Georgia HOPE Program
The Georgia Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) scholarship/grant is a state funded award program which provides financial assistance to students in degree, diploma, and technical certificate programs. The HOPE program pays for tuition and partial fees for eligible students and a book allowance of either $50.00 or $100.00 per quarter depending upon the student's course load. At Savannah Technical College, the HOPE Grant will cover diploma and certificate programs. The HOPE Scholarship will cover degree programs. HOPE does not cover Continuing Education Courses. For further information regarding the HOPE program, visit the following website www.gsfc.org
The HOPE Grant assists students who are enrolled in a technical certificate or diploma program. To be eligible for the HOPE Grant, a student must:
  • be a Georgia resident;
  • not be in default of a student loan;
  • have no controlled substance convictions;
  • have no overpayments;
  • meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements;
  • register with Selective Service (Males between the ages of 18-26 only).

The HOPE Scholarship assists students who are enrolled in a degree program. To be eligible as a first year student (Tier 1), a student must:

  • be a Georgia resident;
  • have earned a “B” average in the core curriculum subjects (if a 2000 and thereafter high school graduate);
  • have no controlled substance convictions;
  • have no overpayments;
  • register with Selective Service (Males between the ages of 18-26 only).

A non-traditional student may qualify for the HOPE Scholarship after completing 45 credit hours and maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Cumulative GPA is reviewed every forty-five (45) attempted quarter hours. Degree courses from previous institutions are calculated in the GPA even if HOPE was not received.

A non-traditional student may qualify for the HOPE Scholarship after completing 45 credit hours and maintaining a 3.0 GPA. Cumulative GPA is reviewed every forty-five (45) attempted quarter hours. Degree courses from previous institutions are calculated in the GPA even if HOPE was not received.
The HOPE GED is available to legal residents of Georgia who earned a General Education Development (GED) diploma awarded by the Technical College System of Georgia (TCSG) after June 30, 1993. The Grant provides a one-time $500 HOPE award that can be used towards tuition, books, and other educational costs in a degree, diploma, or certificate program. Students desiring to use their HOPE GED voucher are asked to complete the FAFSA form. Full-time enrollment is not required. Students must use their HOPE GED Grant award within 24 months of the date of their GED diploma. Military personnel have 52 months to exercise eligibility.
Apply for HOPE now at www.GAcollege411.org
Instructions for completing HOPE application
Federal Pell Grant
The Pell Grant is a Title IV federally funded need based grant available to students to promote their access to postsecondary education. This is the largest of the federal student assistance programs and does not require repayment. The amount a student receives will depend upon the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) shown on the Student Aid Report (SAR) or the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR). Other considerations for the award amount are the number of hours a student is scheduled to attend each week, the cost of attendance, and the size of the federal appropriations. Only degree and diploma seeking students are eligible to receive the Pell Grant. Students who receive federal aid are required to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements. A student’s academic progress is evaluated and monitored quarterly to determine if SAP requirements are met. For further information regarding the Pell Grant, visit the following website: www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Savannah Technical College calculates earned Title IV federal fund amounts based on attendance. A student receiving Title IV federal funds, such as the Pell Grant, and withdraws prior to attending sixty percent (60%) of the quarter, will only receive the earned amount.

The percentage of Title IV funds that a student has earned is determined by dividing the portion of the quarter completed by the length of the quarter. This percentage is then multiplied by the Title IV award for the quarter to determine the amount of Title IV aid available.
The Title IV award earned is first used to pay the student’s tuition, fees, and bookstore charges. If any funds remain after deducting these charges, the student will receive the balance. If the amount of the Title IV award earned is insufficient to cover these charges, the student will be responsible for the payment balance.
Federal Work Study (FWS)
The Federal Work Study (FWS) program provides jobs for students with financial need allowing them to earn money to help pay for educational expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the student's program of study. The pay scale for Federal Work Study ranges from $6.00 to $7.50 per hour. All students receiving Federal Work Study must apply for financial aid using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and be eligible to receive Pell. Students must also pass a criminal background check prior to employment at Savannah Technical College.
Student requirements and responsibilities for participating in the Federal Work Study program:
  • be enrolled in at least six credit hours;
  • meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements;
  • re-certify prior to first week of each quarter to continue employment in current position;
  • no compensation for hours in excess of award amount;
  • report to work at scheduled time;
  • abide by college policies outlined in the FWS employment packet;
  • wear appropriate attire (shorts, tank-tops, midriff tops, etc. are not acceptable);
  • provide advance notice to supervisor if absence is necessary;
  • cannot transfer from one site to another without prior approval.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
The FSEOG is supplemental aid for Pell eligible students with exceptional financial needs. Pell Grant recipients with the lowest expected family contributions are considered first for a FSEOG. Students who receive FSEOG funding must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (Satisfactory Academic Progress.doc) requirements. The FSEOG, similar to the Pell Grant, does not have to be repaid.
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
The Higher Education Reconciliation Act (HERA) established a new federal student aid grant for undergraduate students called the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG). This grant is need and merit-based for students who meet the criteria. The ACG program is intended to encourage and reward rigorous successful academic study in high school in such areas as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Social Studies, Mathematics, Foreign Languages, and others.
These grants differ from other Title IV aid. A student may re­ceive only two ACG awards, one for the first and the second academic years. Also, grant has a set value: an ACG is $750 for the first year and $1300 for the second year; a Nation­al SMART grant is $4000 for each of the third and fourth years.

To receive the ACG for each academic year, students must:

  • be a U.S. citizen (unlike with other FSA programs, students cannot be non-citizens);
  • be a federal Pell grant recipient for the same award year;
  • meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements;
  • be enrolled full-time in an associate degree program;
  • be enrolled in the first or second academic year of a program of study at an eligible two-year or four-year degree-granting institution;
  • have successfully completed a rigorous secondary school pro­gram of study and graduated after January 1, 2006, for first-year stu­dents, and after January 1, 2005, for second-year students;
  • not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program; and
  • have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale for the first academic year.
Veterans Affairs
Savannah Technical College is approved by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for training veterans, dependents, and reservists under Title 38, U.S. Code for the following VA educational benefits:
  • VEAP (Chapter 32)
  • New GI Bill - Active Duty Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 30)
  • New GI Bill - Selected Reserve Educational Assistance Program (Chapter 1606)
  • Survivors and Dependents (Chapter 35)
  • Chapter 1607 REAP – Provides Educational Assistance to U.S. Armed Forces Reserve
  • Vocational Rehabilitation (Chapter 31)
Additional Information for Veterans:
  • All credit programs at Savannah Technical College are approved for veteran training.
  • Veterans must attend scheduled classes and continue to show satisfactory academic progress.
  • Benefit payments will not be made for courses from which the student does not continue to attend.
  • Receiving veterans’ benefits does not prevent a student from applying or receiving other forms of financial aid.
If you have questions, please feel free to contact us at 912.443.5517 or send an e-mail to:
webinfo@savannahtech.edu. For answers to more specific individual eligibility questions, you may contact the VA Atlanta Regional Processing Office at 1-888-442-4551.