Study Abroad and the Hope Scholarship

The Hope Scholarship is applicable to all semester and full-year study abroad programs recognized by the Programs Abroad Office of the University of Tennessee.  Funds left over at the end of the year may be used for summer programs (6 credits or more).  To receive the TELS (Hope) students must be enrolled full-time both fall and spring  (minimum of 12 hours per term).   Hope funds are not available for summer use. Students  are awarded scholarships for Fall and Spring and  are free to use any excess funds however they see fit. (A program is recognized through obtaining a PAO Coordinator's or CIE Associate Director's signature recognizing the validity of the foreign institution on the PAO transfer credit form.)

Attempted hours are counted for Hope scholarship review, whether you are on campus or abroad. After 24, 48, 72 and 96 attempted hours, a review is done of the GPA of a recipient of a Hope Scholarship.     In order to maintain the Hope scholarship, a student must maintain or achieve the expected cumulative GPA at each review (24--2.75, 48--3.0, 72--3.0, 96--3.0, 120--3.0).  Students who plan to be abroad during or immediately before the attempted hour review should insure that the minimum GPA is met prior to departure. 

Grades earned abroad and how they affect the UT transcript

Grades obtained during the time abroad are not included in the student's GPA at UT, with the exception of UTK faculty programs.  The grades on all other abroad programs will be converted to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory for posting on the UT transcript.  This means that the participant's GPA upon return from study abroad will be the same as prior to going abroad.   (Note:  Outside scholarship agencies frequently request a copy of the original foreign transcript and review the original grades in order to determine future eligibility for scholarships.)

Transcripts

Students who study abroad must arrange, prior to returning to the U.S., to have their foreign transcript sent to the Programs Abroad Office. The transcript will document the hours studied abroad and will be posted on the UT transcript.  These hours will count towards attempted hours.  If an official foreign transcript is not received in the Programs Abroad Office within five months of completion of the study abroad experience, hours cannot be posted and the study abroad participant will not be able to continue with the Hope Scholarship and may be asked to return funds for the undocumented hours.   Should you not be notified of receipt of your transcript within five months of completion of the study abroad experience, contact immediately the Program Abroad Office.