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HERO Scholarship

Before You Apply, Please Read Carefully

Please forward your completed application to the College Financial Aid office once you have completed section A with all required documents attached. A student must file the application online or in the institution's financial aid office on or before the last day of the academic term (semester or quarter) or the student's withdrawal date, whichever occurs first, in order to be paid for that academic term. The last date of the academic term is the last day of classes or exams for the institution, whichever occurs later. Supplemental documentation required by the institution or the Commission to support or verify a student's application information may be submitted after the deadline without jeopardizing the student's eligibility.

Georgia HERO Scholarship Program Information and Application Instructions

Program Information

The Georgia HERO (Helping Educate Reservists and their Off-spring) Scholarship program was created to provide educational grant assistance to members of the Georgia National Guard and U.S. Military Reservists who served in combat zones or the children of such members of the Georgia National Guard and U.S. Military Reserves. The Georgia HERO Scholarship Program is administered by the Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC).

General Student Eligibility Requirements

The following requirements apply to all categories of HERO Scholarship recipients:

  1. Must be enrolled or accepted for admission in an eligible Georgia college or university.
  2. Must meet Georgia residency requirements, as defined by GSFC.
  3. Must meet U.S. citizen or permanent resident alien requirements, as defined by GSFC.
  4. Must be in a matriculated status in a program of study leading to a college Degree, Technical diploma, or technical certificate.
  5. Must not be obligated to pay a refund on a GSFC or Federal Title IV grant or scholarship.
  6. Must not be in default on a GSFC or Federal Title IV student educational loan.
  7. Must meet Federal Selective Service registration requirements.
  8. Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in accordance with the Federal Title IV standards and practices of the institution.
  9. Must be in compliance with the Georgia Drug-Free Postsecondary Education Act of 1990.

Selective Service Status - Key 9

  1. I have registered with the Selective Service.
  2. I have not registered with the Selective Service because I am female.
  3. I have not registered with the Selective Service because I am in the Armed Services on active duty.
  4. I have not registered with the Selective Service because I have not reached my 18th birthday.
  5. I have not registered with the Selective Service because I was born before 1960.
  6. I have not registered with the Selective Service because I am a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, or the Marshall Islands, or a permanent resident of the Trust Territory of the Pacific.
  7. I have not registered with the Selective Service for a reason not listed above.

Specific Eligibility Requirements for Categories of Students

In addition to the General Student Eligibility Requirements, a HERO Scholarship recipient must meet all of the specific requirements for one of the three following categories of students.

Category A

The eligible student must be a member of the Georgia National Guard or be a U.S. Military Reservist who completed at least one qualifying term of service. A qualifying term of service is defined as deployment overseas, on or after February 1, 2003, for active service to a location outside of the United States and its territories designed by the U.S. Department of Defense as a combat zone, for a cumulative period of at least 181 days. Students who meet the requirements for Category A are eligible to receive HERO Scholarship funds of up to $2,000 per award year, for a total of four award years and a maximum of $8,000.

Category B

The eligible student must be the biological child, adoptive child, or legal ward of a member of the Georgia National Guard or the U.S. Military Reserves who completed at least one qualifying term of service. The student must have been age 25 or younger during the qualifying term of service. A qualifying term of service is defined as deployment overseas, on or after February 1, 2003, for active service to a location outside of the United States and its territories designed by the U.S. Department of Defense as a combat zone, for a consecutive period of at least 181 days. For each qualifying term of service cumulative, the student earns HERO Scholarship funds of up to $2,000 for one award year. The maximum benefit is for four award years for a total of $8,000.

Category C

The eligible student must be the biological child, adoptive child, or legal ward of a member of the Georgia National Guard or the U.S. Military Reserves who was killed or received 100 percent disability as a result of injures received in an eligible combat zone. The student must have been age 25 or younger during the qualifying term of service. A qualifying term of service is defined as deployment overseas, on or after February 1, 2003, for active service to a location outside of the United States and its territories designed by the U.S. Department of Defense as a combat zone. There are no minimum days of service required for Category C. Students who meet the requirements for Category C are eligible to receive HERO Scholarship funds of up to $2,000 per award year, for a total of four award years and a maximum of $8,000.

Category D

Be a surviving spouse of a member of the Georgia National Guard or U.S. Reserves who was killed in a combat zone or died as a result of injuries received in a combat zone. The member must have been deployed outside of the United States for active duty service on or after February 1, 2003 to a location designated as a combat zone. The surviving spouse must file an application for the initial Georgia HERO Scholarship award prior to July 1, 2012 or not later that two calendar years following the death of the member, whichever is later, and no award can be issued later than six calendar years after the initial award was issued. Students who meet the requirements for Category D are eligible to receive HERO Scholarship funds of up to $2,000 per award year, for a total of four award years and a maximum of $8,000.

Required Documentation

  1. Copy of DD214 military record or other acceptable military documentation for the Georgia National Guard member or the U.S. Military Reservist.
  2. Copy of the student's birth certificate, adoption document, or legal guardianship document. (Categories B and C only.)
  3. Copy of death certificate. (Category C only, if applicable.)
  4. Copy of military record of injury. (Category C only, if applicable.)

Contact Us

Georgia Student Finance Commission

2082 East Exchange Place, Suite 100

Tucker, Georgia 30084

(770) 724-9000 or 800-505-GSFC (4732)

https://www.gafutures.org/