Lottery Appeals/Leave of Absence Requests

Loss of HOPE Lottery, Change of Status or Withdrawal

The HOPE Lottery Scholarship is awarded based on policies set forth by the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC). TSAC’s policy allows an appeal process for students who fail to meet continuing eligibility. A student may also be granted medical or personal leaves of absence from attendance at an eligible postsecondary institution and resume receiving an award(s) upon resumption of the student’s attendance at an eligible postsecondary institution so long as all other applicable eligibility criteria are met.

Lottery Scholarship Terminating Events

A student may continue receiving the lottery scholarship until the first of the following events. Continuing eligibility requirements must be met.

• Student has earned a baccalaureate degree; or
• Five years have passed from the date of initial enrollment at any postsecondary institution.

Students may appeal because of the following conditions:

• A change of enrollment status from full-time to part-time after the last day to drop a class without a "W", if the change is due to extenuating medical or personal circumstances.
• Withdrawal from the university due to extenuating medical or personal circumstances.
• Failure to meet timely or continuous enrollment standards, if extenuating circumstances prevented the student from enrolling within 16 months of graduation from high school.
• Military withdrawal

The process does not allow appeals for the following reasons:

• GPA requirements for both initial and continuing eligibility.
• Score requirements for ACT, SAT, and GED tests.
• Limit on attempted hours or years of enrollment.
• Income limit for a Need-Based Supplemental Award.
• Residency status.

To file an appeal, a student should submit the Lottery Appeal Form to the Office of Student Financial Aid & Veteran's Affairs as soon as possible. Please follow all of the instructions carefully. If the initial appeal is denied, the student may file a new appeal to the TSAC HOPE Lottery Scholarship Award Appeal Panel at the following address:

Tennessee Education Lottery Scholarship
404 James Robertson Parkway
Suite 1950, Parkway Towers
Nashville, TN 37243-0820

Lottery Leave of Absence Request- Complete this form to request a leave of absence if you have a valid reason for leaving school for a period of time.