Webinar for High School and TRIO counselors

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• Webinar for High School and TRIO counselors
• March 2007

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ACG and National Smart Grant

• The Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005
  (HERA) created two new grant programs

Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
National Science and Mathematics Access to
Retain Talent Grant (National SMART)
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FSA For Counselors
Grants
www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov
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Grants
Link to Fact Sheet
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Fact Sheet for ACG and SMART Grants
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Common to Both Programs

• Authorization and Funding
• Funding not subject to annual appropriations
  process
• 2006-07 -- 790 million
• 2007-08 -- 850 million
• 2008-09 -- 920 million
• 2009-10 -- 960 million
• 2010-11 -- 1.01 billion
• - If funding insufficient, rateable reduction.
• - No reduction for 2006-07
• - Funds not spent in one year are carried over to
  subsequent years.

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Common to Both Programs

• Award amounts are announced by the Secretary for
  each Academic year .
• These are the amounts for Academic year 0607
• ACG
• First Academic Year - 750
• Second Academic Year - 1,300
• National SMART Grant
• 4,000 per year for each of the students third
  and fourth academic year of undergraduate study

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Institutional Participation
Common to Both Programs

• All schools that participate in Pell Grants and
  offer an eligible educational program must
  participate in ACG and National SMART Grants

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Common to Both Programs

• ACG and National SMART are
• Separate and Distinct Programs
• Some Similarities
• Pell Recipient
• U.S. Citizen
• Fulltime
• ED established funding levels
• Need based

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Common to Both Programs

• Cost of Attendance (COA)
• - Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
• Need

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Academic Competiveness Grant (ACG)
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ACG Eligibility Requirements

• U.S. citizen
• Federal Pell Grant recipient for same academic
  year
• First or second year student in a two or four
  year degree program
• Full-time enrollment

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ACG Eligibility Requirements

• 1st year students
• May not have been previously enrolled as a
  regular student in a program of undergraduate
  education
• Have completed secondary school program of study
  after January 1, 2006
• 2nd year students
• Have graduated from secondary school program of
  study after January 1, 2005
• Have a 3.0 G.P.A. in an eligible program from 1st
  Title IV academic year

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Rigorous Secondary School Program

• ACG requires graduation from a rigorous secondary
  school program
• ED has outlined options to meet requirement in
  DCL GEN-06-08

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Options for Rigorous Program

• State Designated Program
• An advanced or honors diploma established by a
  state and in existence for the 04-05 or 05-06
  school year
• State Scholars Initiative
• Submitted State Recognized Plan

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Options for Rigorous Program

• 2. A set of courses similar to the State Scholars
  Initiative as outlined in the Secretarys May 2
  letter to states.
• AP/IB Successful completion of at least two
  courses with passing test score in those two
  courses of
• Advanced Placement 3
• International Baccalaureate 4

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Options for Rigorous Program

• Coursework designated by the Secretary
• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math (Algebra I and above)
• 3 years of science (Bio, Chem, Physics)
• 3 years of social studies
• 1 year of a foreign language

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Options for Rigorous Program

• All states responded by June 1 to Secretarys May
  2 request.
• All states have one or more designated programs.
• Students from every state have at least 3 ways to
  qualify for ACG

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Analyzing Rigorous High School Credentials

• An institution is required to document and retain
  documentation that confirms eligibility against
  one of the five rigorous standard options.
• An institution can use which ever option is most
  efficient.
• Including reviewing the courses approved by the
  Secretary which are similar to the State
  Scholars Initiative

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How Do Students Apply?

• On the web
• When students who completed their Free
  application for Federal Student aid on the web at
  www.fafsa.ed.gov receive their confirmation that
  their FASFA has been received, they may be
  prompted to answer questions about their
  eligibility for ACG.

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FASFA on the Web
Alert
www.fafsa.ed.gov
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Alert New Grant Program
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How Do Students Apply?

• If they have submitted a paper FAFSA and have
  received their Student Aid Report (SAR)
  indicating that they may be eligible to answer
  the ACG questions, they can call the Federal
  Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4FEDAID.

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How Do Students Apply?

• The student can indicate potential by visiting
  /writing the Financial aid office.
• The student will need to provide documentation.

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How Can You Help?

• As counselors, you can encourage students to take
  courses that would meet the definition of
  rigor.
• You can assist students by providing
  documentation in a timely manner for the student
  to take to the school or provide the
  documentation to the school directly indicating
  that the student has met the criteria of rigor.

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How Can You Help?

• You can help students in AP courses understand
  the need to take the AP exams.
• You can spread the word.

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Disbursements

• Once the student has demonstrated eligibility the
  institution will follow the rules for
  disbursement and determine the academic year
  for the student.
• The grants are multiply disbursed.

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Grade Point Average for ACG

• For second academic year, a student must have a
  cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 from the first
  academic year of eligible program.
• Only determined once after completion of first
  academic year.

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Financial Aid Professionals (FAP) Portal

• HERA
• Links

www.fsa4schools.ed.gov
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HERA Links

• Link to Rigorous High School Program Codes

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Rigorous High School Program Codes
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National SMART Grant Program
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Eligible Majors

• Computer science
• Engineering
• Technology
• Life Sciences

• Mathematics
• Physical sciences
• Designated foreign languages

• Identified by CIP

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HERA Link

• Link to CIP
• Codes

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CIP Codes
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Monitoring Major

• Requires that a recipient
• Declare an eligible major in accordance with
  institutions academic policy or
• Show intent to declare eligible major if school
  policy does not yet require a major.
• Institution must have process to monitor that
  student is making progress toward completion of
  the program with that eligible major.

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Other Eligibility Rules

• This is for 3rd and 4th year students.
• The student must also be Pell eligible.
• It is need based.
• US Citizens only
• It for 4000 each year.

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• Questions????

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Contact Information

• Claire Micki Roemer
• [phone]
• Claire.Roemer_at_ed.gov