Zell Miller Scholarship: Requirements, GPA & Test Scores

The Zell Miller Scholarship, named for the governor who created the HOPE program, is the higher tier of Georgia's merit aid. Same lottery funding, same administering agency, materially better award — and a considerably narrower gate.

Earning it out of high school

You need both academic markers, not either one:

A 3.7 HOPE GPA on the core academic curriculum, as recalculated by GSFC
A qualifying standardized test score — traditionally 1200 SAT (Reading/Writing + Math) or 26 ACT composite, achieved in a single test sitting

Single sitting, not superscore

Many colleges superscore — combining your best section results across multiple test dates. Zell Miller traditionally has not. The qualifying score generally must come from one administration of the test. Confirm the current policy with GSFC before assuming a superscore qualifies you.

Valedictorians and salutatorians of eligible Georgia high schools have historically qualified through a separate pathway. Certain home study and out-of-state graduate pathways also exist with their own criteria.

Keeping it

Zell Miller retention requires a 3.3 cumulative college GPA at each checkpoint — higher than HOPE's 3.0. Checkpoints occur at defined attempted-hour milestones and at the end of each spring term.

The fallback matters: a student who drops below 3.3 but stays at or above 3.0 typically moves to HOPE rather than losing state aid outright. Students in that position often do not realize the change has happened until the tuition bill arrives, so watch your GAfutures account after each checkpoint.

Zell Miller versus HOPE

	HOPE Scholarship	Zell Miller Scholarship
High school GPA	3.0	3.7
Test score required	No	Yes
College GPA to retain	3.0	3.3
Share of tuition paid	Partial	Higher

Strategy for students on the edge

If you are close to either threshold, a few things carry outsized weight:

Check your HOPE GPA junior year. It is in your GAfutures account and it is not your transcript GPA. Discovering a gap in the spring of senior year is discovering it too late.
Core courses move the number; electives may not. If you are choosing where to put effort, put it in English, math, science, social studies, and world languages.
One more test sitting is cheap relative to the award. A single-sitting 1200 or 26 is worth real money across four years. Retaking is usually worth it if you are within striking distance.
Rigor can help. Approved AP, IB, and dual enrollment coursework carries additional weight in the GSFC calculation.

Confirm current rules

Test score thresholds and retention rules are set by state policy and have been revised over time. Verify current criteria at GAfutures.org before making decisions based on this page.

Common questions

What GPA do you need for Zell Miller?

A 3.7 HOPE GPA calculated by GSFC on core academic coursework, plus a qualifying standardized test score. Once enrolled, you must maintain a 3.3 cumulative college GPA at each checkpoint.

What SAT or ACT score do you need for Zell Miller?

Traditionally a 1200 combined on the Reading/Writing and Math sections of the SAT in a single sitting, or a 26 ACT composite in a single sitting. Confirm the current threshold with GSFC, since testing policy has shifted in recent years.

Is Zell Miller better than HOPE?

Financially, yes — Zell Miller pays a larger share of tuition. But it requires a higher GPA to earn and a higher GPA to keep. Students who drop below the Zell Miller retention threshold typically fall back to HOPE rather than losing state aid entirely.

What happens if my GPA drops below 3.3?

You generally lose Zell Miller but may retain HOPE if you still meet its 3.0 requirement. That fallback is why the two programs are best understood as tiers of one system rather than separate awards.

The Zell Miller Scholarship