Pellissippi State to assist lottery scholarship applicants

Pellissippi State officials are advising high school seniors and their parents that students who graduate from high school in 2004 may be eligible for a $1,500 Tennessee HOPE Lottery Scholarship to attend Pellissippi State. To be eligible, a fall 2004 freshman must:

• Be a legal resident of Tennessee.
• Graduate from a Tennessee high school that is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools with either a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.0 overall and in the college core or a score of at least 19 on the ACT (890 SAT).
• Have filed a completed FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form.

All qualified students who file by the May 1 priority deadline are assured a lottery scholarship. If proceeds from the lottery are inadequate to fund the program fully the first year, scholarships will be reduced on a pro rata basis. Additional money is also available for high school seniors with extremely high GPAs and ACT scores and for those with adjusted gross incomes that do not exceed $36,000. For graduating high school seniors who do not meet the required unweighted 3.0 GPA or 19 ACT, there is provision for an “access grant.”

Because the lottery scholarship application process may seem complicated, Pellissippi State’s Admissions and Records and Financial Aid offices are planning a series of workshops in early 2004 for prospective students, their parents and area high school guidance counselors.

For fall 2004 and spring 2005, current college freshmen who graduated from a Tennessee high school in 2003 are also eligible for lottery scholarships but have specific requirements to meet. Current Pellissippi State freshmen must

• Have earned an ACT of 19 (890 SAT) or a high school GPA of 3.0 overall and in the college core.
• Earn an overall GPA of 2.75 during the 2003-04 academic year.
• Complete a minimum of 24 hours of coursework.
• Complete and file the 2004-2005 FAFSA by the May 1 priority deadline.
• Be a Tennessee resident for one year.

Special eligibility stipulations also exist for certain students, such as those who have earned a GED, who were home-schooled or who graduated from a high school not accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

For more information about the Tennessee HOPE Lottery Scholarship, visit the TSAC Web site at www.state.tn.us/tsac/lotteryfaq.htm.

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