Accel Program for Dual-Enrollment Students Georgia Student Finance Commission GSCA Fall Conference November 10, 2004

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Accel Programfor Dual-Enrollment
StudentsGeorgia Student Finance
CommissionGSCA Fall ConferenceNovember 10, 2004

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ACCEL ProgramAGENDA

• Purpose of Accel Program
• Eligibility Requirements for Participants
• Length of Eligibility
• Application Process
• Award Amounts
• Situations (QA)

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Accel ProgramPURPOSE

• To provide GA High School students with the
  opportunity to earn college degree-level credit
  hours as they simultaneously meet their high
  school graduation requirements.
• To assist students who have already successfully
  completed most of the academically meaningful
  coursework available at their high school.

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Accel ProgramELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Public high school students are eligible starting
  Fall 2004.
• Private high school students are eligible
  starting Winter/Spring 2005.

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Accel ProgramELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Student
• must be classified as a legal resident of Georgia
• must meet citizenship requirements
• must meet Selective Service Registration
  requirements
• must not owe a refund on a State program
• must be in compliance with Georgias Drug-Free
  Postsecondary Education Act of 1990

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Accel ProgramELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• Student
• must be classified as a high school junior or
  senior
• must not already have a GED or high school
  diploma
• must be admitted and classified as dual-credit
  student, enrolled in college degree-level
  coursework
• There is no minimum or maximum number of hours
  required for participation in Accel.

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Accel ProgramELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

• The high School must accept the college
  degree-level coursework back and show it on the
  students high school transcript.
• Beginning with Winter/Spring 2005, courses must
  be in one of the five CPC areas (English Language
  Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Science,
  Foreign Language).
• Accel Course Directory is now available.

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Accel ProgramLENGTH OF ELIGIBILITY

• Accel not available during Summer terms.
• Accel hours will not be included in the 127
  semester/190 quarter Attempted-Hours limit for
  HOPE.
• Accel hours will be included in the 127
  semester/190 quarter Combined-Paid-Hours limit
  for HOPE.

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Accel ProgramAPPLICATION PROCESS

• Student completes Student Section of Accel
  Program Application
• High School completes High School Section of
  Accel Application
• College completes College Section of Accel
  Application.
• Completed application is forwarded to GSFC and
  college invoices GSFC.

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Accel ProgramAWARD AMOUNTS

• Students attending public institutions receive
  tuition, HOPE-approved mandatory fees, and a book
  allowance (6 hrs full book allowance 1 to 5
  hrs half book allowance).
• Students attending private institutions receive
  up to 3,000 per academic year for full-time
  enrollment (or a pro-rated amount for less than
  full-time attendance).

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Mrs. Jones calls to inquire about her daughters
  possible eligibility for Accel. The family
  members are citizens of Canada the father is
  here on a work Visa daughter here on a student
  Visa. Last year, the daughter participated in
  PSO. Is she eligible for Accel?

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Answer No
• A student must be a U.S. Citizen or a
  non-citizen who meets Title IV eligibility
  requirements. Work Visas and student Visas do not
  meet the qualification of an eligible
  non-citizen.

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Mrs. Johnson calls, asking how Accel will pay
  for her sons courses if he participates in
  Accel? Do we send the money to her so she can
  pay the college?

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Answer No
• GSFC cannot disburse funds directly to
  students/parents. After the college verifies the
  students eligibility to participate in Accel,
  the college will invoice GSFC. Then GSFC will
  send the funds to the college, and the college
  will apply the funds to the students account.

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Mr. Price calls to find out how his daughter can
  receive her book allowance from Accel.

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Answer More information needed.
• Is the student attending a public institution or
  a private institution? If the student is
  attending a private institution, there is no book
  allowance! If the student is attending a public
  institution, the parent/student should contact
  the Financial Aid Office at the institution to
  inquire about the distribution of the book
  allowance.

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Ms. Hall calls to ask if there is a minimum high
  school GPA requirement or minimum SAT score that
  the student is required to have to be eligible to
  participate in Accel.

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Answer No
• Accel does not require a minimum high school GPA
  or SAT/ACT score for participation. However, the
  students high school may establish a minimum
  standard. Also, the college may require a
  minimum standard for admission or participation
  (970 SAT).

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Sally Student calls. Her high school counselor
  has told her that since she did not participate
  in Accel during Fall Semester 2004, she cannot
  participate during Spring 2005. Is this true?

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Answer Maybe
• While Accel doesnt require that a student
  participate all year, the high school may have
  determined that the student will not have the
  required number of units (Carnegie units) for
  high school graduation if he/she does not
  participate in dual enrollment during all terms
  of the academic year.

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Ms. Jenkins child (a senior) attends a private
  high school that is HOPE-eligible. Can her child
  receive Accel for the term beginning in January
  2005?

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Answer Yes
• Effective January 2005, students at eligible
  private high schools will be able to receive
  Accel at an eligible public or private college.
  (Students at public high schools may receive
  Accel at an eligible public or private college
  during Fall 2004.)

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Mr. Williams has a son who is a junior at Milton
  High School. He is interested in the types of
  courses his son can take at Georgia Tech and take
  advantage of Accel. