While many high school seniors haven’t decided where they’d like to attend college, it is never to early for parents and students to learn about available grants and scholarships.

To help that process, on Monday the Spout Springs Branch of the Hall County Library System will be hosting guest speaker Hal Wilkinson. He is a representative of the Georgia Student Finance Commission, which administers various programs, including HOPE.

The HOPE program — Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally — was created in the early 1990s and is funded by proceeds from the Georgia Lottery. Since its creation, more than 1.4 million recipients have received HOPE awards that total more than $3.9 billion.

"I don’t think people are aware of just how much help there is out there for students," said Katy Hendricks, Spout Springs Library youth services assistant.

"The Hall County Library System hopes to empower our patrons by providing access to information and resources to enrich their lives and this program is one way we hope to succeed in that."

The 6:30 p.m. program at the library on Spout Springs Road in Flowery Branch is free and open to the public.

"Prospective students and their parents are encouraged to attend," said Hendricks. "(As are) adult learners who want to start, complete or further their education."

While the HOPE scholarship is most commonly linked to graduating high school seniors, other students — including non-traditional students — are eligible for the scholarship after their freshman year if they earn a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

The finance commission also administers the HOPE grant, which assists students who are seeking a technical diploma or certificate.

During the event, Wilkinson will discuss the various HOPE programs, explain the college admissions process and answer questions related to planning for college.