COLLEGE ACCESS CHALLENGE GRANT PROGRAM CACGP

1
COLLEGE ACCESS CHALLENGE GRANT PROGRAM (CACGP)

• Program Overview

2
OVERVIEW

• Authorizing statute
• The College Access Challenge Grant Program
  (CACGP) is two-year formula grant program that
  was created as part of the College Cost Reduction
  and Access Act (CCRA) of 2007.
• Purpose
• CACG is designed to support States in helping
  students and families to learn about, prepare
  for, and finance a postsecondary education.
• Appropriation
• The CACG program received an appropriation of
  66 million for FY 2008, and we expect an
  additional 66 million appropriation in FY 2009.

3
ELIGIBILITY

• Eligible Applicant
• The Governor of each State designates the State
  agency that can apply for funding.
• Allotment of Funds
• CACG funds are awarded to States based on a
  formula that considers the relative number of
  people between the ages of 5 and 17, and 15 and
  44 who are living below the poverty line. The
  minimum amount a State can receive is 330,000
  for FY 2008.

4
TYPES OF ACTIVITIES

• Provision of information about college to
  students and their families.
• This includes information about the benefits of
  going to college, college opportunities, college
  financing, and career preparation, outreach
  activities, and
• providing assistance in completing the FAFSA.

5
ACTIVITIES (Cont.)

• Financial aid for college students.
• This includes need-based grant aid to students
  and student
• loan cancellation/repayment/or interest rate
  reduction for
• borrowers in high-need geographical areas or
  high-need
• professions.
•  

6
ACTIVITIES (Cont.)

• Professional Development.
• This includes professional development for HS and
  MS
• guidance counselors, and financial aid
  administrators and
• college admission counselors at postsecondary
• institutions.

7
REQUIREMENTS

• Qualifying Students and Families
• States must make activities and services
  available to all
• qualifying students and families regardless of a)
  choice of
• postsecondary institution b) type of student
  loan received
• c) server of such loan and d) students academic
  
• performance.  

8
REQUIREMENTS (cont.)

• Non-Federal Matching Requirement
• Federal funds pay for two-thirds of the cost of
  project
• activities. CACG grantees must provide the
  other one-third from non-Federal sources (such as
  State appropriations or private contributions).
  The non-Federal share may be provided in cash or
  in-kind contributions.
• If a State fails to provide the full non-Federal
  
• share, the Secretary will reduce the amount of
  the grant proportionately.

9
REQUIREMENTS (cont.)

• Annual Performance Report
• States are required to provide an annual
  performance
• report that outlines the activities and services,
• associated costs of each activity or service, the
  number
• and percentage of students that participated
• in activities and services, and the total
  non-Federal
• matching contribution.
• This information will be used to determine if
  projects are
• achieving their goals and objectives.

10
RESTRICTIONS

• Students living below poverty line. Priority
• must be given to students living below the
  poverty line.
• Fees. Grantees may not charge fees to students
  or
• their parents for the provision of services.
• Loans. States cannot use funds to promote any
• lenders loans.

11
Restrictions (Cont.)

• Administrative/Indirect costs. States cannot
• use more than 6 of funds received for
  administrative
• costs. There is also an 8 cap on the use of
  funds for
• indirect costs.

12
Sub-Grants

• States may award sub-grants to one or more
  non-profit organizations (or partnerships of
  organizations) that
• 1) have been in existence prior to September 21,
  2007 and
• 2) have experience in implementing activities
  and
• services related to increasing access to higher
• education.
•  

13
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

• Application Availability June 2008 (A draft of
  the application package is available for public
  comment at http//edicsweb.ed.gov/browse/browsec
  oll.cfm?pkg_serial_num3548)
• Awards -- August 2008

14
CACG Website and Contact Information

• http//www.ed.gov/programs/cacg
• Karmon Simms-Coates, CACG Program Manager, (202)
  502-7807
• karmon.simms-coates_at_ed.gov
• Lynn Mahaffie, Director, Teacher and Student
  Development Programs Service, [phone],
  lynn.mahaffie_at_ed.gov