Frequently Asked Questions
Retaining Eligibility :

Q. Is the GPA used toward my degree the same GPA used in retaining the Lottery Scholarship?

A. No. See calculating cumulative GPA.

Q. Do AP courses I take in high school count toward my lottery GPA?

A. No. Hours and grades begin applying toward the lottery scholarship GPA after high school graduation.

Q. What is continuous enrollment?

A. You must be enrolled and have completed school in the fall and spring semesters.

Q. What happens to my scholarship if I decide to co-op?

A. Student may qualify for a TELS award while participating in an internship or co-op program if the student receives college credit and must pay tuition and fees. The credit hours are included in the GPA calculation and count toward the attempted hours limitation.

Q. What is the drop date?

A. The drop date is the university census date which falls on the 14th day after class begins for the fall and spring semesters. The drop date falls on the 7th day of classes for summer sessions. The drop date is important to your lottery scholarship because you must have all dropped classes approved by Yvonne Gribble in the Records Office if your request is after the drop date.

Q. What happens to my lottery scholarship if I drop below 1/2 time?

A. A full-time student loses the scholarship if he/she drops to below 1/2 time. The student must reimburse the institution. Any change from full-time to part-time must be approved prior to the change in status; otherwise, he/she loses the award permanently.

Q. How do I get approval if I decide to drop a course which changes my enrollment status?

A. You must fill out a form requesting the change and give to Yvonne Gribble in Records. You must also provide documentation as to why you need to change status. You will be required to sign a form stating that you understand you will have to repay lottery funds you have received.

Q. I am a HOPE recipient and wish to withdraw from the University to attend school elsewhere. What is the procedure for this?

A. You must fill out the request for withdrawal and give to Yvonne Gribble in Records. You need documentation as to why you are withdrawing. If it is before class begins, you need to contact TSAC and tell them of the change in schools.

Q. What is the difference between hours attempted and hours earned?

A. Hours attempted are any hours registered for and not withdrawn from before the census date. Hours earned are any hours receiving a grade of a ‘D’ or higher

Q. Do AP credits earned after High School Graduation count as credits attempted/earned for bracket analysis of college credits?
A. No.

Q. Do the hours a student takes in summer count toward the lottery hours and GPA even though the student does not receive funds for that term?

A. Yes. All hours count toward the attempted hours’ limitation, and all grades are included in the lottery GPA calculation

Q. How do I know what my attempted hours and GPA are for the HOPE scholarship?

A. The information is available on your Eagle Online under the Financial Aid section. The link is titled “Tennessee Lottery Scholarship Info”.

Q. I have attempted 120 hours, but have not completed the requirements for my degree. Am I still eligible for the Lottery funds?

A. Unless your degree requires more than 120 hours, you will not be eligible for additional Lottery funds.

Q. How did I reach the attempted hours limit, but did not complete the requirements for my degree?

A. Dropping courses after the census date inflates the attempted hours.

Q. If my GPA is below the required level, can I take classes to raise my GPA?

A. The GPA is checked the semester you reach one of the benchmarks. If your GPA is below the required level, then the answer if NO.

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Page revised: 3/20/06