HOPE Scholarship updates: A student has up to 16 months after high school to start their academic career. Oct 2005. Students who have the HOPE Scholarship may not drop below full-time enrollment status in a semester that they started full-time in.        EXAMPLE: A student who has 13 hours feels that they need to withdraw from a 3 hour class. This student would need to either add 2 second session courses or remain in the class. Any student may request permission from the Institutional Review Panel to drop below full-time, but permission is only granted to students with exigent circumstances. Oct 2005. Students may now regain the HOPE scholarship by raising their cumulative GPA at the next hours checkpoint. Checkpoints will occur every 24 ( at 24, 48, 72, etc. ) attempted hours, and attempted hours include any withdrawals, incompletes, or classes that the student did not pass. Students must maintain continuous enrollment and meet all of the other requirements for the HOPE Scholarship while they are not receiving the scholarship. (Students can regain their scholarship of they get at least a 3.0 GPA) Oct 2005. Students now have a one-time option to repeat a course and use the higher of the two grades in their GPA calculation. Any student wishing to use this one time grade replacement option will need to come to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships and complete a form stating which repeated course they wish to use. Students who have lost the HOPE Scholarship and are using this option to regain will have to wait until the next hours check point. (Students have one academic year to repeat a course).        EXAMPLE: A student reaches the 24 hour check point at the end of the spring semester and loses the HOPE Scholarship with a total of 30 attempted hours and a 2.70 GPA. The student received an "F" in math in the spring semester. The student re-takes the math class in the summer, receiving a "B". This student may complete the form to use the grade replacement after the summer semester, but will need to wait until they attempt their 48th hour before they can regain the Scholarship.       EXAMPLE 2: A student receives an "F" in math in the fall semester, and immediately repeats the class in the spring semester, receiving a "B". The student may use the grade replacement towards the 24 hour checkpoint GPA calculation and retain the Scholarship. Oct 2005. Students may now return to an eligible (in-state) institution from an ineligible (out-of-state), but regionally accredited, institution at any time. However, a student who attends an eligible institution then transfers to an ineligible institution will not be able to return to an eligible institution and receive the HOPE Scholarship. If you have any questions about the HOPE Scholarship or are not sure of an answer, please feel free to contact Theressa Cooper at theressacooper@utk.edu or by phone at 974-0574. Back to Scholarships/Financial Aid page