For press information, contact Curt Guenther, 901/678-2843

Details about the Tennessee HOPE Scholarship and how to apply for it and how to maintain it will be discussed at a public information session on Monday, Sept. 22, at the University of Memphis. The event will begin at 6 p.m. in the Rose Theatre on the U of M campus.

Convenient parking will be available in the parking garage just off Zach Curlin on the eastern edge of the campus.

The meeting is designed primarily for current high school and college students and their families, but the general public is welcome.

Presentations will be made by representatives of the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) and by representatives of the University of Memphis who are familiar with the HOPE Scholarship and other examples of college financial aid. There will be opportunity for guests to ask questions in the public forum, as well as individually with financial aid counselors.

The HOPE Scholarship, established by the Tennessee General Assembly, went into effect in the fall of 2004. It is available to any person who meets the following criteria:

• Is a Tennessee resident for one year prior to the application deadline;

• Completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA);

• Is a graduate from an approved Tennessee high school, home school, or GED program;

• Enrolls in a Tennessee college or university within 16 months of high school graduation;

• Enrolls for at least six hours at a Tennessee college or university.

Scholarships available through the HOPE program include the HOPE scholarship itself, the Aspire supplement to the HOPE award, a General Assembly Merit Scholarship supplement to the HOPE award, the Wilder-Naifeh Technical Skills Grant, and the HOPE Access grant. Criteria for receiving the various awards differ for each one; details are available from TSAC.

Information is available from TSAC by phone at 800-342-1663 or online at: www.CollegePaysTN.com

Information about the HOPE Scholarship program and other financial aid available from the University of Memphis is available from the Scholarship Office by phone at 901-678-3213 or online at: www.enrollment.memphis.edu/scholarships/