Initial Academic Eligibility for the Zell Miller Scholarship
The Zell Miller Scholarship program requires students to meet academic eligibility requirements in addition to the basic requirements. The type of high school or home study program a student graduates from determines the evaluation process and the Zell Miller Scholarship academic eligibility requirements.
Types of high schools for Zell Miller Scholarship
An eligible high school or an accredited home study program is one which is accredited by at least one of the approved accrediting agencies listed below; this is true even if the high school or home study program is located outside the state of Georgia or outside of the United States.
A high school not accredited by one of the approved accrediting agencies as listed below is considered an ineligible high school.
A home study program which is not accredited by one of the approved accrediting agencies as listed below is considered an unaccredited home study program.
Below are the approved accrediting agencies for high schools and home study programs.
High schools and home study programs located in Georgia must be accredited by one of the following approved agencies:
- Cognia (SACS)
- Georgia Accrediting Commission
- Georgia Association of Christian Schools
- Association of Christian Schools International
- Georgia Private School Accreditation Council
- Southern Association of Independent Schools
- Georgia Independent School Association.
High schools and home study programs located outside of Georgia must be accredited by one of the following approved agencies:
- Cognia (SACS)
- 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
- Southern Association of Independent Schools
The high school or home study program must be accredited by an approved accrediting agency as listed above at the time of the student’s graduation or completion. The accrediting agency should be listed on their website.
A home study program 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 Official Code of Georgia Annotated (O.C.G.A.) §20-2-690(c).
*Students must meet all program eligibility requirements.
Student Academic Eligibility Requirements
Initial academic eligibility for students is based on the high school or home study program the student graduated or completed.
Select from the list below which best describes your status then read the requirements to determine how initial academic eligibility is made.
- Graduate from an eligible high school
- Completer of an accredited home study program
- Graduate from an ineligible high school
- Completer of an unaccredited home study program
Note - A student who was not academically eligible for the Zell Miller Scholarship upon high school graduation or home study completion cannot gain eligibility while in college.
*Students must meet all program eligibility requirements.
Graduates of an Eligible High School & Graduates of an Accredited Home Study Program
Zell Miller Scholarship Academic Eligibility Requirements as an entering freshman at an eligible college or university in Georgia (after high school graduation or home study completion)
Meet the following criteria:
- Graduate with a minimum 3.7 calculated HOPE GPA.
- Earn a minimum of four full rigor credits from the Academic Rigor Course List.
- Earn a qualifying test score on a single national or state/district administration of the ACT or single national administration of the SAT prior to high school graduation.
Current Test Score Requirements:
a) A minimum score of 1200 is required for the SAT, or
b) The equivalent ACT composite score (as of the most recent concordance guide published by the College Board and ACT each January 1). The ACT score requirement can change each year. The equivalent is posted by January 15 each year for the upcoming/award school year.
The current equivalent ACT score of a 1200 SAT is a 25 composite score for students who graduate after December 31, 2023.
Note: For previous score requirements contact GSFC
OR
- Graduate as the named (Zell Miller Scholarship) Valedictorian or Salutatorian of his or her graduating class.
- Graduate with a minimum 3.0 calculated HOPE GPA
- Earn a minimum of four rigor credits from the Academic Rigor Course List.
Georgia High School Reporting
If you graduate from a Georgia eligible high school, your high school is required to submit your transcript data to GSFC for the calculation of your HOPE GPA. Eligible high schools will also report their valedictorian and salutatorian data to GSFC.
This is a secure electronic process. Once your HOPE GPA is calculated, finalized, and verified by your high school, you can view it through your GAfutures account at My High School HOPE GPA.
Out of State High School Process
After graduation from an eligible high school located outside of Georgia, if believe you meet the Zell Miller Scholarship GPA and ACT or SAT score requirements as listed above, your eligibility must be calculated manually.
Follow the instructions on the Out-of-State High School Transcript Evaluation state program request form and submit all of the required documents through Document Upload.
*Students must meet all program eligibility requirements.
Graduates of an Ineligible High School or Unaccredited Home Study Program
Zell Miller Scholarship Academic Eligibility Requirements as an entering freshman at an eligible college or university in Georgia (after high school graduation or home study completion)
Meet the following criteria:
- Graduate from an ineligible high school or complete an unaccredited home study program.
- Earn a qualifying test score on a single national or state/district administration of the ACT or single national administration of the SAT prior to high school graduation or home study completion. An initial academic eligibility determination is based on the single highest qualifying score received and recorded in GSFC’s system.
A minimum composite score of 29 is required for the ACT.
A minimum score of 1340 is required for the SAT.
Initial Academic Eligibility Process
After graduation from an ineligible high school or completion of an unaccredited home study program, if you believe you meet the Zell Miller Scholarship ACT or SAT score requirement as listed above, your eligibility must be evaluated manually.
Follow the instructions on the Unaccredited Home Study Programs or HSE diploma state program request form and submit all of the required documents through Student Document Upload.
Retroactive Academic Eligibility
Students who graduated from an ineligible high school or completed an unaccredited home study with minimum composite score of 26 on a national or state/district administration of the ACT or minimum total test score of 1200 on a single national administration of the SAT, may receive the Zell Miller Scholarship retroactively if they earn a 3.3 postsecondary calculated HOPE GPA after attempting 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level credit. Credit hours earned by examination or coursework taken prior to high school graduation or home study completion cannot be used to gain HOPE Scholarship eligibility.
Meet the following criteria:
- Attempt 30 semester or 45 quarter hours of college degree-level credit after high school graduation or home study completion and
- Earn a minimum 3.3 postsecondary calculated HOPE GPA
Retroactive Academic Eligibility Process
If you graduated from an ineligible high school or an unaccredited home study program and believe you meet the Zell Miller Scholarship GPA and ACT or SAT score requirement as listed above, your eligibility must be evaluated manually.
Sign in to your GAfutures account to access My College HOPE Profile and verify your Checkpoint History prior to requesting retroactive academic evaluation. Follow the instructions on the Unaccredited Home Study Programs or HSE diploma state program request form and submit all of the required documents through Student Document Upload.
Retroactive Academic Evaluation and Application Deadlines
Retroactive evaluation requests should be submitted by 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 checkpoint (excluding summer semester).
The FAFSA or GSFAPP application 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).
*Students must meet all program eligibility requirements.
