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University of North Georgia (̨Íåswag) sophomore Hope Long is one of five North American recipients of Top Hat Scholarships.

She was one of three students to earn a $10,000 scholarship from Top Hat, while one recipient received $50,000 and another collected $20,000; three of the other winners are from Division I schools.

Long, a Demorest, Georgia, resident, is pursuing degrees in biology and chemistry, and she has a 3.94 GPA. She is on the HOPE Scholarship but said she felt financial pressure to finish school before her HOPE eligibility ran out because she earned an associate degree at a technical school, but most of those credits did not transfer.

"It's a huge relief," Long said.

After graduation, Long plans to attend graduate school and ultimately wants to do research on coral reefs.

To be eligible for the scholarships, students must have shown academic improvement with help from Top Hat's interactive, cloud-based platform. It "enables professors to engage students inside and outside the classroom with compelling content, tools and activities," according to a press release about the scholarship winners.

"Our mission is to make teaching affordable, fun and effective," said Mike Silagadze, co-founder and CEO of Top Hat. "These five students exemplify what happens when professors and students embrace technology as a tool to provide a richer, more personalized and engaging learning experience."