The Georgia HOPE Scholarship covers tuition, and only tuition. At public colleges in the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia, it pays a per-credit-hour award set by a state formula. At eligible private colleges in Georgia, it pays a fixed semester amount — $2,985 per semester for full-time students during fall and spring of the 2025–2026 award year. Mandatory fees, textbooks, room and board, and any other cost of attendance are not covered.
Tuition Coverage at Public Colleges
HOPE pays a per-credit-hour amount pegged to each institution’s tuition rate. The General Assembly sets a “factor rate” each year — a percentage applied to the prior year’s tuition at each school. For 2025–2026, the factor rate is 100 percent, so HOPE covers an amount equal to last year’s full per-credit-hour tuition.1Georgia Student Finance Commission. FY 2026 HOPE Factor Rate Chart
When tuition holds steady from one year to the next, that formula covers 100 percent of the current rate. When tuition rises, HOPE still pays the prior year’s rate and the student owes the difference. The Zell Miller Scholarship, which carries stricter academic requirements, closes that gap by paying the full current-year tuition rate.2Justia Law. Georgia Code 20-3-519.2 – Eligibility Requirements
Because tuition rates vary across Georgia’s public institutions, the dollar value of your HOPE award depends on where you enroll. A student at Georgia Tech receives a higher per-credit-hour award than a student at a two-year state college, since the underlying tuition rates differ. The scholarship pays for up to 15 credit hours per semester; anything beyond that comes out of pocket.3Georgia Student Finance Commission. 2026 HOPE Scholarship Public Institutions Regulations
HOPE applies only to the standard undergraduate tuition rate approved by the Board of Regents. Premium or differential tuition charged by certain high-demand programs is not included.
Tuition Awards at Private Colleges
At HOPE-eligible private colleges in Georgia, the award is a fixed dollar amount rather than a percentage of tuition. For the 2025–2026 award year on a semester system:
- Full-time students (12 or more credit hours) receive $2,985 per semester for fall and spring, and $2,496 for the summer term.
- Half-time students (6 to 11 credit hours) receive $1,493 per semester for fall and spring, and $1,248 for the summer term.
Students on a quarter system receive $2,034 (full-time) or $1,017 (half-time) per quarter during the regular academic year.4Georgia Student Finance Commission. HOPE Scholarship Program at Private Institutions Regulations 2025-2026 Award Year
Private colleges set their own tuition, and these fixed awards rarely cover the full cost. The General Assembly reviews the private-institution amounts each year through the state budget. Your enrollment level must be locked in by the end of your school’s drop/add period to determine which award amount you receive.4Georgia Student Finance Commission. HOPE Scholarship Program at Private Institutions Regulations 2025-2026 Award Year
What HOPE Does Not Cover
HOPE funds can be applied only to tuition. Room and board, mandatory fees, and every other expense are the student’s responsibility.3Georgia Student Finance Commission. 2026 HOPE Scholarship Public Institutions Regulations Before 2011, the scholarship also covered mandatory fees and included a book allowance. Both were eliminated during budget cuts and have not been restored.
Student activity fees, technology fees, and lab charges can run several hundred dollars per semester depending on the institution. Textbooks and digital course materials come out of pocket as well. One narrow exception: students taking eCore courses through the University System of Georgia use free Open Educational Resources in place of traditional textbooks, though lab science courses still require buying a lab kit.5eCore. Tuition and Financial Aid
HOPE is also limited to undergraduate study. Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree, or who are working on a graduate or professional degree, are not eligible.2Justia Law. Georgia Code 20-3-519.2 – Eligibility Requirements
Credit Hour and Time Limits on What You’ll Receive
Beyond the 15-hour-per-semester ceiling, HOPE carries a lifetime cap of 127 attempted semester hours (190 quarter hours), combined across HOPE and Zell Miller. In the term you hit that ceiling, HOPE pays only for the hours that bring you to 127, not the full course load.3Georgia Student Finance Commission. 2026 HOPE Scholarship Public Institutions Regulations
Earning a bachelor’s degree ends eligibility immediately, even with hours remaining. Remedial and learning support courses attempted since Fall 2011 do not count toward your attempted-hours total or your HOPE GPA, so developmental coursework will not eat into what the scholarship pays.6Georgia Student Finance Commission. Academic Eligibility in College
There is a calendar limit too. Students whose first HOPE payment came in Summer 2019 or later have 10 years from high school graduation to use the scholarship. Students whose first payment fell between Summer 2011 and Spring 2019 have a 7-year window.7Georgia Student Finance Commission. Limits and Expiration of Eligibility
Put the pieces together and HOPE’s coverage has a clear shape: tuition only, up to 15 hours a term, up to 127 hours total, within your 10-year (or 7-year) window, and only while you remain an undergraduate at an eligible Georgia institution. Everything outside that box — fees, books, housing, meals, graduate work, out-of-state schools — the scholarship does not touch.