Tennessee § 49-4-907 - Eligibility requirements for HOPE scholarship.

§ 49-4-907. Eligibility requirements for HOPE scholarship.

To be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman, a student who graduated from an eligible high school after December 1, 2003, upon having completed curriculum requirements of the high school for graduation, shall: Meet the requirements of §§ 49-4-904 and 49-4-905; Be admitted to and enroll in an eligible postsecondary institution no later than sixteen (16) months after graduation from high school; and Achieve a final overall high school grade point average of at least 3.0; or Attain a composite ACT score of at least 21 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date. Acts 2003, ch. 298, § 1; 2004, ch. 840, §§ 6, 7, 11a, 19, 20; 2004, ch. 881, §§ 1, 2; 2005, ch. 481, §§ 2, 5, 6; 2017, ch. 328, § 1; 2020, ch. 794, § 32. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2004, ch. 840, § 30(a) provided that the amendment of subdivision (3)(B) by § 11(a) of that act shall apply to students seeking financial assistance from lottery proceeds for the 2005-2006 school year and thereafter. Acts 2004, ch. 840, § 30(b) provided that the amendment of the introductory paragraph and subdivision (2) by §§ 6 and 7 of that act shall apply to students seeking financial assistance from lottery proceeds for the 2004-2005 school year and thereafter. Acts 2005, ch. 481, § 30, provided that: “(a) A student who was eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship, a general assembly merit scholarship, or a Tennessee HOPE access grant for the 2004-2005 academic year, but who did not attend any postsecondary institution in the 2004-2005 academic year, may apply for such scholarship or grant under the amendments made to title 49, chapter 4, part 9 by §§ 5 through 13 of the act. TSAC may award the scholarship, if the student meets all applicable requirements for the scholarship or grant and the student is admitted to and enrolls in an eligible postsecondary institution no later than sixteen (16) months after graduating from an eligible high school, graduating from a high school located in Tennessee that is not an eligible high school, completing high school in a Tennessee home school, or obtaining a GED(R). “(b) A student may apply for the retroactive award of a Tennessee HOPE scholarship, a general assembly merit scholarship, or a Tennessee HOPE access grant for any semester of the 2004-2005 academic year in which the student would have qualified for a scholarship or grant under §§ 14-20, or § 22 of the act, had such provisions been in effect during that academic year. TSAC may award the scholarship or grant retroactively, if the student meets all applicable requirements for the scholarship or grant.” Acts 2017, ch. 328, § 8 provided that the act, which amended this section, shall apply to students seeking postsecondary financial assistance from net lottery proceeds for the 2017-2018 academic years and academic years thereafter. For the Preamble to the act concerning HOPE Lottery Scholarships and the Tennessee Promise and Reconnect programs, see Acts 2020, ch. 794. Acts 2020, ch. 794, § 1 provided that the act, which amended this section, shall be known and may be cited as the “Financial Aid Simplification for Tennesseans (FAST) Act”. Amendments. The 2020 amendment deleted “weighted” preceding “high school” in (3)(A). Effective Dates. Acts 2020, ch. 794, § 70. August 1, 2020.