The Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program helps cover the cost of college through several awards funded by the state lottery.
HOPE Scholarship
Eligibility (new freshmen):
- 21/1060 ACT/SAT composite score or Final high school GPA 3.0 (on 4.0 scale)
- GED: ACT/SAT requirement + GED score 170
- HiSET: ACT/SAT requirement + HiSET score 15
- Homeschool/Private: ACT/SAT requirement program & registered with TN local district
- To be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, students graduating from TN home school program must earn a minimum 21/1060 ACT/SAT composite score taken on a single test date or complete at least two dual enrollment courses totaling at least six semester hours at an eligible institution, achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 in each of the two dual enrollment courses, and earn a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all dual enrollment courses attempted
- Must enroll at an eligible college within 16 months of graduation/GED/HiSET
Renewal:
- GPA reviews at 24, 48, 72, 96 attempted hours (and beyond if provisional)
- After 24 & 48 hours → 2.75 GPA required
- After 72 hours → 3.0 GPA required, or 2.75–2.99 GPA with 3.0 semester GPA (provisional)
- Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and continuous enrollment
- Ends when:
- Student earns a bachelor’s degree
- OR attempts 120 credit hours (up to 136 if program requires more)
- OR completes 8 full-time semesters
- OR 5 years after initial enrollment.
HOPE Scholarship Deadlines
To see the current academic years deadlines please see Tennessee Hope Scholarship
Important: Never drop a class without talking to Financial Aid—dropping may affect HOPE eligibility.
Aspire Award
- Must first qualify for the HOPE Scholarship
- Parent’s or student’s adjusted gross income must be $36,000 or less
- May receive Aspire OR GAMS, but not both
General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS)
Eligibility (new freshmen):
- 29 ACT (or SAT equivalent) and
- Final high school GPA 3.75
- Homeschool/private school students must meet ACT/SAT criteria and enroll in eligible programs listed on TSAC’s website.
- May receive Aspire OR GAMS, but not both
Helping Heroes Grant
- For military veterans (armed forces, reserves, or National Guard) called into active duty
- Funded through the TN Lottery Scholarship program
- First-come, first-served
- More info: Helping Heroes Grant – College for TN
HOPE Foster Child Tuition Grant
- For students who were in TN Department of Children’s Services (DCS) custody for at least 1 year after their 14th birthday
- Must also qualify for the HOPE Scholarship
- Works alongside the Chafee Education and Training Voucher Program
- TSAC coordinates with DCS to identify recipients
Key Reminders
- Awards may combine but some (like Aspire & GAMS) cannot be received together.
- Maintain eligibility GPA and full-time/continuous enrollment.
