(a) Notwithstanding § 49-4-905(b)(2) to the contrary, a student who graduates from a high school located in a neighboring state in a county contiguous to this state shall be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship as an entering freshman if the student:

Terms Used In Tennessee Code 49-4-935

  • ACT: means the ACT assessment administered by ACT. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • Eligible postsecondary institution: means an eligible independent postsecondary institution or an eligible public postsecondary institution. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • Entering freshman: means a student entering a postsecondary institution who has not attempted any semester hours at any postsecondary institution after graduating from high school, completing high school in a home school program or obtaining a GED®. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • SAT: means the Scholastic Aptitude Test administered by the College Board. See Tennessee Code 49-4-902
  • 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
(1) Is a resident of this state, as classified pursuant to § 49-8-104;
(2) Is not ineligible for the scholarship under § 49-4-904;
(3) Attains a composite ACT score of at least 21 on any single ACT test date or a concordant equivalent score on the SAT on any single SAT test date;
(4) Applies for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship; and
(5) Is admitted to and enrolls in an eligible postsecondary institution no later than sixteen (16) months after graduation from high school.
(b) If a student meets the eligibility requirements of subsection (a), but chooses to attend a regionally accredited postsecondary institution located outside of this state without a Tennessee HOPE scholarship, then the student shall be eligible for a HOPE scholarship as a transfer student; provided, that the student meets all requirements of § 49-4-929, other than any requirement pertaining to the type of high school from which the student graduated.
(c) A student who is eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship under this section shall not be eligible for a general assembly merit scholar supplemental award under § 49-4-916.
(d) No retroactive award of a Tennessee HOPE scholarship shall be made under this section.