State approves changes to Tennessee HOPE lottery scholarship, adds Helping Heroes Act

A Tennessee General Assembly bill that changes the requirements and conditions of the Tennessee Lottery HOPE scholarship was signed into law by Governor Phil Bredesen on June 13.The bill changes the terminating conditions of the scholarship from its original rules based on a set number of course hours to termination after five years or the completion of a baccalaureate degree, which ever occurs first.


The scholarship originally ended after a student had attempted 120 hours in a normal degree program at any of the state's eligible colleges and universities, or up to 136 hours in a degree program requiring more than 120.


Students who lost the HOPE scholarship because they attempted more than the maximum number of hours under the previous version of the law will have their scholarships reinstated as long as they have been continuously enrolled at an eligible college or university since losing the scholarship, have not yet received a baccalaureate degree, meet the academic (GPA) and nonacademic requirements and enroll at an eligible college or university for the 2008-2009 school year.


The law states that while students may now reapply for the scholarship, it will not retroactively award money for any semesters during which students who lost the award were enrolled.


The 120-hour stipulation caused many students to lose the scholarship before earning a degree, including students who changed majors late in their college careers and those in dual-degree programs requiring more than 136 hours.


The new five year stipulation does not apply to years during which a student takes dual-enrollment classes in high school, but will begin once a student graduates high school and begins attending an eligible college or university full time.


The bill, which was signed into effect as Tennessee Public Chapter No. 1142 on June 13, also amends the continuation requirements of the scholarship to require a review of a student's cumulative GPA at every 24 semester hours attempted. The student must have achieved at least a 2.75 GPA to continue receiving the HOPE scholarship, and at the end of any semester after a review, a student must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 to continue to receive the Tennessee HOPE scholarship.


A student who fails to have a 3.0 cumulative GPA when reviewed at the end of 72 semester hours or subsequent semester reviews is still eligible for the scholarship if their cumulative GPA is above 2.75 and their semester GPA is at least a 3.0. The scholarship will be awarded on a semester-to-semester basis, so long as the student maintains full-time enrollment, a cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a semester GPA of 3.0 in the previous semester. Once a student raises their cumulative GPA to a 3.0, the scholarship shall be reinstated as per the normal requirements listed above.


The bill also redefines the definition of a "Nontraditional student" eligible for the scholarship. Under the current revisions, a nontraditional student is defined as a student who is at least 25 years of age who enrolls in an eligible postsecondary institution as an entering freshman or at least two years after last attending any postsecondary institution.


A nontraditional student who has been a Tennessee resident for at least one year and who has an adjusted gross income of less than $36,000 may apply for the HOPE scholarship after successfully completing 12 hours of course work with a cumulative GPA of 2.75, according to Tennessee code §49-4-931.


A nontraditional student is no longer eligible for the award if they have already earned a baccalaureate degree, if a student previously received a HOPE scholarship for five years or if five years have passed since the student enrolled in an eligible college or university as a nontraditional student.


Susan Box, the UTM Financial Aid Office's contact person for the HOPE Scholarship, was not immediately available for comment on Monday.


Helping Heroes Act

Also passed as part of the new bill is the "Helping Heroes Act of 2008".


The Helping Heroes Act creates a new grant for U.S. Armed Forces veterans, including members of reserves or Tennessee National Guard units that were called into activity duty into military service, who have been awarded an honorable discharge, been a Tennessee resident for one year, and have been awarded either the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Afghanistan Campaign Medal or the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.


The full $1,000 grant will be award to veterans after their first semester who attempt and successfully complete at least 12 semester hours. Veterans attempting and successfully completing six to 11 semester hours will be eligible for half of the award. Veterans attempting and successfully completing less than six hours are ineligible for the award for the subsequent semester.


The grant amount is subject to change after the 2008-2009 academic year, and will be established yearly in the general appropriations act.


Veterans will be eligible for the award for a maximum of eight semesters.


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See also:
Tennessee Public Chapter No. 1142 (PDF)