TN HOPE Scholarship

• 21 ACT/1060 SAT or 3.0 unweighted final high school GPA
• Graduated from TN high school or other eligible institution
• Home school students must have a 21 on the ACT, have attended home school for at least 1 one prior to graduation, and be registered within a local TN school district
• Must start college within 16 months of high school graduation.

TN ASPIRE Award

• Meet all HOPE Scholarship qualifications
• Parent’s or Independent student’s adjusted gross income must not exceed $36,000
• If a student is selected for Financial Aid Verification, verification must be completed before ASPIRE eligibility is determined

TN Merit Award

• Meet all HOPE Scholarship qualifications
• Must have 29 ACT/1330 SAT and a 3.75 final high school GPA (unweighted)
• Home school students must also meet one of the following:
  • Have enrolled in at least 12 hours of college course work with a cumulative GPA of a 3.0 while in home school
  • Participate in a Governor’s School Program and achieve a 3.0 cumulative GPA
  • Take 2 AP exams and make a score of 3
  • Take one CLEP test with a score or at least 55

The FAFSA is the application for the HOPE Scholarship. The FAFSA becomes available to file October 1st of each year and can be filled out at studentaid.gov.

The HOPE Scholarship GPA is checked every 24 attempted credit hours:

• 24 and 48 hours – 2.75 cumulative GPA required
• 72, 96, 120 hours – 3.0 cumulative GPA required
  • OR 2.75-2.99 cumulative GPA with a semester GPA of a 3.0.
  • This makes a student Provisional. If a student is Provisional, they must take 12 hours a semester and their GPA will be checked every semester. Their GPA must be a 3.0 each semester.

The HOPE GPA, also known as the Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) GPA, can differ from the U of M GPA. The TELS GPA does not count AP or Dual Enrollment courses taken during high school. The TELS GPA does not replace the grade when a class is repeated. A student can replace one grade for TELS GPA purposes. To do this the student must file the HOPE Course Repeat form.

• Log in to myMemphis with your username and password
• Click on the Student Pages tab, then select My Resources
• Find the Banner Self-Service channel and click on the Banner Self-Service folder
• Click on Student
• Click on Student Records
• Scroll through the list to find ‘View TELS Eligibility’
• Select the last semester you attended, and you will see your TELS GPA at each 24 hour benchmark.

Students must stay continuously enrolled to remain eligible for the HOPE Scholarship. This means if you start the semester as a full-time student you cannot drop below 12 hours, and if you start the semester as a part-time student, you cannot drop below 6 hours.

Students must attend each Fall and Spring semester. If you need to sit out a semester due to an extenuating circumstance, you can file a Leave of Absence before the semester starts. If approved, this will allow you to sit out a semester without losing the HOPE scholarship.

If you lose the HOPE Scholarship due to GPA, you cannot file an appeal. Once you reach the next GPA benchmark, your TELS GPA will be checked. If you have the required TELS GPA, you can regain the HOPE Scholarship as long all other requirements have been met.

• If you lose the HOPE Scholarship due to dropping a class or sitting out a semester, you may be eligible to file a HOPE Scholarship Appeal, if it was due to an extenuating circumstance beyond your control. You can contact the Scholarship Office for additional information.

You can receive the HOPE Scholarship until you reach the first of the following:

• attainment of a baccalaureate degree or
• 5 years have passed from initial enrollment

You can submit an online question, email scholarships@memphis.edu, or a scholarship representatives can be reached by phone at: 901.678.3213.