Tennessee § 49-4-920 - HOPE access grant.

§ 49-4-920. HOPE access grant.

To be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE access grant, an entering freshman student shall: Meet all requirements of §§ 49-4-904 and 49-4-905; Have an adjusted gross income attributable to the student that does not exceed thirty-six thousand dollars ($36,000); Submit an initial Tennessee HOPE access grant application no later than September 1, 2021, or a renewal application by the deadline published on TSAC's website each year thereafter; Graduate from an eligible high school after December 1, 2003, upon having completed curriculum requirements of the high school for graduation; Achieve a final high school grade point average of at least 2.75; Attain a composite ACT score of at least 18 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date; and Be admitted to, and enroll in, an eligible postsecondary institution no later than sixteen (16) months after graduation from an eligible high school. A Tennessee HOPE access grant shall be awarded to an eligible student only until the end of the semester in which the student has attempted a total of twenty-four (24) semester hours. A student who is eligible for a Tennessee HOPE Scholarship shall be ineligible for a Tennessee HOPE access grant. A student receiving a Tennessee HOPE access grant shall maintain continuous enrollment at an eligible postsecondary institution. If a student ceases to be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE access grant at any time for any reason, then the student may not regain the Tennessee HOPE access grant and shall not be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship. The receipt of a Tennessee HOPE access grant is contingent upon admission to an eligible postsecondary institution. Financially and academically qualifying for a Tennessee HOPE access grant does not guarantee admission to an eligible postsecondary institution. Subject to the amounts appropriated by the general assembly and any law relating to a shortfall in funds available for postsecondary assistance from the net proceeds of the state lottery, a Tennessee HOPE access grant shall be fifty percent (50%) of the combined award of the ASPIRE award under § 49-4-915 and the Tennessee HOPE scholarship awarded under § 49-4-914 that is applicable to Tennessee HOPE scholarship recipients at the eligible postsecondary institution at which the Tennessee HOPE access grant recipient is enrolled. TSAC shall review a student's eligibility at the end of the semester in which the student has attempted twenty-four (24) semester hours. If a student receiving a Tennessee HOPE access grant has achieved a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 at the end of the semester in which the student has attempted twenty-four (24) semester hours, then the student shall be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship. If the student meets the requirements of § 49-4-915(a)(2), the student shall be eligible for an ASPIRE award. If a student receiving a Tennessee HOPE access grant does not achieve a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.75 at the end of the semester in which the student has attempted twenty-four (24) semester hours, but the student, without financial assistance from lottery proceeds, continues to attend an eligible postsecondary institution and meets the requirements of § 49-4-911(a)(1) at the end of the semester in which the student has attempted forty-eight (48), seventy-two (72), ninety-six (96) or any subsequent multiple of twenty-four (24) semester hours or the requirements of § 49-4-911(a)(2) at the end of forty-eight (48) semester hours or at the end of any subsequent semester, then the student shall be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship if the student meets all other applicable requirements. If, at that time, the student meets the requirements of § 49-4-915(a)(2), the student shall be eligible for an ASPIRE award. A student may receive a Tennessee HOPE scholarship after having received a Tennessee HOPE access grant until the first of the following events: The student has earned a baccalaureate degree; or Five (5) years have passed from the date of the student's initial enrollment at any postsecondary institution. [Deleted by 2020 amendment.] Acts 2003, ch. 298, § 1; 2004, ch. 840, §§ 16, 24, 25; 2004, ch. 881, §§ 6, 7; 2005, ch. 481, §§ 3, 11-13, 17, 29; 2008, ch. 1142, §§ 5, 9; 2011, ch. 437, § 4; 2014, ch. 900, § 8; 2017, ch. 328, § 4; 2020, ch. 794, §§ 39-41. Compiler's Notes. Acts 2004, ch. 840, § 30(b) provided that the amendment by 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 2008, ch. 1142, § 23 provided that it is the legislative intent, when additional net lottery proceeds become available in a subsequent fiscal year, that the next funding priority should be adding additional semesters to the established eligibility retention requirements for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship for students who earn a cumulative 2.75 grade point average. