(a) A student who enters the United States armed services within two (2) years after the student graduates from an eligible high school, graduates from a high school located in Tennessee that is not an eligible high school, completes high school in a Tennessee home school program or obtains a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education may apply for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship within seven (7) years of the student’s date of entry into military service; provided, that the student did not attend a postsecondary institution before entering military service. If, however, the student is separated from active duty under a fully honorable discharge before applying for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship, then the student shall apply for a scholarship within one (1) year of the date of separation from active duty under a fully honorable discharge or within seven (7) years of the student’s date of entry into military service, whichever occurs first.

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-4-918

  • Academic year: means three (3) consecutive semesters beginning with a fall semester and including the spring and summer semesters immediately succeeding the fall semester. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • Eligible high school: means :
    (A) A Tennessee public secondary school. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • Person: includes a corporation, firm, company or association. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Scholarship: means a Tennessee HOPE scholarship or a Tennessee HOPE access grant. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • State: when applied to the different parts of the United States, includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Tennessee HOPE scholarship: means a scholarship for coursework in an eligible program of study in pursuit of an associate or baccalaureate degree at an eligible postsecondary institution that is funded from net proceeds of the state lottery and awarded under this part. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • Title IV: means Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, (20 U. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • United States: includes the District of Columbia and the several territories of the United States. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
  • Year: means a calendar year, unless otherwise expressed. See Tennessee Code 1-3-105
(b) To be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship, the student shall:

(1) Meet the requirements of § 49-4-907, other than any requirements pertaining to deadlines for application for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship if the student graduated from an eligible high school before entering military service; or
(2) Meet the requirements of § 49-4-908, other than any requirements pertaining to deadlines for application for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship if the student completed high school in a Tennessee home school program, graduated from a high school located in Tennessee that is not an eligible high school or obtained a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education.
(c) To continue to receive the scholarship, the student shall maintain satisfactory academic progress in accordance with the standards and practices used for federal Title IV programs by the institution at which the student is enrolled, shall continue to meet all eligibility requirements, shall reapply for the scholarship each academic year and shall meet the continuation requirements of § 49-4-911.
(d) This section shall not apply to any person whose discharge is not fully honorable. Discharges under honorable conditions and general discharges do not establish eligibility for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship under this section.