HOPE Scholarship Merges with FAFSA

 New changes for the HOPE Scholarship will require all students to have a current Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with UWG to be eligible to receive scholarship funds.

These changes will go into effect in the summer semester.  To remain eligible for the scholarship, current HOPE scholars must complete a HOPE inquiry form, which is available on BanWeb. To receive benefits for summer 2013, students must complete the inquiry form by April 1.

Predictably, the upcoming HOPE scholarship changes entail new bureaucratic processes.  After June 9, 2013 students will no longer be able to access HOPE through Georgia Student Financial Aid Application System (GSFAPPS). Students must complete and file a FAFSA prior to the fall term of each year; students that fill in the summer semester are not required to re-file again in the fall.

The inquiry form must be completed and filed during the summer term in order to be applicable for the fall term of enrollment.  With HOPE now being part of FAFSA, there have been rumors of financial ability and income becoming judging criteria for whether a student will get the scholarship or not.

UWG officials say that these rumors are not true. “Changes are not occurring that will cause HOPE Scholarship to become an income based program,” said Jennifer McManus, a Departmental Associate at the Enrollment Services Center. “These changes are also not impacting the amounts Zell Miller or HOPE Scholarship will cover towards a student’s tuition.”

If a student does not enroll in classes for a term, they must complete a new HOPE inquiry form before receiving funds for their next term of enrollment. This also applies to students who are transferring from another school. Transfer students must complete an inquiry form and must also submit their full transcript to UWG in order to qualify for HOPE benefits. The transient student will, however, be granted one term of funds prior to receiving the transcript.

Information about the changes to HOPE is available at UWG’s Financial Aid website. Students can also access high school GPA information through the GACollege411 website.  The HOPE inquiry form is available through BanWeb.

For questions about the new changes or the availability of the HOPE scholarship, contact the Enrollment Services Center at 678-839-6421 or stop by Parker Hall to talk with a specialist.

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