Zell Miller Scholarship

The Zell Miller Scholarship is a merit-based award for Georgia residents who have been accepted into an Associate’s degree program. It is for students who have demonstrated academic achievement. The Zell Miller Scholarship provides tuition coverage and does not have to be repaid. Zell Miller Scholarships are awarded based on your enrollment status; you will receive $100 per credit hour (100% of the tuition), but it does not cover books or fees. Zell Miller Scholarship requirements include:

  • You must have a 3.7 GPA upon graduation from an eligible high school.
  • You must, in addition to the 3.7 GPA, have a combined 1200 (from a single test) on the critical reading and math sections of the SAT or at least a 26 Composite ACT score.
  • You must maintain a 3.3 GPA to keep the Zell Miller Scholarship.
  • Students who drop below a 3.3 GPA can earn the HOPE Scholarship, if their GPA remains at 3.0 or above.
  • One valedictorian and salutatorian from each high school will be eligible to receive the Zell Miller Scholarship without consideration of the GPA or ACT/SAT requirements.
  • Combined Zell Miller Scholarship and HOPE Scholarship benefits are capped at 127 semester hours.
  • Students who have Bachelor’s degree are not eligible for the scholarship.
  • Students who entered an eligible post-secondary institution prior to 2007, will not be eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship.
  • Home schooled students may be eligible to receive a retroactive Zell Miller Scholarship if they earned a 3.3 GPA at the end of the semester in which they attempted 30 credit hours.

Visit www.GAFutures.org for more information on the Zell Miller Scholarship.

Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Grant

The HOPE Grant is a merit-based award for Georgia residents who have been accepted into a Financial Aid eligible certificate or diploma program. The HOPE grant is not subject to the seven-year graduation requirement and it does not have to be repaid. HOPE Grants are awarded based on your enrollment status; you will receive $100 per credit hour (100% of the tuition), but it does not cover books or fees. HOPE Grant requirements include:

  • You must maintain at least a 2.0 GPA.
  • GPAs will be checked at 30 and 60 semester hours. If lost, the HOPE Grant can be regained one time at a GPA checkpoint. However, if you lost the HOPE Grant between 2011 and 2013 because your GPA fell below 3.0, you may be able to regain the grant as long as your GPA remained 2.0 or above. 
  • HOPE Grant benefits are capped at 63 credit hours.
  • The HOPE Grant can be used for developmental and learning support classes if you are accepted into a Financial Aid eligible program of study. Learning support hours do count towards 63 credit hours cap.
  • Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to receive the grant.
  • You must meet the Georgia residency requirements for 12 consecutive months before the first day of the semester for which the HOPE Grant is sought.
  • Students who were not Georgia residents when they graduated from high school, must meet state residency requirements for 24 months before receiving the HOPE Grant. (Active military, their spouses and their dependents are Georgia residents for HOPE program purposes if stationed in Georgia or list Georgia as their residence of record).

Visit GAFutures for more information on the HOPE Grant.

Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Career Grant

Georgia has partnered with state agencies, private organizations, and businesses to find solutions that ensure a workforce pipeline for companies. The HOPE Career Grant (formerly Strategic Industries Workforce Development Grant) directly addresses specific workforce needs. HOPE Career Grant is available to Georgia residents who are enrolled in specific certificate or diploma programs. You must be eligible for, and receiving, the HOPE Grant or Zell Miller Grant to be awarded the HOPE Career Grant. This grant provides assistance with educational costs that are not covered by the HOPE or Zell Miller Grants.

The HOPE Career Grant is also awarded based on your enrollment status each semester. See chart below:

Credit Hours Award Amount
​9+ Credit Hours $500 per semester 
3-8 Credit Hours $250 per semester
​1-2 Credit Hours ​$125 per semester

For more information, visit GAFutures.

TCSG Eligible Programs (HOPE) Career Grant
Zell Miller Grant

The Zell Miller Grant is a merit-based award for Georgia residents who have been accepted into a Financial Aid eligible certificate or diploma program. It is for students who have demonstrated academic achievement. The grant is not subject to the seven-year graduation requirement and it does not have to be repaid. Zell Miller Grants are awarded based on your enrollment status; you will receive $100 per credit hour (100% of tuition), but it does not cover books or fees. The Zell Miller Grant requirements include:

  • You must have a GPA of 3.5 or better after the completion of one semester; you must maintain the GPA at the end of each subsequent semester.
  • You can be retroactively awarded the balance of the Zell Miller Grant for the previous semester after verification that you have achieved the minimum 3.5 GPA. The payment can be awarded retroactively only one time.
  • Students who lose the Zell Miller Grant will still qualify for the HOPE Grant, as long as they maintain a 2.0 GPA at the required checkpoints.
  • Dual and joint enrollment students are not eligible for the Zell Miller Grant until after they graduate from high school and complete their first full qualifying college semester.
  • Students who have earned a Bachelor’s degree are not eligible to receive the Zell Miller Grant.
  • Zell Miller Grant benefits are capped at 63 semester hours.
  • You must meet the Georgia residency requirements for 12 consecutive months before the first day of the semester for which the Zell Miller Grant is sought. Students who were not Georgia residents when they graduated from high school must meet state residency requirements for 24 months before receiving the HOPE Grant. (Active military, their spouses and their dependents are Georgia residents for HOPE program purposes if stationed in Georgia or list Georgia as their residence of record).

Visit GAFutures for more information on the Zell Miller Grant.

SALT Loan

The Student Access Loan-Technical (SALT) is a low interest loan that is administered through the Georgia Student Finance Commission. It is available to Georgia residents; the SALT has to be repaid with interest. The Student Access Loan-Technical is designed to assist students who have a gap in meeting their educational costs. You must have a half time enrollment status (6 credit hours or more). SALT requirements include:

  • You must have first applied for, and exhausted all other financial aid options. This includes federal and state loans, scholarships, grants, and Veteran’s Educational benefits.
  • The minimum loan amount is $300 per year
  • The maximum loan amount is $3000 per year and up to a maximum of $12,000 over your collegiate career.
  • Origination Fee – A non-refundable fee of 5 percent of the loan amount, but not more than $50, is deducted from the first disbursement of the loan.
  • Loans must be repaid with a 1% fixed interest rate. The interest rate accrues, or is added, whether you are in or out of school, or if you have graduated from your program of study.
  • A monthly Keep in Touch (KIT) payment of $10 is required approximately 60 days after the first disbursement is posted to your Student Banner Account.
  • Students can have their loans discharged if they graduate with a 3.5 cumulative GPA in the program of study for which the loan was received. 

Visit GAFutures for more information on the Student Access Loan-Technical.

Public Safety Memorial Grant

The Public Safety Memorial Grant provides aid to the dependent children of Georgia Public Safety Officers who were permanently disabled or killed in the line of duty. Funds may be used towards the cost of attendance. This grant does not need to be repaid. Requirements include:

  • You must be a legal resident of Georgia for 12 months prior to receiving the grant.
  • You must be enrolled in a Financial Aid eligible program of study
  • You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • You also must have a full time enrollment status (12 credit hours or more) each semester

Additional information can be found on the Georgia Futures website.