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59-993: As of 2024, HOPE encompasses six distinct scholarships and grants, each with its own unique eligibility criteria and requirements. These include the HOPE Career Grant, the HOPE Grant, the HOPE High School Equivalency Examination Grant Program, the HOPE Scholarship, the Zell Miller Grant, and the Zell Miller Scholarship. The HOPE Scholarship Program has awarded over $ 14 billion to more than 2.1 million Georgia students since its inception in 1993. The Hope Scholarship regulations and requirements are codified in Georgia law and has undergone

118-399: A $ 100 per quarter book allowance will be paid for the first time. July 1, 1995: July 11, 1995: President Clinton models his America's Hope program, a tax credit for the cost of two year of education beyond high school, after the success of Georgia's HOPE Program. July 1, 1996: Private college students for the first time must earn and maintain a B average to receive HOPE. As a result,

177-496: A 3.3 GPA while in college. Books and fees have also been eliminated for this scholarship as well. These changes also added additional academic rigor requirements to take effect in stages starting in 2015 and going through 2017. These requirements define the type and number of specific core academic courses required for graduation eligibility for the Hope Scholarship, including raising the required GPA for students to be eligible for

236-622: A Constitutional amendment protecting the HOPE Scholarship Program from legislative and political tampering. May 17, 1999: For the second year in a row, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs ranked Georgia Number One among 50 states in academic-based student financial aid because of the HOPE Scholarship. September 29, 1999: Yomaris Figueroa of McDonough, a freshman at Georgia State University in Atlanta,

295-540: A Georgia resident. In addition, changes were made to the treatment of post-secondary coursework taken while in high school, for purposes of the HOPE Scholarship and HOPE Grant eligibility. House Bill 152 was implemented, which allows home study student, ineligible high school graduates, and GED recipients to gain HOPE Scholarship eligibility by scoring in the 85th percentile on the SAT/ACT. March 2011: Georgia Governor Nathan Deal , together with state legislative leaders, pushed

354-561: A farm in Sandersville , Georgia . His parents, Mary (née Mallard) and Noah Jordan Deal, were teachers. He attended Mercer University in Macon , where he earned his bachelor and law degrees with honors . After he earned his Juris Doctor degree in 1966, he joined the United States Army , where he earned the rank of captain . Deal spent twenty-three years in private law practice. He

413-603: A new law into effect, raising the GPA requirements for HOPE and eliminating payments for books and mandatory fees. The new HOPE Scholarship, or HOPE Lite, will now be based on Lottery revenue. The new scholarship within HOPE, the Zell Miller Scholarship, will cover 100% of tuition for those students who graduate with a 3.7 HOPE GPA and receive a score of 1200 (CR+M) on the SAT or a 26 ACT Composite at public colleges ($ 4,000 at private colleges), and maintain

472-642: A number of changes by the Georgia Legislature. January 14, 1991: Zell Miller is inaugurated as Georgia's 79th governor. He introduces legislation before the General Assembly to establish a lottery. A statewide referendum must be passed to amend the Georgia Constitution to allow a lottery. January 31, 1991: Resolution to put lottery amendment before voters passes the Georgia House 126-51 and

531-482: A policy to allow home school students who maintain a B average during their first year in college to retroactively qualify for a HOPE Scholarship during the 1997–1998 school year. April 1998: The National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs (NASSGAP) releases a study that says Georgia is ranked Number One among the 50 states in academic-based student financial aid because of the HOPE Scholarship. June 29, 1998: The Council on School Performance releases

590-414: A position on Representative Deal's motivations for inserting himself into discussions of potential modifications to a state vehicle inspection program ... The OCE reviews the facts as presented at the time of review and does not take a position on whether Representative Deal's income from GSD was mistakenly reported as earned income since 2006 on his federal income taxes ... [F]or all the reasons stated above,

649-773: A report on March 30, 2010, that concluded Deal appeared to have improperly used his office staff to pressure Georgia officials to continue the state vehicle inspection program that generated hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for his family's auto salvage business. Deal stated: "I have done nothing wrong and am not going to let this tarnish my ... record of public service." The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), released their investigative report (Review No. 09-1022) on March 30, 2010. The report stipulates, Representative Nathan Deal and his business partner own Recovery Services, Inc. a/k/a Gainesville Salvage & Disposal ('GSD'), located in Gainesville, Georgia ... The OCE does not take

