HOPE (Lottery) Scholarship
About This Scholarship
Available To: First Year, Transfer, Current; In-State
Award: Up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester as a freshman and sophomore; then up to $2,850 per full-time enrollment semester as a junior and senior. Additional funding may also be available through HOPE supplemental awards.
The HOPE Lottery Scholarship is only available to Tennessee residents.
HOPE Award Amounts
HOPE Scholarship award amounts are based on student class status, which is determined by the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
- Eligible in-state first-year students and sophomores receive up to $2,250 per full-time enrollment semester
- Eligible in-state juniors and seniors receive up to $2,850 per full-time enrollment semester.
HOPE Scholarship recipients may also be eligible to receive HOPE supplemental awards.
HOPE Payments – First-year and Sophomore
| Enrollment | HOPE | with GAMS | with Aspire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time (12 or more) = 1 | $2,250 | $2,750 | $3,000 |
| 3/4 time (9-11) = 0.75 | $1,688 | $2,063 | $2,250 |
| 1/2 time (6-8) = 0.5 | $1,125 | $1,375 | $1,500 |
HOPE Payments – Junior and Senior
| Enrollment | HOPE | with GAMS | with Aspire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time (12 or more) = 1 | $2,850 | $3,350 | $3,600 |
| 3/4 time (9-11) = 0.75 | $2,138 | $2,513 | $2,700 |
| 1/2 time (6-8) = 0.5 | $1,425 | $1,675 | $1,800 |
| < 1/2 time (3-5) = 0.25* | $713 | $838 | $900 |
| HOPE Supplements | Annual | Per Semester (full-time) |
|---|---|---|
| General Assembly Merit Scholarship | $1,500* | $500 |
| Aspire Award | $2,500* | $750 |
*Award amounts are available for summer enrollment, beginning the summer after your first year.
General Assembly Merit Scholarship
Up to $1,500 annual supplement ($500 per full-time semester) to the HOPE Scholarship.
Aspire Award
Up to $2,250 annual supplement ($750 per full-time semester) to the HOPE Scholarship.
How to Apply
The HOPE (Lottery) Scholarship is only available to Tennessee residents.
To be eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, you must:
- File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- The FAFSA helps determine eligibility for most financial aid, including grants, scholarships, Federal Work-Study, loans and more.
- List UT as your first choice for the HOPE Scholarship on the Tennessee Student Assistance Corp. (TSAC) Portal to receive payment.
Next, determine which section applies to you and follow those instructions!
Entering first-year students
- Must have a minimum of a 21 ACT (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR overall weighted minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA).
- This refers to a grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors, or other similar courses, according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.
Transfer Students
- Transfer students must have an official academic transcript sent to UT admissions from all prior institutions, including the most recent semester you attended. Generally this delays payment of Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) awards during the first semester at UT, especially for mid-year transfer students.
Home School Graduates
- Minimum 21 ACT composite score on a single test date (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests OR
- Complete at least two (2) dual enrollment classes while enrolled in the home school program totaling at least six (6) semester hours and achieving a minimum 3.0 college GPA in each of the two (2) dual enrollment courses and achieve a minimum 3.0 cumulative college GPA in all dual enrollment courses attempted.
GED Applicants
- Minimum 525 and 21 ACT (980 old SAT or 1060 new SAT), exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests.
If you fail to meet the requirements needed to retain HOPE, you may regain HOPE one time only by again meeting the requirements.
Note: ACT/SAT exams must be taken prior to the first day of college enrollment.
Using the HOPE Scholarship
Hope Scholarship for Summer
If you’re registered for at least six Course Program of Study (CPOS) hours, the HOPE Scholarship may be used to help pay for summer school.
Students who currently receive the HOPE Scholarship and continue to meet the HOPE GPA and enrollment requirements at the end of the spring semester will initially be offered the full-time HOPE Scholarship term amount for summer term.
Please note that the award will be prorated and paid based on the number of Course Program of Study (CPOS) hours in the summer. Students must be enrolled for at least six CPOS credit hours to receive HOPE Scholarship payment. Class status is determined by the University.
For HOPE Scholarship recipients, hours attempted during summer session will count toward HOPE attempted hours, and the GPA will be calculated into the HOPE GPA, even if you do not receive HOPE payment for those hours or if those hours are taken at another institution.
Visit our Summer Aid page to learn more.
If you need information about using HOPE at another institution in the summer, see our page on Consortium Agreements.
Below you’ll find a helpful breakdown of how HOPE awards are prorated based on your enrollment status (how many CPOS credit hours you are taking), class status, and any HOPE supplemental awards you also receive.
Summer Hope Scholarship Amounts – Freshmen and Sophomores
| Enrollment Status | HOPE | with GAM* | with Aspire** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time (12 or more) = 1 | $2,250 | $2,750 | $3,000 |
| 3/4 time (9-11) = 0.75 | $1,687 | $2,062 | $2,250 |
| 1/2 time (6-8) = 0.5 | $1,125 | $1,375 | $1,500 |
Summer Hope Scholarship Amounts- Juniors and Seniors
| Enrollment Status | HOPE | with GAM* | with Aspire** |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full time (12 or more) = 1 | $2,850 | $3,350 | $3,600 |
| 3/4 time (9-11) = 0.75 | $2,137 | $2,512 | $2,700 |
| 1/2 time (6-8) = 0.5 | $1,425 | $1,675 | $1,800 |
**Aspire Award
Transfers to UT
If you’re transferring to UT, you must have an official academic transcript sent to UT Admissions from all prior institutions, including the most recent semester you attended.
