Today, the Zell Miller Foundation announced it awarded $50,000 in Shirley Miller Scholarships for the upcoming Spring 2021 semester to 127 HOPE Scholars at thirteen public colleges and universities across Georgia.

The Shirley Miller Scholarship provides HOPE Scholars a supplement that pays the difference between their HOPE award and the cost of tuition. The scholarship is named in honor of former First Lady Shirley Miller in recognition of her lifelong contributions to education.

Of the 127 Shirley Miller Scholarship recipients, 71% are female and 29% are male; 11% are Asian, 62% are Black, 10% are Hispanic, and 17% are White; 41% are seniors, 22% are juniors, 14% are sophomores, 23% are freshman; 75% have household incomes below the median average in Georgia; and 42% are the first in their families to attend college.

“The Zell Miller Foundation is very proud of the academic accomplishments of all HOPE Scholars,” said executive chairman Bryan Miller. “My grandfather’s vision was to provide full tuition to students who earn a HOPE Scholarship and we are committed to fulfilling that vision.”

“The Zell Miller Foundation met its fundraising goal this cycle thanks to generous support from our loyal donors. However, we received nearly 750 applications with a financial need of more than $1 million. Therefore, we will continue building our funding relationships in order to support as many students as possible.”

The application period for the Fall 2021 semester will open in the spring of 2021. To support the Shirley Miller Scholarship, please visit the foundation’s website for more information.