HOPE Promise
While referred to as a "scholarship" because recipients have met specified academic requirements, PROMISE Teacher Scholarship is in fact a student loan. It can be repaid after graduation by serving in the field of study for a designated number of years at specified locations in Georgia, or it can be repaid in cash.
PROMISE Teacher Scholarship provides forgivable loans to undergraduate students who aspire to be teachers in Georgia public schools.
Eligibility Requirements
A Student must:
- have earned a minimum, overall grade point average of 3.0 based on a 4.0 scale (including all courses attempted) and be academically classified as a college junior or senior*
- be accepted for enrollment into an approved teacher education program in Georgia leading to initial certification
* This includes students seeking their first undergraduate degree in education OR students seeking a second undergraduate degree in education if their first undergraduate degree was not in education. For students seeking a second undergraduate degree in education, it generally requires an additional two years of study, but it may vary depending upon the institution's program requirements.
Scholarship Amount
The maximum award for a student is $3,000 for the junior year and another $3,000 for the senior year. For a student taking less than six hours, the maximum award will be $1,500 per academic year.
The forgivable loan may be used for tuition and any other educational expenses - such as books, supplies, or room and board - at any eligible public or private college or university in Georgia. A recipient may also qualify for financial assistance through other components of the HOPE Program.
Loan Forgiveness
Under the PROMISE Program, you will be obligated to teach in a Georgia public school at the preschool, elementary, middle or secondary level one academic year for each $1,500 awarded through the scholarship.
For example, if you receive $3,000 per academic year for two years (a total scholarship of $6,000) and teach four years in a Georgia public school at the preschool, elementary, middle, or secondary level, your loan will be completely forgiven.
If a recipient is unable to complete his/her program or meet his/her teaching obligation, he/she must repay any outstanding loan amounts, plus interest, to the State of Georgia.
Applicants must complete their part of the application and obtain signatures from the institution's College of Education teacher certification official and the financial aid office. The completed application is then forwarded directly to the HOPE Scholarship Program for consideration.
Six hundred scholarships are available for the 2005-2006 academic year and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Scholarship funds will be provided directly to the school's financial aid office and will be disbursed on a term-by-term basis.
