Section 49-4-909 - Eligibility for Tennessee middle college scholarship(a) To be eligible for a Tennessee middle college scholarship a student shall: (1) Not be ineligible for the scholarship under § 49-4-904;(2) Be classified as a resident of this state, pursuant to § 49-8-104;(3) Have obtained a minimum cumulative high school grade point average of 3.0 by the end of the student's sophomore year;(4) Be admitted to, and enrolled in, an eligible public two-year postsecondary institution that is partnering with an LEA to offer middle college in the fall semester of the student's junior year in high school; and(5) Make application for the scholarship as prescribed by TSAC.(b)(1) To maintain eligibility for the Tennessee middle college scholarship, a student shall meet all nonacademic requirements of the program, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 at the end of each semester for all postsecondary courses attempted under the Tennessee middle college scholarship, and be enrolled full-time.(2) If a student drops out of middle college, fails to maintain eligibility for the Tennessee middle college scholarship at the end of any semester, or fails to maintain full-time status, the student shall not be able to regain the scholarship.(c) A student may receive a Tennessee middle college scholarship until the first of the following events: (1) The student has earned an associate degree or completed high school; or(2) Two (2) years have passed from the date of the student's enrollment as a middle college student in an eligible public two-year postsecondary institution.(d) Subject to the amounts appropriated by the general assembly and any provision of law relating to a shortfall in funds available for postsecondary financial assistance from the net proceeds of the state lottery, a Tennessee middle college scholarship awarded to a student enrolled in middle college shall be two thousand dollars ($2,000) for full-time attendance for each semester.(e)(1) A student who successfully completes middle college and receives both a high school diploma and an associate degree shall be eligible to receive a Tennessee HOPE scholarship at the time of transfer to an eligible four-year postsecondary institution in pursuit of a baccalaureate degree, if the student:(A) Meets all academic and nonacademic requirements for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship;(B) Meets the requirements of § 49-4-911(a)(1) or (a)(2);(C) Transfers to the eligible four-year postsecondary institution no later than sixteen (16) months after graduation from high school; and(D) Applies for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship.(2) To continue to be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship at the end of subsequent semesters when eligibility is checked, the student shall meet the requirements of § 49-4-911.(3) Time enrolled in an eligible postsecondary institution as a middle college scholarship student will not count towards the terminating events under § 49-4-913.(f) A student who enrolls in middle college and receives a Tennessee middle college scholarship, but does not complete middle college and does not receive an associate degree shall be eligible for a Tennessee HOPE scholarship upon enrolling in an eligible postsecondary institution no later than sixteen (16) months after completion of high school, if the student:(1) Is not ineligible for the scholarship under § 49-4-904;(2) Meets all requirements of § 49-4-905(a); and(3) Meets the requirements of § 49-4-907 or § 49-4-908.(g) A student who does not receive a Tennessee middle college scholarship in the fall semester of the junior year in high school shall not be eligible to receive a Tennessee middle college scholarship at any later time.(h) No retroactive award of a Tennessee middle college scholarship shall be made under this section.(i) A student receiving a Tennessee middle college scholarship shall not be eligible for a dual enrollment grant under § 49-4-930.(j) The award of Tennessee middle college scholarships shall commence with the 2018-2019 academic year.Amended by 2022 Tenn. Acts, ch. 1101, s 1, eff. 5/27/2022.Amended by 2021 Tenn. Acts, ch. 529, s 1, eff. 5/25/2021.Acts 2017, ch. 405, § 2; 2019, ch. 469, § 1; 2020, ch. 794, §§ 33-35.