Counselor's Corner
HOPE Scholarship News
February 14, 2012
Dear High School Parents,
I have an update on some of the new rules for the HOPE scholarship and the eligibility requirements for qualifying for HOPE.
In the past, our students’ grades from Algebra I, which is taught in the 8th grade, have counted toward their average for HOPE.
Starting with the class of 2012, this will no longer be the case because of a change in the rules governing the Georgia
Student Finance Commission. NO classes taught in the 8th grade may be counted toward the HOPE eligibility average.
However, the Algebra I credit will still count toward graduation credits at FRA, but that could also change at a later date for
future graduating classes. This new requirement will not interfere with the students’ opportunity to get enough math
credits for graduation because they must take a Math course during each of their 4 years in High School. For an Honors diploma,
a student must also take Calculus or AP Calculus their Senior year.
To qualify for the HOPE Scholarship, students must graduate from a HOPE eligible high school with a 3.0 grade point average
in their
academic classes, which include math, English, science , social studies and a foreign language. The student must
maintain a 3.0 in college to keep the HOPE. In order to qualify for the Zell Miller HOPE Scholarship, a student
must graduate from High School with a grade point average of at least 3.7 in their academic classes. They must also have an
SAT score of at least 1200 combined math score and critical reading score on a single administration of the SAT or an
ACT score of at least 26. In order to keep the Zell Miller HOPE, the student must maintain a 3.3 GPA while in college.
The HOPE Grant is available for students who attend a technical college seeking a certificate or a diploma at that school.
This
student must maintain a 3.0 average during the course of his or her studies. If a student loses the HOPE, the Zell Miller
HOPE, or the HOPE grant, they may gain it back one time by meeting the GPA requirement. If they lose it the second time,
it cannot be regained.
For more information on the HOPE or other related issues, go to GAcollege411.org You may also find information on the
website for the Georgia Department of Education.
My hope is that this information is helpful to you and that each of our students will be a HOPE recipient! Please feel free to
call me if you have any questions.
Cordially,
Ida Ann Dunn, FRA Counselor
Here are some upcoming events that FRA high school students need to put on their calendar:
PSAT….(Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test)Wednesday, October 12 at 8:25 am. The cost of the test is $15 and all Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors are required to take this test. Students should pay their PSAT money to Mrs. Ida Ann in the Counselor’s office by Monday, October 10. If you pay by check, please make the check out to FRA.
PROBE FAIR….Tuesday, October 4. All Juniors and Seniors are invited and encouraged to attend this event at LaGrange College. An FRA bus will provide transportation to and from LaGrange. We will leave FRA around 9:15 for our 10:05 appointment at the PROBE Fair and we will return around noon.. This is an opportunity to speak with representatives from many colleges, universities, and technical colleges. I will send out permission forms soon.
www.GeorgiaProbe.org will give you more information about the Probe fairs.
ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery)…Tuesday, November 29. This test will be given to all Juniors in their homeroom from 8:15 until approximately 11:15. There is no charge for this test and it will give you a good measurement of your strengths and weaknesses in many areas of study and application.
SENIORS, you should be sending out some college applications soon, especially if you are applying for early admission to schools such as UGA. As soon as you send in an application, come by my office and request for me to send your transcript to the schools you are applying to. Financial aid at some colleges is given out on a first-come, first-served basis, so don’t drag your feet about applying. Come by my office if you need any help with your applications. And keep your grades up! Let me know what I can do to help you! Mrs. Ida Ann
Welcome to The Counselor’s Corner! I am Ida Ann Dunn and this is my second year as Counselor at FRA. This is my 42nd year in education
and even after all these years, I still enjoy working with the young people in our area. They keep my spirit young.
My goals as your child’s Counselor are many. My first and foremost purpose is to help guide each student toward the goal of graduation and
help them plan for their post-secondary dreams and options.
I will visit in all of the classrooms at various times during the school year. In the elementary and middle grades, I will address topics such as
character education, study habits, behavior, bullying, and other timely subjects that need to be addressed. If the need arises, I may meet
one-on-one with individual students or with small groups to address situations that call for such action. I will coordinate the testing for the ITBS
in the spring.
In the high school classes, I will discuss test taking procedures and registration for the PSAT, ASVAB, ACT, SAT, etc.
I am the coordinator for the AP classes and the administrator of the exams for those AP classes. I encourage every high school student to
begin early to make good grades and to be thinking about the plans they have for their educational future. I will work closely with Juniors and
Seniors about financial aid for college and the college application process. I enjoy experiencing their college search adventure and I promise
the parents that, yes, you will live through this mind-boggling, hair pulling process. I have been there and can testify that it is worth it all.
My office is in the high school building, and all FRA students have access to me every day. Please contact me if I can be of assistance
to you in making your child’s experience at FRA more rewarding.
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