Note: Generally this delays payment of Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship (TELS) awards during the first semester at UT, especially for mid-year transfer students.
Graduate Student Requirements for HOPE Scholarship Review of Eligibility
- Graduated with a Baccalaureate degree on or after July 1, 2023
- Maintained continued HOPE Scholarship eligibility requirements as an undergraduate
- Received HOPE Scholarship payment prior to completion of baccalaureate degree
- Maintain continuous enrollment between earning baccalaureate degree and enrolling in an advanced degree program (excluding summer)
- Must take a minimum of 6 credit hours toward degree completion (CPOS) to receive payment.
- Part-time enrollment (6-8 credits) allows for prorated semester payment. Full-time enrollment (9 credits) allows for full semester payment.
- 5 years elapsed since beginning postsecondary education terminates HOPE Scholarship eligibility
- 5 years elapsed since receiving first payment of Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship terminates Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship eligibility
- Completion of initial advanced degree terminates eligibility for HOPE Scholarship and Non-Traditional HOPE Scholarship regardless of 5 year limits
Prior to review of HOPE Scholarship Graduate Students must submit the following
- Official final high school transcript
- Official final undergraduate transcript from any institution attended following high school graduation
Official final high school transcript and all official postsecondary institution transcripts must be sent directly by those schools to graduatehopetranscripts@utk.edu.
GPA and Enrollment Requirements to Retain the HOPE Scholarship
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Achieve an eligible cumulative HOPE GPA at each 24 HOPE-attempted hour benchmarks:
- 24 and 48 HOPE-attempted hour benchmarks require a 2.75 cumulative HOPE GPA
- After reaching the 72 HOPE-attempted hour benchmark and beyond, you may retain the award in one of two ways:
- Traditional HOPE scholarship: Achieve a cumulative HOPE GPA of at least 3.0
- Provisional HOPE scholarship: Achieve a cumulative HOPE GPA between 2.75-2.99 and a semester GPA of 3.0 or above in the semester where you reach the 72 HOPE-attempted hour benchmark and moving forward.
- Provisional students will be reviewed at the end of each semester for continued eligibility. You must maintain a 3.0 term GPA between HOPE-attempted hour benchmarks to retain this award.
- Provisional students must maintain full-time enrollment each fall and spring to receive payment. Your payment will be prorated based on Course Program of Study (CPOS) hours. Summer Provisional students are not required to be enrolled full-time and must have a minimum of 6 CPOS hours to receive prorated payment.
- You should talk to a One Stop counselor before dropping courses to see how the enrollment change will affect your financial aid. Dropping a course without a documented medical or personal reason may cause you to permanently lose your HOPE Scholarship eligibility.
- You must maintain continuous enrollment at an eligible post-secondary institution each fall and remain eligible for the HOPE Scholarship.
Regaining the HOPE Scholarship
If you fail to meet the academic renewal requirements and lose the HOPE Scholarship, you can regain the award one time only by meeting the renewal criteria listed below. You cannot appeal to regain your HOPE Scholarship if your GPA falls below the renewal requirements. Once you have met the renewal requirements at a future benchmark, you must complete a HOPE and Institutional Scholarship Appeal form.
Students who received the General Assembly Merit Supplement (GAMS) are not eligible to regain the GAMS portion of the HOPE Scholarship when regaining the award after loss due to GPA.
To regain the HOPE Scholarship, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress and achieve a cumulative HOPE GPA of 2.75 after attempting 48 semester hours. After reaching the seventy-two-hour benchmark and beyond, you may regain the award in one of two ways:
If you lose the award due to a nonacademic reason—such as not maintaining continuous enrollment or changing your enrollment status from full time to part time, or part time to less than part time—you are not eligible to regain the award unless an appeal is approved by the post-secondary institution or TSAC. To appeal for continued eligibility you must complete the HOPE and Institutional Scholarship Appeal form.
HOPE Scholarship FAQs
How does this combine with other scholarships?
The HOPE Scholarship may be combined with any financial aid up to the full estimated cost of attendance. This award is included in the packaging for each of the Tri-Star Scholarships.
How does a HOPE GPA differ from a UT GPA?
Your HOPE GPA includes hours and grades for all courses taken after your high school graduation, including other institutions you may have attended. The HOPE GPA allows you to repeat only one course to factor into this calculation.
Your UT GPA will not reflect your GPA from another institution if you transfer, and may allow you more than one repeated course to factor into this calculation.
What terminates the HOPE Scholarship?
Your HOPE Scholarship is only available until the first of the following events:
- Student has earned an advanced degree; or
- Five (5) years have passed from the date of initial enrollment at any post-secondary institution
