General Assembly Merit Scholarship

The General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS) is a merit-based supplement to the HOPE scholarship awarded to students beginning in their freshman year and thereafter for those who remain HOPE eligible.

Award Amount – Up to $500 per semester as a supplement to the HOPE Scholarship, including summer.

Students graduating from a Tennessee public school or category 1, 2, 3 private school must have a minimum 3.75  GPA* AND 29 ACT or a minimum 1330 SAT, exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests. 

• ACT/SAT exams must be taken on a national test date or state test date and prior to the first day of college enrollment after high school graduation. The ACT Residual test  and the ACT Superscore are not accepted.
• Students graduating from Homeschool programs (and non-category I, II, & III Schools), in addition to meeting the HOPE scholarship requirements, and during the course of a homeschool program, must meet the minimum academic requirements to qualify for the General Assembly Merit Scholarship.  Click here for more details on how to qualify.

*Grade point average means a grade point average on a 4.0 scale calculated with additional internal quality points awarded for advanced placement, honors or other similar courses according to the Uniform Grading Policy adopted by the State Board of Education.

Students can apply for both the HOPE scholarship and the GAMS supplement by completing the FAFSA. Applications must be received by September 1st for fall semester, March 1st for spring semester and May 1st for summer semester. Early application is recommended.

General Assembly Merit Scholarship- Eligible Institutions