Scholarship

• Financial Aid that is awarded without regard to need
• Typically awarded based on performance, ability, skill, talent, or unique trait
• No repayment required

Grant

• Financial Aid awarded based on need
• No repayment required

Loan

• Money Borrowed to help a student pay college costs
• Money must be repaid; however, some loans have provisions for repayment by working in certain jobs

Work/Study

• Getting a job on campus to help pay expenses; For example, Residence Advisor
• Getting a job off campus to defray expenses

HOPE/ZELL Scholarship/Grant

• HOPE/ZELL Scholarship - State scholarship awarded based on merit for students attending 4-year a college/university in the state of Georgia
• HOPE/ZELL Grant - State Grant awarded to students who are attending a technical school in the state of Georgia. No high school GPA requirement to receive the grant

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

• All students applying for need-based financial aid must complete the FAFSA
• All students wishing to obtain HOPE/ZELL Scholarship/Grant must complete the FAFSA
• All students applying for governmental sponsored financial aid, including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, & Work-Study program must complete the FAFSA

Financial Aid Timeline - Links to an informational timeline and checklist designed to guide students and parents through the financial aid process. Details the time frame in which students should begin the process. 

Financial Aid & College Affordability Planning - Extensive resource on various types of financial aid available and when and how to access those resources. Provides informaiton regarding topics such as FAFSA, Grants, HOPE/Zell programs, Loans, CSS Profile and more.

Scholarship Toolkit - This is a resource students can use to map out their own scholarship timeline. It also includes helpful tips on how to create a strong scholarship profile. 

Hope Scholarship is available to Georgia residents who have demonstrated academic achievement. The scholarship provides money to assist students with the educational costs of attending a HOPE eligible postsecondary institution located in Georgia.

• HOPE Scholarship Basic Information & Requirements
  •  Students must meet residency and citizenship/eligible non-citizen requirements.
  • To be eligible for HOPE scholarship, students must maintain a 3.0 CORE GPA throughout high school. Core classes include English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language courses. 
  • The scholarship will cover 80-90% of a student's academic tuition. This does NOT include institution fees, books, room & board, or any other expenses. 
  • Once in college, students must maintain a 3.0 GPA at the end of every spring term in order to continue their eligibility.
• Zell Scholarship Basic Information & Requirements 
  • Students must meet residency and citizenship/eligible non-citizen requirements.
  • To be eligible for ZELL scholarship, students must maintain a 3.7 CORE GPA throughout high school. Core classes include English, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Foreign Language courses. 
  • Students must also earn a 1200 SAT score OR a 26 ACT score to be eligible for Zell Scholarship.
  • The scholarship will cover 100% of a student's academic tuition. This does NOT include institution fees, books, room & board, or any other expenses. 
  • Once in college, students must maintain a 3.3 GPA at the end of every spring term in order to continue their eligibility

To apply for HOPE/Zell Scholarship, students must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Application. More information about FAFSA can be found on their website by clicking here.

To determine HOPE/ZELL eligibility, students will need to create an account at www.gafutures.org. Counselors and Teachers do NOT have access to a students HOPE GPA. 

For more extensive information regarding HOPE & Zell Scholarships, please visit www.gafutures.org. 

HOPE/Zell Grant (A program separate from the HOPE/Zell Scholarship) is available to Georgia residents who are working toward a certificate or diploma at an eligible college or university in Georgia. 

• HOPE Grant
  • Students must meet residency and citizenship/eligible non-citizen requirements.
  • No specific high school GPA is required, however students must maintain a postsecondary 2.0 GPA at certain checkpoints in order to remain eligible. 
  • The grant will cover a portion of your academic tuition. This does not include books, parking fees, transportation, etc. 

• HOPE Career Grant 
  • HOPE Career Grant is a grant available to HOPE/Zell Grant-qualified students who enroll in select majors specifically aligned with industries in which there are more jobs available in Georgia than there are skilled workers to fill them. These industries have been identified as strategically important to the state's economic growth. 
  • Click here for a list of programs that qualify for this grant.
  • Award amounts range between $125-1000 per semester depending on the number of semester hours a student is taking and the program in which they're enrolled. 

• Zell Grant
  • Students must meet residency and citizenship/eligible non-citizen requirements. 
  • No specific high school GPA is required, however students must maintain a postsecondary 3.5 GPA at certain checkpoints in order to remain eligible.
  • The grant will cover your academic tuition. This does not include books, parking fees, transportation, etc. 

To apply for HOPE/Zell Grant, students must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) Application. More information about FAFSA can be found on their website by clicking here.

For more extensive information regarding HOPE & Zell Grant, please visit www.gafutures.org. 

