Senate Bill 1577 amends Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 49, Chapter 4, to expand eligibility for the Tennessee HOPE scholarship for students who do not qualify as entering freshmen based on their high school GPA or ACT scores. The bill introduces a new subsection (b) to Section 49-4-907, which allows students to qualify for the scholarship as transfer students if they meet specific criteria. These criteria include being admitted to an eligible postsecondary institution within six months of obtaining their first associate degree or certificate, having received the Tennessee Promise scholarship during their enrollment, and achieving a final overall GPA of at least 3.0 at the eligible institution.

The bill is set to take effect on July 1, 2026, and will apply to the 2026-2027 academic year and subsequent years. This legislative change aims to provide more opportunities for students who may not initially qualify for the HOPE scholarship, thereby encouraging continued education and academic achievement among Tennessee students.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 49-4-907