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 24 provided that, subject to appropriation by the general assembly, it is the legislative intent that six million eight hundred thousand dollars ($6,800,000) from the lottery for education account may be used to supplement student assistance awards each year. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 27 provided that: (a) TSAC is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the act. The rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. THEC is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to effectuate the purposes of the act. The rules and regulations shall be promulgated in accordance with the Uniform Administrative Procedures Act, compiled in title 4, chapter 5. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 28 provided that the act shall not be construed to be an appropriation of funds and that no funds shall be obligated or expended pursuant to the act unless the funds are specifically appropriated by the general appropriations act. Acts 2008, ch. 1142, § 30 provided that § 5 of the act, which rewrote subsection (e), shall apply to students seeking to continue or regain eligibility for Tennessee HOPE scholarships who reach benchmarks for reviewing eligibility pursuant to § 49-4-911 on or after June 13, 2008. Acts 2011, ch. 437, § 7 provided that the act, which added subsection (g), shall apply to scholarships and grants awarded for the fall semester of 2011 and thereafter. Acts 2013, ch. 453, § 52 provided that: “(a) For students who first received the Tennessee HOPE scholarship, Tennessee HOPE access grant or Tennessee HOPE scholarship for nontraditional students before the fall semester of 2009, award amounts for the 2013-2014 academic year (two semesters) shall be: “(1) $4,000 for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award or HOPE nontraditional scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(a) ; “(2) $2,000 for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(b) ; “(3) $1,500 for an eligible student under the ASPIRE need-based supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-915 ; and “(4) $1,000 for an eligible student under the General Assembly Merit Scholar supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-916 . “(b) For students who first received the Tennessee HOPE scholarship, Tennessee HOPE access grant or Tennessee HOPE scholarship for nontraditional students beginning the fall semester of 2009 or thereafter, award amounts for the 2013-2014 academic year shall be: “(1) $2,000 per semester for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award or HOPE nontraditional scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(a) ; “(2) $1,000 per semester for an eligible student under the HOPE scholarship award pursuant to § 49-4-914(b) ; “(3) $750 per semester for an eligible student under the ASPIRE need-based supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-915 ; “(4) $500 per semester for an eligible student under the General Assembly Merit Scholar supplemental award pursuant to § 49-4-916 ; and “(5) Pursuant to the provisions of § 49-4-920 , the award amount for an eligible student under the Tennessee HOPE access grant shall be $1,375 per semester at four-year schools and $875 per semester at two-year schools. “(c) The 2013-2014 award amount for an eligible student under the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant pursuant to § 49-4-921 shall be $2,000. “(d) The 2013-2014 award amount for an eligible student under the Tennessee HOPE foster child tuition grant shall be determined under the provisions of § 49-4-933 . “(e) The 2013-2014 award amount shall be $1,000 per semester for successful completion of twelve (12) or more semester hours for an eligible student under the Helping Heroes Grant pursuant to § 49-4-938 ; provided, however, that the total amount expended for Helping Heroes Grants shall not exceed $750,000. “(f) The 2013-2014 award amount shall be determined pursuant to the provisions of § 49-4-939 for an eligible student under the Tennessee Rural Health scholarship; provided, however, that the total amount expended for Tennessee Rural Health scholarships shall not exceed $300,000. “(g) The 2013-2014 award amount shall be determined by the Tennessee student assistance corporation in accordance with § 49-4-930 for an eligible student under the dual enrollment grant.” For the preamble to the act concerning the Tennessee Promise Scholarship Act of 2014, please refer to Acts 2014, ch. 900. 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, in (a)(3), substituted “Submit an initial” for “Apply for a” and “application no later than September 1, 2021, or a renewal application by the deadline published on TSAC's website each year thereafter;” for “and file a FAFSA;”; deleted “overall weighted” following “Achieve a final” in (a)(5); and deleted (g), which read: “Notwithstanding subsection (f), a student who first receives a Tennessee HOPE scholarship after having received a Tennessee HOPE access grant in the fall semester of 2009 or later may receive the scholarship until the first of the terminating events described in § 49-4-913(b) and (c).” Effective Dates. Acts 2020, ch. 794, § 70. August 1, 2020.