Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) for Undergraduates

The law created a new student aid grant program called the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG). Congress has provided funding and the grants are available for the 2007-2008 award year. First-year undergraduate students will be eligible to receive up to $750. Second-year undergraduate students will be eligible to receive up to $1,300. The ACG eligibility criteria are listed below:

To be eligible for an ACG each academic year, a student must:

Be a U.S. citizen;
Be Federal Pell Grant eligible;
Be enrolled full-time in a degree program;
Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study at a two-year or four-year degree-granting institution;
Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study (after January 1, 2006, if a first-year student, and after January 1, 2005, if a second year student);
If a first-year student, not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program; and
If a second-year student, have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for the first academic year.

If you have not filed a FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA, at the time that you complete your application, FAFSA on the Web will predetermine if you are eligible to answer the ACG questions.

If you have submitted a paper FAFSA and have received your Student Aid Report (SAR) indicating that you may be eligible to answer the ACG questions, please call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4FED-AID.

You may also contact the financial aid office at your school for assistance regarding ACG.