Tennessee § 49-4-929 - Hope scholarship — Eligibility of transfer students from postsecondary institutions outside of state.

§ 49-4-929. Hope scholarship — Eligibility of transfer students from postsecondary institutions outside of state.

To be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship as a transfer student from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution located outside of this state, a student shall: Not be ineligible for the scholarship under § 49-4-904; Meet the requirements of § 49-4-905; Be admitted to and enroll in a regionally accredited postsecondary institution located outside of this state; Maintain satisfactory progress in a course of study, in accordance with the standards and practices used for federal Title IV programs by the regionally accredited postsecondary institution in which the student is enrolled; Apply for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship; and Be admitted to and enroll in an eligible postsecondary institution. This section shall only apply to a student who is eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman, but who chooses to attend a regionally accredited postsecondary institution located outside of this state without a HOPE scholarship; provided, that the student enrolls in the regionally accredited postsecondary institution located outside of this state no later than sixteen (16) months after graduating from an eligible high school, graduating from a high school located in this state, completing high school in a Tennessee home school program or obtaining a GED(R) or HiSET(R). If the student transfers to an eligible postsecondary institution, then the student shall be eligible academically for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship if the student meets the requirements of: Section 49-4-911(a)(1) and the student transfers before attempting forty-eight (48) semester hours; or Section 49-4-911(a)(1) or (a)(2) and the student transfers after attempting forty-eight (48) or more semester hours. To continue to receive a Tennessee HOPE scholarship, the student shall meet the requirements of § 49-4-911. A HOPE scholarship awarded under this section shall be subject to § 49-4-913. A student who is eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship under this section and who also meets the qualifications for a general assembly merit scholar supplemental award shall be eligible for the supplemental award. A student whose adjusted gross income does not exceed the amount set in § 49-4-915(a)(2) shall be eligible for an ASPIRE award for need. Pursuant to § 49-4-917, a student may not receive both the ASPIRE award for need and the supplemental award as a general assembly merit scholar. Acts 2005, ch. 481, § 14; 2008, ch. 1142, § 6; 2015, ch. 495, § 8. Code Commission Notes. Former subsection (f), concerning eligibility for Tennessee HOPE scholarships of students who remained at postsecondary institutions outside Tennessee during the 2004-2005 academic year, was deleted as obsolete by the code commission in 2009. Compiler's Notes. 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 § 6 of the act, which rewrote subsection (c), 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.