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708-478: A second round of criminal justice reforms. These reforms took a "smart on crime" approach and were based on recommendations from the Special Council on Criminal Justice Reform. This law gave those who, while locked up, have earned money toward college in the form of a HOPE Scholarship G-E-D Voucher the ability to use that money up to two years after their release. In addition, Deal reinvested $ 5 million to create

767-423: A study that concludes: "We found that recipients of Georgia's HOPE Scholarship are more likely to remain enrolled in college, have higher college grade point averages and have earned more credit hours than students without the scholarship." September 1, 1998: Five years after its inception, the HOPE Scholarship has awarded 319,000 students more than $ 580 million. November 3, 1998: Georgia voters elect to create

826-552: A tightly contested primary runoff election , and won by fewer than 2,500 votes. In the general election, Deal defeated the Democratic opponent, former governor Roy Barnes , and succeeded term-limited Sonny Perdue in 2011. He won his re-election campaign for governor in 2014 against Democrat Jason Carter . Deal came to prominence in 2014 when he signed into law the Safe Carry Protection Act , known by critics as

885-659: A voluntary grant program that gives communities incentives to offer judges more non-confinement sentencing options. These could include substance abuse treatment or family counseling. With the help of the Council and the Vera Institute of Justice , Deal developed extensive performance measures to track the success of previous reforms to ensure they were enhancing public safety and saving taxpayer dollars. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, "Since 2007 alone, more than three-dozen such courts have opened their doors across Georgia. In

944-486: Is adopted by a 47–9 vote of the Georgia Senate. November 3, 1992: Georgia voters pass the lottery amendment 1,146,340-1,050,674. November 1992-August 1993: Governor Miller establishes three distinct and individually funded lottery programs: the HOPE Scholarship Program, a voluntary pre-kindergarten program for four-year-olds, and an instructional technology program. June 29, 1993: The first Georgia Lottery ticket

1003-471: Is sold, sparking a windfall of unprecedented lottery sales. Georgia's first year of sales brought in a national record of $ 1.13 billion, providing $ 360 million for the three education programs. September 1, 1993: Georgia's first HOPE Scholarship is awarded to Matthew Miller of Snellville, Georgia to attend Gwinnett Technical College. July 1, 1994: HOPE makes its first expansion to cover four rather than two years of tuition. In addition, mandatory fees and

1062-545: The Safe Carry Protection Act , referred to by critics as the "Guns Everywhere" Law. Deal stated that gun rights through the United States Constitution's Second Amendment are important to people in Georgia. The Safe Carry Protection Act took effect on July 1, 2014, and permits licensed gun owners to carry guns into many public and private places, including churches, school property, bars, nightclubs, libraries, and some government buildings in Georgia. The law

1121-405: The "Guns Everywhere Law", which allows residents with a permit to carry a concealed weapon to bring firearms into most public areas, including churches, school zones, government buildings and certain sections of airports. He was barred by term limits in 2018 and was succeeded by outgoing Secretary of State Brian Kemp . Deal was born on August 25, 1942, in the town of Millen and grew up on

1180-425: The 2011 changes. This has led to allegations of age discrimination because students who had not received the grant before Summer 2011 and had graduated from high school more than seven years past were disqualified based on a new "seven year" criteria that has in subsequent years been modified. Nathan Deal John Nathan Deal (born August 25, 1942) is an American politician and former lawyer who served as

1239-470: The 50% threshold to win the primary outright. Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel ranked first with 34%, qualifying for the run-off election. Deal, ranked second with 23% of the vote, also qualified for the run-off election. Candidates who didn't qualify included State Senator Eric Johnson (20%), Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine (16%), State Senator Jeff Chapman (3%), businessman Ray McBerry (3%), and businessman Otis Putnam (0%). Deal performed

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1298-683: The 60s from the American Conservative Union (ACU). He moved sharply to the right after his party switch and voted for all four articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton . From 1996 onward, he garnered ratings of 90 or higher from the ACU. During his 17 years in Congress, Deal rose to chair the Health Subcommittee of Energy and Commerce, where he became a noted expert on entitlement reform and health care policy. Deal introduced H.R. 698,

1357-548: The 82nd governor of Georgia from 2011 to 2019. A Republican , he previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives . Deal served in the Georgia State Senate from 1981 to 1993, the last two years as president pro tempore of the senate. He faced a crowded field of candidates in the Republican primary when he ran for governor in 2010 , ultimately facing former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel in

