The General Assembly Merit Scholarship (GAMS) is a merit-based supplement to the HOPE scholarship awarded to students beginning in their freshman year and thereafter for those who remain HOPE-eligible. Students graduating from a Tennessee public school or category 1, 2, 3 private school must have a minimum 3.75 GPA and a 29 ACT or a minimum 1330 SAT, exclusive of the essay and optional subject area battery tests. ACT/SAT exams must be taken on a national test date or state test date and prior to the first day of college enrollment after high school graduation. The ACT Residual test and the ACT Superscore are not accepted. Students graduating from homeschool programs (and non-category I, II, & III Schools), in addition to meeting the HOPE scholarship requirements, and during the course of a homeschool program, must meet the minimum academic requirements to qualify for the scholarship. Students can apply for both the HOPE scholarship and the GAMS supplement by completing the FAFSA. Applications must be received by September 1st for fall semester, March 1st for spring semester and May 1st for summer semester. Early application is recommended. Please visit the scholarship's website for more information.