Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program (Promulgated Rules)
The TELS rules were revised to facilitate administration of the TELS program, which included minimizing the inclusion of rule language that duplicated TELS program statutory language. Where duplication existed, the rules now cite the related statute. To access the code relevant to the TELS Program in the Tennessee Code Annotated: click HERE, then click on each successive folder: Tennessee Code; Title 49 Education; Chapter 4 Financial Aid; Part 9 – State Lottery Proceeds; and then click on the applicable statute(s).
All Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program Recipients Must:
- Have been a Tennessee resident for one year by September 1 of the year of application date. For students beginning spring and summer terms, residency determined by February 1 as of application date.
- Dependent children of U.S. military, Tennessee National Guard on active duty, Department of Defense employees, or full-time religious workers who maintain Tennessee residency while stationed out-of-state are eligible.
- Apply with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. To receive a paper FAFSA, check with your high school counselor or call the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) 1-800-342-1663 or (615) 741-1346. Applications must be received by September 1st for fall semester, February 1st for spring and summer semesters. Early application is recommended.
HOPE Scholars Must:
- Enroll in one of the Tennessee public colleges, universities, or private colleges. Click HERE for listing.
- Enroll within 16 months of no postsecondary institution enrollment following high school graduation or completion of a home school or GED program.
- Home school students must have been enrolled in a home school program for a minimum of two years prior to graduating. For more information, please call 1-800-342-1663 or (615)741-1346.
- Tennessee residents graduating from some out of state high schools may be eligible. For more information, please call 1-800-342-1663 or (615)741-1346.
Tennessee HOPE Scholarship Renewal Criteria:
Eligibility shall be reviewed by the institution at the end of the semesters in which the student has attempted a total of 24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 semester hours
- Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 after 24 attempted semester hours
- Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 after 48, 72, 96, and 120 attempted semester hours
- Must be enrolled in fall and spring semesters and maintain satisfactory academic progress
Tennessee HOPE Scholarship Termination Criteria:
The attempted credit hour limitation includes remedial and developmental studies and all regular college credit courses attempted after high school graduation. If a student enters the semester with less than one hundred twenty (120) semester hours attempted and will surpass the one hundred twenty (120) semester hours limit, he or she is eligible for payment for the full number of hours enrolled for that semester. If the student is enrolled in a specific undergraduate degree program that is designed to be more than one hundred twenty (120) semester hours in length, the student is eligible for a total of one hundred thirty-six (136) semester hours attempted, or the number of hours required for graduation, whichever is less.
The student shall achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 at the end of the semester in which the student has attempted one hundred twenty (120) semester hours to continue to receive the scholarship. The student is eligible for payment for the full number of hours enrolled in the final semester. Regardless of the number of hours attempted, once the student has earned a bachelor’s degree, he or she is ineligible for additional TELS awards.
Tennessee HOPE Scholarship—Non-traditional Component
The non-traditional student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be an entering freshman at the minimum age of 25 years as of the date of enrollment. An “entering freshman” is defined as a student who is for the first time attempting any semester hours at any postsecondary school after graduating from high school, home school or obtaining a GED. The adjusted gross income attributable to the student must be no more than $36,000 per year.
Additionally, these students must work their way into the HOPE Scholarship program by attempting the first 24 semester hours with a minimum grade point average of 2.75. Students are eligible to receive the HOPE Scholarship in the semester following the one in which this academic requirement is met.
To continue receiving the HOPE Scholarship, the adult learner must maintain satisfactory academic progress, maintain the adjusted gross income requirement, and be continuously enrolled with a minimum of 6 semester hours each semester.
Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Programs Eligible Institutions
Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Programs:
Lottery Scholarship at a Glance: Lottery Scholarship Eligibility Requirement Sheet
Lottery Scholarship Data:
Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship Program Annual Report:
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