1416-437: The 9th again after a mid-decade redistricting in 2006. In November 2006, Deal was re-elected 77%–23%. His Democratic opponent was John Bradbury, a former elementary school teacher turned truck driver. His district, already heavily Republican, became even more Republican after the mid-decade redistricting pushed it further into the Atlanta suburbs. Deal's voting record was relatively moderate in his first term, getting ratings in

1475-556: The Citizenship Reform Act, which would eliminate birthright citizenship for undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The 14th Amendment begins "All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States. ... " Deal's argument is that undocumented immigrants (and their children) are not subject to U.S. jurisdiction. The Office of Congressional Ethics released

1534-460: The HOPE Grant to 3.0. Although these changes have taken some of the strain off of Georgia's finances, it has also resulted in about 1/4th of all Technical College students dropping out of college and increases in the accrued debt of those who remained. March 2013: State Representative Stacey Evans introduces House Bill 54 to reverse some of the changes to the HOPE Scholarship program and, she claimed, help more Georgia students realize their dream and

1593-538: The HOPE Scholarship. April 2002: HOPE reaches new milestones: More than 600,000 students have received HOPE awards totaling more than $ 1.5 billion. Also, thanks to HOPE, for the fifth year in a row Georgia leads the nation in providing academic-based financial aid. March 2003: The Georgia General Assembly created the Improvement of the HOPE Scholarship Joint Study Commission. The purpose of

1652-529: The HOPE Study Commission made its recommendations in January 2004. May 2004: House Bill 1325 was signed into law, creating the most significant changes in the HOPE program since its beginning. January 2007: The HOPE program reaches the milestone of assisting 1 million individual recipients. May 2007: The new HOPE Scholarship high school grade point average calculation and transcript exchange project

1711-593: The OCE Board recommends further review by the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. On March 1, 2010, 29 days before the official release of the ethics report, Deal resigned his seat, which he said, excluded him from the Office of Congressional Ethics' jurisdiction. Although this seemed too coincidental for some, Deal maintained in a speech to supporters that the resignation was so that he could "devote [his] full energies" to

1770-560: The Republican Party, which was led by Speaker Newt Gingrich , a fellow Georgian. Years later, Gingrich said that Deal became a Republican because he liked what he saw in the Contract With America . Deal was handily re-elected in his first election as a Republican in the 1996 general election, even though Jenkins endorsed his Democratic opponent, attorney and state representative McCracken "Ken" Poston , who represented much of

1829-444: The United States ." Barnes also tried to distance himself from Obama, saying his health care law was "the greatest failure of political leadership in my lifetime". On November 3, Deal defeated Barnes 53%-43%. Deal ran for re-election in 2014. He defeated two primary challengers and defeated Democratic State Senator Jason Carter in the general election with 53% of the vote to Carter's 45%. Deal took office as governor on January 10,

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1888-713: The authority to issue it. On March 28, 2016, Deal vetoed a religious liberty bill that had been passed by both houses of the Georgia State Legislature, and that had been opposed by multiple large corporations, including Salesforce.com , the Coca-Cola Company and the Home Depot . On May 3, 2016, Deal vetoed a campus carry bill that had been passed by the state legislature, after a number of state legislators refused to include exceptions for child-care centers and other places on college campuses. Had Deal signed

1947-411: The commission was to identify and recommend actions to ensure adequate funding of the HOPE program for years to come. April 2003: For the sixth year in a row, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs ranked Georgia Number One among 50 states in academic-based student financial aid because of the HOPE Scholarship. January 2004: After meeting throughout the latter half of 2003,

2006-452: The complaint, Deal had used state campaign funds to pay legal bills stemming from a federal ethics investigation when he was in Congress, that he had personally profited from his gubernatorial campaign's $ 135,000 rental of aircraft from a company he partly owned, and that he had accepted campaign contributions beyond the legal limits. The campaign also paid a total of $ 135,000 to consulting companies which were owned by Deal's daughter-in-law and

2065-427: The congressional district's northwestern portion. This was the first time his district had elected a Republican for a full term since Reconstruction . To date, Poston is the last Democrat to win even 30 percent of the vote in this district. Deal was unopposed for re-election in 1998, 2002, and 2004 and defeated an underfunded Democratic candidate in 2000. His district was renumbered the 10th District in 2003, but became

2124-516: The ethics commission cleared Deal of major ethics violations while finding he made "technical defects" in a series of personal financial and campaign finance reports. In July 2012, Deal agreed to pay $ 3,350 in administrative fees to resolve violations of campaign finance and disclosure laws. Holly LaBerge, the head of the ethics commission that cleared Deal of major ethics violations, claimed in July 2014 that Ryan Teague, Deal's counsel, called her to say: "It

2183-399: The father of Chris Riley, Deal's chief of staff. As Kalberman and Streiker were preparing to serve subpoenas to Deal, his chief of staff, and others involved in the case, Kalberman's salary was cut by $ 35,000 and Streiker was ousted from her position. Soon after, Kalberman was forced to resign and was replaced by Holly LaBerge, who was recruited by the governor's office. On July 23, 2012,

2242-418: The federal Pell Grant making a college education for Georgia students even more affordable. October 2000: Seven years after its inception, the HOPE Scholarship has more than 500,000 awards totaling $ 1 billion. March 2001: For the fourth year in a row, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs ranked Georgia Number One among 50 states in academic-based student financial aid because of

2301-524: The first quarter of 2014, more than 4,100 offenders were enrolled in the state's 105 accountability courts, and many of these participants would likely be in prison without this alternative." On April 25, 2014, Deal announced the creation of the Governor's Interfaith Council, composed of religious leaders across Georgia, to expand upon recent criminal justice reforms. These programs and council advisors will implement cost-effective strategies will work to increase

2360-540: The gubernatorial campaign. Before returning to Georgia to run for governor, Deal cast his final congressional vote against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , also known as Obamacare. In 2011, then Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission Executive Secretary Stacey Kalberman and Deputy Executive Secretary Sherilyn Streiker launched an ethics investigation into Deal's campaign finances during his 2010 gubernatorial race. According to

2419-461: The heavily populated Fulton County with 71%, her best performance in the state, followed by Glascock (70%) and Burke (70%). Deal's two best counties were Taliaferro (80%) and Hall (79%). In the general election, Deal faced former governor and state senator Roy Barnes (D) and John Monds (L). Barnes previously won the 1998 gubernatorial election with 52% of the vote, and lost re-election in 2002 to State Senator Sonny Perdue 51%-46%. Perdue

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2478-426: The juvenile justice system, and implementing prisoner re-entry initiatives. The council's work resulted in bipartisan legislation that caused Georgia to avoid the need for 5,000 additional prison beds over 5 years and saved taxpayers at least $ 264 million. A 2014 study showed that "prison sentences imposed on African American offenders have dropped by 20%." On April 25, 2013, Deal signed HB 349 into law, which enacted

2537-452: The law itself. In 2015 Deal issued an executive order ordering state agencies to "halt any involvement in accepting refugees from Syria for resettlement in the state of Georgia", resulting in the state's Department of Human Resources refusing to process applications for food stamps and other benefits filed by newly arrived Syrian refugees. Deal rescinded his order on January 4, 2016, after Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens said Deal lacked

2596-589: The number of former offenders returning to the workforce and supporting their families. By removing barriers to employment, housing and education for rehabilitated offenders, a larger number of returning citizens are able to rejoin the workforce and support their families. Some of Deal's initiatives include education and jobs training programs, "banning the box" and creation of the Department of Community Supervision, which streamlines re-entry programs across various state agencies. In 2014, Deal signed House Bill (H.B.) 60,

2655-542: The number of hours (up to 15 hours) Full-time students: $ 2,496 per semester or $ 1,664 per quarter Half-time students: $ 1,248 per semester or $ 832 per quarter To apply for the HOPE Scholarship, students must follow the registration demands of the school they chose. Students have two options when applying for the HOPE Scholarship: 1) Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or, 2) Complete

2714-697: The online Georgia Student Finance Application (GSFAPP) Note: The FAFSA must be completed each year. The GSFAPP remains valid for 10 years. Application Deadline: The application deadline is the last day of the school term or a student's withdrawal date, whichever occurs first. Recommendation: Submit the annual FAFSA or the GSFAPP as early as possible; the earlier you apply, the earlier your college can determine your eligibility and awards. Note: Additional college-specific application and deadline requirements may be required. Check with your postsecondary institution. Non-traditional students were not grandfathered in with

2773-452: The original purpose of the HOPE program. Her ideas were incorporated into House Bill 372 which lowered the required GPA for HOPE Grants (the HOPE Scholarship for Technical Schools) back to the original 2.0 and bringing back 5,000 students into Technical College in the first year alone. The money provided to HOPE Scholars varies and depends on the type of institution as well as the student's specific enrollment. HOPE Award Rate multiplied by

2832-484: The previous $ 1,500 grant is changed to a $ 3,000 scholarship. November 3, 1996: Entering freshmen high school students (Class of 2000) must now earn a B average in the core curriculum courses of English, math, social studies, foreign language and science to receive the HOPE Scholarship upon graduation. July 1, 1997: Nontraditional students may now qualify for HOPE after their freshman or sophomore years. November 18, 1997: The Georgia Student Finance Commission adopts

2891-563: The second Monday of 2011. His second inauguration took place on January 12, 2015. As Governor, Deal expanded the Supreme Court, adding two more justices to the court. In 2011, despite protests outside his office and threats of boycotts, Deal signed Georgia HB 87 into law, which increased the state's enforcement powers in regards to illegal immigration , as well as required many employers to determine whether their newly hired employees are undocumented immigrants or not. In 2011, Georgia

2950-419: The strongest in the northern part of the state, where he lives and represented in Congress. However, he also won some counties in the southern part of the state, such as Candler (30%) and Tift (24%). He won five counties with a majority including his home of Hall (64%), Dade (56%), Walker (56%), White (53%), and Stephens (53%). The run-off election between Handel and Deal was very competitive. Deal

3009-513: Was also a criminal prosecutor , a Hall County juvenile court judge, and a Northeastern Judicial Circuit superior court judge. In 1980, he was elected to the Georgia State Senate as a Democrat . In November 1990, he was elected by his party to be the President Pro Tempore , the second highest ranking position in the chamber. Democrat Jane Hemmer replaced him in the Senate, but she

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3068-410: Was congratulated by Governor Roy E. Barnes as Georgia's 400,000th HOPE Scholarship recipient. March 2000: For the third year in a row, the National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs ranked Georgia Number One among 50 states in academic-based student financial aid because of the HOPE Scholarship. July 1, 2000: Students can receive the full benefits of Georgia's HOPE Scholarship and

3127-510: Was defeated by Republican Casey Cagle two years later. Deal was first elected to Congress in November 1992 as a Democrat, succeeding eight-term incumbent Ed Jenkins in Georgia's 9th congressional district . He was re-elected as a Democrat in 1994. However, on April 11, 1995, shortly after Republicans assumed control of the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years, Deal joined

3186-442: Was endorsed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich , U.S. Representative Jack Kingston , and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee . Handel was endorsed by Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin . On August 10, Deal defeated Handel 50.2%-49.8%, a difference of just 2,519 votes. Handel performed well in the western and eastern borders of the state, as well as the counties surrounding Atlanta . She won

3245-404: Was implemented, in accordance with House Bill 1325 passed in 2004. July 2008: The HOPE Scholarship award amount for students attending private colleges was increased from $ 3,000 per academic year to $ 3,500 per academic year. Senate Bill 492 was implemented, which increased the Georgia residency requirement for the HOPE Scholarship to 24 months for students who did not graduate from high school as

3304-634: Was in the midst of a criminal justice crisis. The prison population had doubled in the past two decades to 56,000, along with the state's incarceration budget. The recidivism rate was 30 percent for adults and 65 percent for juveniles. In response, Deal commissioned the Georgia Criminal Justice Reform Council, tasked with performing an exhaustive review of the state's current system, identifying key areas of focus and providing recommendations for reforms. These areas included increased funding and support for accountability courts, overhauling

3363-408: Was not in the agency's best interest for these cases to go to a hearing ... nor was it in their best political interest either." Deal has stated that he is "not aware of any communications along those lines". Incumbent Republican Governor Sonny Perdue was term-limited in 2010. Seven candidates filed to run in the Republican primary. In the initial Republican primary in July, no candidate received

3422-471: Was supported by the Georgia Baptist Convention which included 3,600 Baptist churches in Georgia in favor of increased church autonomy, but was not supported by Catholic or Episcopalian church leaders due to their belief that it is against Jesus' teachings. By 2016, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution found that while 57% of Georgians believed that owning a gun protects people, 59% disapproved of

3481-406: Was the first Georgia Republican Governor since Reconstruction. Barnes has always been considered a moderate. After he lost re-election, he returned to practicing law for eight years until mounting a political comeback. Deal tried to connect Barnes with President Barack Obama . Barnes said "if you would listen to what is being said, you would have thought that this is an election for president of

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