Collins Hill proudly partners with Georgia Student Finance representative, Hal Wilkinson. Hal is an expert in his field, with extensive knowledge of the FAFSA process, scholarship availability, and more! Hal gladly meets with students and parents (quite often at the Waffle House across from the mall!) to discuss financial aid opportunities and procedures. His passion is helping students find as many avenues as possible to make college as affordable as possible!

For more information on how to contact Hal to schedule an appointment, please click here.

In the fall of 2021, the Collins Hill family experienced an unexpected, devastating loss of a colleague and friend by the name of Jason Appling. Mr. Appling joined the CHHS team as an English teacher in 2005, and he most recently taught senior students. Colleagues described him as looking like the guy you wouldn't want to meet in the back alley, when in reality he was exactly who you would want to run into! He was bald and tall in stature, but those who knew him knew what a teddy bear he really was. Mr. Appling loved hardcore music and frequently spoke of his love for bands like Slayer and Motörhead. However, to his core, Mr. Appling wanted nothing more than to make sure his students were prepared for the real world that would soon be facing them. He was truly a rare gem, full of life and hope for future generations. 

The vision of Collins Hill High School is to grow leaders through scholarship, service, and spirit. Jason Appling exemplified these by the way he engaged his students in learning, encouraged them in their extracurricular endeavors, and served his colleagues and students through his role as a coach, teacher, and friend. Serving others was something Mr. Appling did naturally and often. He was also an avid supporter of technical programs that allowed students to begin careers without a traditional 4-year college degree. In honor of his commitment to service and to students desiring a career in a technical field, we are offering the Jason Appling Technical Education Service Scholarship in the amount of $2000. 

Please click here to access the information/application for the Jason Appling Technical Education Service Scholarship.

Seniors can apply now for the Coley M. Krug Scholarship, a $2000 award given to a Collins Hill HS student who is college-bound. The deadline to submit applications is March 24th, 2022.

The Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund, Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charitable organization dedicated to providing financial resources to enrich and enhance education in Gwinnett County Public Schools. Established in 2006, the Foundation is committed to sustaining the world-class standards of Gwinnett County Public Schools. A Board of Trustees that is representative of the Gwinnett community governs the Foundation, fostering the belief that community involvement in public education is essential to promoting an educated, healthy, responsible citizenry and desirable quality of life in Gwinnett County. 

Click here to visit the main page for the Gwinnett County Public Schools Foundation Fund

Click here to see detailed information about GCPS Foundation Fund scholarships available to class of 2023 graduates

It’s scholarship time at Peach State Federal Credit Union!  For our 2021 Scholarship Program, we are awarding more than $167,000 in scholarships and educational grants.  Our 19th Annual Legacy Student Scholarships, Rick Cost Scholarship and Dr. Frances Davis Scholarship are part of this program.

The five $5,000 Legacy Student Scholarships are given in honor of past and present Board members and employees who have served Peach State for 20 years or more.  They will be awarded to high school seniors who are pursuing a college degree in any field. 

Our $2,500 Rick Cost Scholarship honors Mr. Cost, retired CFO of Gwinnett County Public Schools, for his contributions to the Gwinnett County school system.  It will be awarded to a Gwinnett County Public Schools graduating senior pursuing a degree in education. 

Our $2,500 Dr. Frances Davis Scholarship honors Dr. Davis, Associate Superintendent of District Performance and Community Engagement at Gwinnett County Public Schools, for more than two decades of service on Peach State FCU’s Board of Directors.  It will be awarded to a Gwinnett County Public School graduating senior pursuing a degree in education. 

In order for students to be considered, completed applications and supporting documentation must be received by Peach State no later than February 26, 2021.   

All scholarship winners will be chosen by March 31, 2021 and notified shortly thereafter.

Please note: students should not submit multiple applications for our scholarships. Applications to more than one of our scholarships will not increase eligibility or chances of being selected.  We are aware that many colleges are waiving SAT and ACT scores due to the current COVID pandemic. In light of this situation, we have decided that we will also waive this requirement for all of our student scholarships. This includes the five Legacy Student Scholarships as well as the School System & Community Honoree Scholarships. Students will not need to include a copy of these scores when submitting their applications.

Please use any of the following search engines below to begin researching scholarships. Please note that any scholarship search website that demands money is not legitimate. The resouces below have been researched and deemed legitimite scholarship websites. The one exception to this rule would be Scholly. Scholly is a website with a corresponding App that has a small monthly fee that allow students to search a very broad range of scholarships that specifically meet their academic/personal profile. This app is NOT in any way a requirement for accessing scholarships. 

Big Future

Fastweb

Unigo

Scholarships.com

Scholly

College Green Light

AIE

Chegg

Tuition Funding Sources

Cappex

Georgia Futures

Stand Out College Prep - Scholarships for students in Georgia

Dreamers
A website specifically for undocumented students who immigrated to the US at a young age

Click here for more information about college-specific scholarships!