Zell Miller Scholarship

Georgia's Zell Miller Scholarship is available to Georgia residents who have demonstrated academic achievement. The scholarship provides money to assist students with the tuition cost of attending a Zell Miller Scholarship eligible college or university.

Eligibility Requirements

Zell Miller Scholarship is available to Georgia Residents (according to the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Student Finance Commission residency requirements) who have demonstrated academic achievement. If eligible, Zell Miller Scholarship can provide money to assist students with tuition costs. Please visit the GaFutures website for more extensive information regarding the Zell Miller Scholarship.

Basic Eligibility:

The Zell Miller Scholarship program requires students to meet basic requirements to be awarded initially after high school graduation and maintained while enrolled in an eligible college or university (postsecondary institutions). An eligible student must:

Meet U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen requirements;
Meet the postsecondary institutions Georgia Residency requirements;
Be enrolled as a degree-seeking student at a USG, TCSG or eligible private Zell Miller eligible college or university in Georgia;
Meet federal Selective Service registration requirements, per Georgia state law. The requirement to register applies to males who were born on or after January 1, 1960, are at least 18, are citizens or eligible non-citizens who came to the United States prior to age 26;
Meet the Eligible Postsecondary Institution’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy;
Be in good standing on all student loans or other financial aid programs;
Be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990;
Not have exceeded the maximum award limits for any HOPE program

For more information please visit GaFutures

Limits and Expiration of Eligibility: Zell Miller Scholarship has limits to how long students can receive the scholarship payments based on Expiration of Eligibility, Ten Year Eligibility Limit, and Seven Year Eligibility Limit.

Award Amounts

The Zell Miller Scholarship award varies and depends on the type of institution you are attending and your specific hours of enrollment.

Students that meet all eligibility requirements, and are attending an eligible public college or university, receive a Zell Miller Scholarship award amount to be applied toward standard undergraduate tuition, up to a maximum of 15 hours, for the specific number of hours enrolled, whether full time or part time.

Students that meet all eligibility requirements and are attending private colleges or universities, receive a Zell Miller Scholarship award amount to be applied toward standard undergraduate tuition up to a maximum of 12 hours, based on a half-time or full-time enrollment status. Click the link Zell Miller Award Amounts to determine your scholarship award amount.

Application Process

Step 1: Review basic eligibility requirements, academic eligibility requirements, and limits and expiration of eligibility listed above. If you believe that you are eligible, please proceed to the next step.
Step 2: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Complete the online Georgia Student Finance Application (GSFAPP). The FAFSA must be completed annually. The GSFAPP remains valid for 10 years. Please be mindful that if you opt to complete the GSFAPP in lieu of the FAFSA, then you can only be reviewed for the Zell Miller Scholarships.

Things to Know

Eligibility for the Hope and Zell Miller scholarships expires 10 years after the student's high school graduation date.