Scholarship Award Amounts And Classifications

(1) The TELS program is intended to provide financial awards to offset costs associated with pursuing postsecondary education. The TELS awards governed by these rules include the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship, Tennessee HOPE Scholarship for Non-traditional Students, Tennessee HOPE Access Grant, Tennessee ASPIRE Award, Tennessee HOPE Foster Child Grant, General Assembly Merit Scholarship, Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant, and Wilder-Naifeh Reconnect Grant. (2) The amount of a TELS award shall be based on the number of credit hours attempted in a semester that are applicable to the student’s eligible program of study. Award amounts for full-time students are set in Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 9, and the General Appropriations Act. (3) A student enrolled in nine (9), ten (10), or eleven (11) credit hours in the student’s eligible program of study will receive three-fourths (3/4) of the award of a full-time student. A student enrolled in six (6), seven (7), or eight (8) credit hours in the student’s eligible program of study will receive one-half (1/2) of the award of a full-time student. TENNESSEE EDUCATION LOTTERY SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM CHAPTER 1640-01-19 (4) A student enrolled in less than six (6) credit hours in the student’s eligible program of study will receive one-fourth (1/4) of the award of a full-time student, but only in the following circumstances: (a) In the semester of graduation, if less than six (6) credit hours are required to complete the student’s eligible program of study; (b) In any semester in which the eligible postsecondary institution does not offer at least six (6) credit hours of coursework applicable to the student’s eligible program of study; or (c) The student’s eligible program of study requires enrollment in less than six (6) credit hours for a semester. (5) Receipt of student financial aid from sources other than TELS that are applied to educational expenses will not operate to reduce the student’s TELS award if the student’s total aid does not exceed the total cost of attendance. If a student’s total aid exceeds the cost of attendance, the eligible postsecondary institution shall, to the extent it does not violate applicable federal regulations, use its institutional policy in reducing the student’s total aid package. (6) All tuition waivers and discounts for which a student or parent qualifies shall first be deducted from the student’s tuition and mandatory fees before gift aid is credited. (7) Fractional award amounts for a semester may be rounded up or down to the nearest dollar, but in no event shall such rounding result in a student receiving a total annual award higher than the maximum yearly award amount authorized by the applicable statute or these rules.