What is the deadline for the first-generation Coca-Cola Scholars Program?

Completed application materials are due by July 31 for the Fall semester and December 15 for the Spring semester, emailed to Academic Affairs.

How much is the Presidential E3 Scholarship and who qualifies?

Per the published table, freshmen with a 3.5+ GPA receive $3,000/year and those with a 3.25-3.49 GPA receive $1,500/year, for up to eight consecutive semesters (valued at up to $12,000 over four years). Qualified fall freshmen are automatically considered but must submit a questionnaire and a 5-7 minute video; awards are competitive while funding is available.

How do I get HOPE or Zell Miller at Clayton State?

Complete the FAFSA (annually) or the Georgia Student Finance Application (GSFAPP, valid 10 years), register with Selective Service if applicable, and submit the GSFC request through Clayton State's verification portal. HOPE requires a 3.0 HOPE GPA and pays toward standard undergraduate tuition up to 15 hours; eligibility for both expires 10 years after high school graduation.

Clayton State· Renewal Rules

Keeping Clayton State’s Merit Aid for Four Years

What the financial-aid office actually requires after freshman year: minimum GPA, credit-hour pace, and the cliffs that quietly downgrade families mid-degree.

Verified Jun 20264 days ago· COWORK

At a glance

Renewable tiers: 4 of 5
One-time tiers: 1
Tiers with published renewal terms: 4
Renewal risk profile: moderate

Renewal risk profile

Clayton State's renewal bar is achievable for steady students but isn't generous. Most awards require a cumulative GPA in the 3.0–3.4 band plus full-time enrollment. Audit the strictest tier on this school's list before assuming the four-year value is locked in.

Presidential "E3" Scholars Program: 3.0 GPA
Clayton State University Coca-Cola Scholars Program (First-Generation): See notes
HOPE Scholarship (Georgia state award administered by Clayton State): SAP standards
Zell Miller Scholarship (Georgia state award administered by Clayton State): SAP standards

Renewal terms by tier

Presidential "E3" Scholars Program
$1,500-$3,000 per year (valued at up to $12,000 over four years)
Entry requirements: 3.25-3.49 for $1,500/year; 3.5 and above for $3,000/year GPA
To keep it: Awarded for a total of eight consecutive semesters as long as eligibility is maintained. To renew 100%: earn 30 CSU credits in one academic year and a CSU 3.0 cumulative GPA. Partial-renewal 'Success Action Plan': 70% of original award after 1st semester of not meeting criteria, 60% after 2nd consecutive semester, 0% after the 3rd. Must be enrolled full-time (minimum 12 CSU credit hours each fall and spring; 15 recommended).
Source: https://www.clayton.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/scholarships/presidential_scholarships.php
Clayton State University Coca-Cola Scholars Program (First-Generation)
$5,000 per academic year ($2,500 per semester)
Entry requirements: Cumulative and term GPA of 3.0 or higher GPA
To keep it: Continuing Coca-Cola student scholars who remain in compliance with all programmatic and academic requirements will not be required to submit a new application annually, but must annually sign the Coca-Cola Scholars Program Scholarship Agreement. Eligible to receive the $2,500 award every semester until degree completion or all funds are disbursed — schedule for final disbursement is Spring 2028 (May), whichever is sooner.
Source: https://www.clayton.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/scholarships/coca-cola-scholars.php
HOPE Scholarship (Georgia state award administered by Clayton State)
Amount not published (covers a portion of tuition; award amounts determined annually by the Georgia Student Finance Commission)
Entry requirements: 3.0 HOPE GPA GPA
To keep it: Must have at least a 3.0 HOPE GPA, which includes all college level coursework attempted since high school and from any institution attended; must have attempted less than 127 hours; eligibility expires 10 years after high school graduation; must meet the institution's SAP policy.
Source: https://www.clayton.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/state-grants/hope-scholarship.php
Zell Miller Scholarship (Georgia state award administered by Clayton State)
Amount not published (applied toward standard undergraduate tuition, up to a maximum of 15 hours at public institutions; award varies)
To keep it: Eligibility for the Hope and Zell Miller scholarships expires 10 years after the student's high school graduation date; subject to Expiration of Eligibility, Ten Year Eligibility Limit, and Seven Year Eligibility Limit; must meet the institution's SAP policy and not exceed maximum award limits for any HOPE program.
Source: https://www.clayton.edu/financial-aid/types-of-aid/state-grants/zell-scholarship.php

How families lose this aid

Missing the E3 renewal cliff by taking only 12 credit hours per semester.
Full renewal requires earning 30 CSU credits in the academic year plus a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Falling short cuts the award to 70% the first semester of non-compliance, 60% the second, and 0% the third — and 12 hours per semester (the minimum to stay enrolled full time) only totals 24 credits, forcing summer make-up courses.
Leaving Clayton State temporarily without filing an E3 deferment.
The E3 page warns: 'If you leave the university without a deferment on file, you forfeit your scholarship,' and attending another institution while on deferment also forfeits it. Disbursements also cannot be combined or accelerated for early graduation.
Joining the Honors Program expecting scholarship money.
The Honors Program pages (3.5 GPA minimum for admission) list benefits such as enhanced courses, early registration, and study abroad — no scholarship or tuition award is published as part of the program.
Ignoring Clayton State email after being admitted.
Some scholarships require additional information before they can be awarded; students who meet minimum criteria are contacted only via their Clayton State email account, so unread email can mean a lost award.

Renewal questions families ask

What is the deadline for the first-generation Coca-Cola Scholars Program?: Completed application materials are due by July 31 for the Fall semester and December 15 for the Spring semester, emailed to Academic Affairs.
How much is the Presidential E3 Scholarship and who qualifies?: Per the published table, freshmen with a 3.5+ GPA receive $3,000/year and those with a 3.25-3.49 GPA receive $1,500/year, for up to eight consecutive semesters (valued at up to $12,000 over four years). Qualified fall freshmen are automatically considered but must submit a questionnaire and a 5-7 minute video; awards are competitive while funding is available.
How do I get HOPE or Zell Miller at Clayton State?: Complete the FAFSA (annually) or the Georgia Student Finance Application (GSFAPP, valid 10 years), register with Selective Service if applicable, and submit the GSFC request through Clayton State's verification portal. HOPE requires a 3.0 HOPE GPA and pays toward standard undergraduate tuition up to 15 hours; eligibility for both expires 10 years after high school graduation.

Rules that bite at Clayton State

The renewal trip wires we'd flag in a custom playbook, derived from Clayton State's own tier rules and not generic advice.

renewalPresidential "E3" Scholars Program: renewal floor that quietly knocks awards out
Awarded for a total of eight consecutive semesters as long as eligibility is maintained. To renew 100%: earn 30 CSU credits in one academic year and a CSU 3.0 cumulative GPA. Partial-renewal 'Success Action Plan': 70% of original award after 1st semester of not meeting criteria, 60% after 2nd consecutive semester, 0% after the 3rd. Must be enrolled full-time (minimum 12 CSU credit hours each fall and spring; 15 recommended). A single rough term can end a four-year award here without warning if the GPA floor isn't met cumulatively.

How Clayton State compares across our verified dataset

669 of 751 verified schools publish at least one four-year renewable merit award.
Clayton State is one of them. The cohort minority (82 schools) only awards one-year scholarships, which means the four-year value families assume on a brochure quote isn't guaranteed at every school.

Sources used on this page

Every renewal claim is checked against Clayton State’s own published materials.