Every Georgia high school freshman, sophomore and junior should have received a mailed reminder that eligibility for Georgia's HOPE scholarship has changed.

The 302,000 brochures from the Georgia Student Finance Commission to the high school classes of 2000, 2001 and 2002 outline the core curriculum subjects from which a "B" average must be earned to qualify for HOPE.

This year's senior high school class the Class of 1999 is the final class in which grades from all courses taken count toward the "B" average.

In 1996, HOPE founder Gov. Zell Miller announced eligibility standards would be toughened to include only the core curriculum courses of English language arts, mathematics, science, social science and foreign language.

"We are reminding parents and students again this year that only the core curriculum subjects will count in calculating the 'B' average for HOPE eligibility," commission executive director Glenn Newsome said.

HOPE Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally provides tuition, mandatory fees and $150 per semester book allowance to Georgia students attending public colleges, universities and technical institutes. HOPE provides a $3,000 scholarship to students attending private colleges and universities. Students must earn a "B" average in high school to qualify for HOPE and maintain a "B" average in college.

HOPE Scholarships are funded entirely by proceeds from the Georgia Lottery.

Since September 1993, more than 345,000 HOPE Scholars have received approximately $640 million for their tuition, fees and books.

For more information, contact the student's school guidance office or call the Georgia Student Finance Commission, 770-414-3085.

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