You are not a citizen until you are sworn in. If you are denied because of failure to pass the English or the civics test, you will be automatically rescheduled within 90 days. If you are not approved for some other reason, you may be given time to overcome the problem.
For 2009, the American Opportunity Credit--which is a variation of the Hope Credit--will be allowed for 4 years. For years before and after the new credit is allowed, the Hope credit is supposed to be for 2 years.
Regaining Eligibility for the HOPE Scholarship. Students who lose the HOPE scholarship at a 30, 60 or 90 hour checkpoint, or an End-of-Spring checkpoint may regain eligibility if they have a 3.0 at the point of attempting 60 or 90 semester hours. After a student has attempted 90 credits, he or she cannot be reevaluated.