# Presentation: 154736

## Slide 1

## Section IV

**Section IV**

**Academic ****Competitiveness****Grants**

## Session Topics

- Background
- Award amounts
- Eligibility criteria
- Rigorous secondary school program of study

## Session Topics

- How students apply
- What counselors can do
- GPA for second year ACG
- Resources

## Background

- One of two grant programs created by The Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA)
- National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent, or SMART, Grants for third and fourth year students
- Encourage students to be academically prepared for college
- Help maintain U.S. competitiveness in global economy

## Award Amounts

- $750 for first year students
- $1,300 for second year students

## ACG Eligibility Criteria

- Federal Pell Grant recipient for same award year
- First or second year student in:
- A two or four year degree program; or
- A one or two year certificate program offered at a two or four-year degree-granting institution
- Completion of a rigorous secondary school program

## ACG Eligibility Criteria: First Year Students

- Not previously enrolled as a degree seeking student in an undergraduate program while enrolled in high school and below the age of compulsory attendance
- Completed secondary program of study after January 1, 2006

## ACG Eligibility Criteria: Second Year Students

- Completed secondary program of study after January 1, 2005
- Has at least a 3.0 GPA in an eligible program at end of first year of college

## Rigorous Secondary School Program

- State designated programs
- Coursework designated by the Secretary
- AP/IB

## State Designated Programs

- An advanced or honors diploma established by a state and in existence for the 2004-05 or 2005-06 school years
- State Scholar’s Initiative
- Submitted state recognized plan

## Coursework Designated by the Secretary

- 4 years of English
- 3 years of mathematics (Algebra I and higher)
- 3 years of science (biology, chemistry, physics)
- 3 years of social studies
- 1 year of a foreign language

## AP/IB

- Successful completion of any secondary school program for a student who completes at least two courses with a minimum passing test score on the exams in those courses
- Score of at least 3 for Advanced Placement
- Score of at least 4 for International Baccalaureate

## Rigorous Program Options

- All states have at least one designated rigorous program
- Students from every state have at least three ways to meet rigorous program requirement

## Documenting Completion of Rigorous Programs

- Colleges required to collect and retain documentation that a student meets at least one of the options
- Colleges may document the program option that is the most efficient for them
- Students may eligible under more than one definition of rigorous program

## How Students Apply: FAFSA on the  Web

- Submit FAFSA
- If data indicates possible eligibility, prompted to answer questions

## How Students Apply: Paper FAFSA

- Student Aid Report (SAR) indicates possible eligibility
- Instructed to call Federal Student Aid Center at 1-800-4FEDAID (1-800-433-3243) to answer questions about eligibility

## How Students Apply: Self Identification

- Self identify to financial aid office at college
- In person or in writing
- Will need to submit documentation

## What Counselors Can Do

- Encourage students to take rigorous courses
- Provide documentation of completion of rigorous program
- In a timely manner
- To students or directly to colleges
- Tell students about the program

## GPA for Second Year ACG

- For second academic year, student must have a cumulative GPA of at least a 3.0 from first year
- GPA only checked once, at end of first year

## Resources

- _[http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/ac-smart/state-programs.html](http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/ac-smart/state-programs.html)_
- Rigorous high school program codes
- Submit a question feature

## Questions

## Slide 23