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    Zell Miller Scholarship

    Georgia Student Finance Commission · State program

    Data verified Nov 2026 · CollegesRef 2026–27 edition

    Apply on the official site (opens the official site in a new tab)

    Award

    Amount varies

    Standard undergraduate tuition at eligible public colleges (up to 15 hours); set amount at private colleges

    Deadline

    Apply by the last day of the school term or your withdrawal date, whichever comes first

    Checked against the official page on Nov 6, 2026.

    About this scholarship

    The Zell Miller Scholarship is Georgia's top-tier merit award and is administered alongside HOPE. High school graduates qualify with a calculated HOPE GPA of at least 3.7, four rigor credits from the approved course list, and a qualifying test score earned in a single sitting before graduation: 1200 on the SAT or, for students graduating after December 31, 2023, a 25 composite on the ACT. At eligible public colleges the award is applied to standard undergraduate tuition for the hours enrolled, up to 15 per term; at eligible private colleges it covers up to 12 hours at half-time or full-time enrollment. Recipients must maintain a 3.3 calculated HOPE GPA at each college checkpoint to keep the award. Unlike HOPE, Zell Miller cannot be earned for the first time after high school. Hour limits, the bachelor's degree cutoff and the ten-year time limit match the HOPE Scholarship.

    Who can apply

    • Resident of Georgia
    • High school student or Undergraduate
    • GPA of 3.70 or higher
    • U.S. citizen or Eligible noncitizen
    • Attending an eligible college in the state
    • 3.7 HOPE GPA, four rigor credits and SAT 1200 or ACT 25 (single sitting, before high school graduation). Must keep a 3.3 HOPE GPA at checkpoints. Cannot be earned after starting college.

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    Award details

    Amount
    Amount varies
    Number of awards
    Not stated
    Renewable
    Yes, in later years if you stay eligible
    Merit-based
    Not stated
    Need-based
    No
    Essay required
    Not stated

    Key dates

    1. Applications open

      Open now or not stated

    2. Deadline

      Apply by the last day of the school term or your withdrawal date, whichever comes first

    3. Winners notified

      Not stated

    As published: Apply by the last day of the school term or your withdrawal date, whichever comes first

    How to apply

    1. File the FAFSA or the GSFAPP through GAfutures.org, and repeat the FAFSA every year.
    2. High school students can track HOPE GPA and test-score status in their GAfutures account.
    Go to the official page (opens the official site in a new tab)File the FAFSA (opens the official site in a new tab)

    Provider and source

    Provider
    Georgia Student Finance Commission
    Last verified
    Nov 6, 2026

    Facts on this page come from the official page and the provider's website. The description is written by CollegesRef. Providers can change amounts and dates; the official page always wins.

    Where you can use it

    Most Georgia programs are used at eligible colleges in the state. The official page lists which schools take part.

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