Retroactive Eligibility Information for the Zell Miller Scholarship
A student who graduated from an ineligible high school or completed an unaccredited home study program may receive the Zell Miller Scholarship retroactively for his or her freshman year of college, by earning:
- A minimum 3.3 cumulative grade point average after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level credit and
- A minimum composite score of 26 on a national or state/district administration of the ACT or minimum 1200 on a single national administration of the SAT, prior to high school graduation. If the SAT was taken before March 1, 2016, the 1200 score is based on the reading and math portions of the test. If the SAT was taken on or after March 1, 2016, the 1200 is based on total test score.
To have your SAT scores sent to Georgia Student Finance Commission for scholarship eligibility evaluation, a request may be submitted at College Board or call 866.630.9305. Select Georgia Student Finance’s score recipient code of ‘0472’ so that the report will be sent directly to the Georgia Student Finance Commission office. The request for an ACT score report may be submitted to ACT or call 319.337.1270. The ACT report should be mailed to the student's home address and the unopened report should then be sent to Georgia Student Finance Commission at the address below.
An ineligible high school or unaccredited home study program is a school or home study program in the state of Georgia that is not accredited by one of the agencies listed below:
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
- Georgia Accrediting Commission;
- Georgia Association of Christian Schools;
- Association of Christian Schools International;
- Georgia Private School Accreditation Council; or
- Southern Association of Independent Schools
If the high school or home study program is located outside the state of Georgia and is not accredited by one of the agencies listed below:
- Southern Association of Colleges and Schools;
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges;
- Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools;
- North Central Association of Colleges and Schools;
- Northwest Accreditation Commission;
- Western Association of Schools and Colleges;
- Alabama Independent School Association; or
- Southern Association of Independent Schools
For purposes of the Zell Miller Scholarship Program, home study is an arrangement whereby a school-aged child is involved in a course of study in which instruction is carried out at the direction of the parent rather than in a traditional classroom setting and is governed by and operating in accordance with the requirements of O.C.G.A. § 20-2-690(c).
If you meet the criteria listed above, complete and submit the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship Eligibility Evaluation Request form and required documents as one package to the following address:
Georgia Student Finance Commission
Program Administration
2082 East Exchange Place
Tucker, Georgia 30084
You must also submit an application for the Zell Miller Scholarship by completing either the current year FAFSA or the Georgia Student Finance Application through GSFAPPS. The deadline to apply for the Zell Miller Scholarship retroactive payment is the last day of the semester or quarter immediately following the semester or quarter in which you reached the 30 semester or 45 quarter attempted-hour point (excluding summer semester).
