Welcome to
Tennessee Wesleyan College.

The Tennessee Educational Lottery (TELS) has been in existence since 2003 and has been distributing awards since the fall of 2004. This year’s high school graduating class will be the third class eligible to enjoy the benefits of the lottery system. The guidelines for the lottery are ever evolving and new rules are adopted each year in an effort to be more inclusive and ensure the system is fair to all students across Tennessee. This brochure provides information you need to know about obtaining and maintaining the lottery scholarship. Please read this brochure carefully.

Obtaining the Hope Scholarship
The requirements for obtaining the Hope Scholarship are:

• Must be a resident of Tennessee (for at least one year).

• Must graduate from an accredited Tennessee high school.

• Must have an ACT score of 21/SAT score of 980 OR

• Must have an unweighted high school GPA of 3.0.

• Home schooled students must have an ACT score of 21/SAT score of 980.

• GED students must have at least a score of 525 on the GED
  and an ACT score of 21/SAT score of 980.

• Must enroll in an accredited Tennessee college within 16 months of graduation from high school.

• Must file the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA) each year by May 1.

• After 24 attempted hours you must have a 2.75 GPA.

• After 48 attempted hours you must have a 3.0 GPA.

• After 72 attempted hours you must have a 3.0 GPA.

• After 96 attempted hours you must have a 3.0 GPA.

• Your continued eligibility is determined at the end of the semester in which you achieve one of the benchmarks for attempted hours.

• You must stay continuously enrolled in college.

Is there any way to get the Hope Scholarship if you did not have a 3.0 GPA in high school or if you did not get a 21 on the ACT or a 980 on the SAT?

Yes, it’s called an Access Grant. If you had at least a 2.75 high school GPA, an ACT score of at least 18 or an SAT score of at least 860 and the Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) is under $36,000, you would qualify for a one year Access Grant of $2,400. If you have a college GPA of 2.75 after 24 attempted hours the Access Grant will become a Hope Scholarship.

If I loose the Hope Scholarship, is there a way to get it back?

Yes. At the next benchmark of attempted hours, if you have the needed GPA of 3.0, you will regain the award for the next semester. An example of this could be the following: At the end of the semester in which you attempted your 48th hour you had a cumulative GPA of 2.95. Since you did not have the required 3.0 GPA, you lost the Hope Scholarship. At the end of the semester in which you attempted your 72nd hour your GPA had increased to a 3.15. You would be eligible to regain the Hope Scholarship the next semester. Another way of recovering your Hope Scholarship eligibility is as follows: Consider the same scenario as above - you have passed the 48 attempted hour benchmark and you have lost the Hope Scholarship because your GPA is 2.95. You can retake one class, one time, and throw out the low grade and replace it with a higher grade and refigure the GPA. If the GPA meets the retention standard of 3.0 then you regain the Hope Scholarship for the next semester.

Is there an appeal process for the Hope Scholarship?

Yes, a student may appeal the loss of the Hope Scholarship. An exception can be granted for medical or personal reasons only. The student must write a letter to the Director of Financial Aid and request a hearing before the Institutional Review Panel (IRP). The written appeal will be presented to the panel by the Director. A decision on the appeal will be reached within seven days after presentation.

If I qualify for both the General Assembly Merit Scholarship and the ASPIRE award, do I get to keep  them both?

No. If you qualify for both awards you get to keep the ASPIRE award because it is the award that pays the most. However, since the ASPIRE award is based on the family having an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of under $36,000, if that should change resulting in a loss of the ASPIRE award, the award would then revert back to the General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS).

• If you were eligible for the Hope Scholarship out of high school, but you attended an out-of-state college, you can transfer back to an accredited Tennessee college and receive the Hope Scholarship if you have met all of the eligibility requirements.

• If you are 25 years of age or older, a Tennessee resident, a first time college student and have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of under $36,000, you can qualify for the Hope Scholarship if you have at least a 2.75 GPA after 24 attempted hours of college work.

• Do not drop below full time status without first checking with the Financial Aid Office.

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the application for the Hope Scholarship. You need to file it every year before May 1st to maintain your scholarship.

• You must stay continuously enrolled to receive and maintain your scholarship.

• You do not have to go directly to college from high school. You can defer college for up to 16 months. (If you choose this option, you can continue to take the ACT or SAT to improve your score).