Academic Competitiveness (ACG) Grant

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SummarySummary

  • NOTE: This Grant will no longer be available after July 2011
  • The ACG maximum is $750 for the first academic year of study and $1,300 for the second academic year
  • To be eligible for each academic year, a student must:

    • Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient, meaning you must meet the eligibility requirements and follow the same FSA application process as the Pell Grant applicants
    • Have completed high school (after January 1, 2006, if a first-year student, and after January 1, 2005, if a second-year student)
    • The high school must be considered a “rigorous secondary school program of study”
    • Be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program
    • Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his/her program of study at a two- or four-year degree-granting institution

      • First year students may not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program
      • Second year students must have at least a cumulative 3.0 GPA
  • Student must go through the same FSA application process and complete a few additional steps
  • For additional details on eligibility and process go the Department of Education’s ACG site

More DetailsMore Details

Rigorous Secondary School Program

To qualify for an ACG, your high school must meet one of the following "rigorous secondary school program of study" requirements:

  • Rigorous secondary school programs designated by state education agencies (SEAs) and state-authorized local education agencies (LEAs) and recognized by the Secretary of Education

    • Advanced or honors secondary school programs established by states
    • Secondary school programs identified by a state-level partnership recognized by the State Scholars Initiative of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) of Boulder, Colorado
  • A program for a student who completes at least two courses in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program with a score of four or higher on the course examinations or at least two Advanced Placement (AP) courses with a score of three or higher on the College Board's exams for those courses
  • A secondary school program in which a student completes, at minimum:

    • Four years of English
    • Three years of math, including algebra I and a higher level class such as algebra II, geometry, or data analysis and statistics
    • Three years of science, including one year each of at least two of the following courses: biology, chemistry, and physics
    • Three years of social studies
    • One year of a language other than English

Process at a GlanceProcess at a Glance

Follow the same steps to apply for the Pell Grant; then:

  1. The U.S. Department of Education will notify students who may be eligible for an ACG based on the information provided on the student’s FAFSA
  2. The student must then go to a Web site and self-identify their eligibility with the program completed
  3. Our university will verify this information and students who meet all of the criteria may be eligible to receive this grant
  4. The Department will notify the school whether the student meets the criteria as part of the student’s FAFSA and ISIR
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