Haslam Lauds Summer Scholarships for Students

Legislation allows students to apply HOPE scholarships to summer classes

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam today applauded the passing of HB 2010/SB 1529, which allows students eligible for the HOPE scholarship to apply the funds to summer school and caps the total number of hours based on required degree completion.

“Our lottery scholarships have retained the best and brightest students in our state, and this allows eligible students who might not be able to attend summer school without this assistance to continue their course work,” Haslam said. “In our push for more college graduates in Tennessee, this enables students to earn their degrees more quickly, and I appreciate the General Assembly’s overwhelming support for this bill.”  

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville), Sen. Jim Tracy (R-Shelbyville), House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga) and Rep. Jim Coley (R-Bartlett) sponsored the legislation that passed the Senate in a vote of 27 to 1 and the House 96 to 0.

The legislation impacts HOPE scholarship recipients that enrolled in the fall of 2009 or later.

The lottery scholarship bill is part of Haslam’s strategic legislative package focused on making the state the No. 1 location in the Southeast for high quality jobs through meaningful education reform and improvements to Tennessee’s already attractive business climate.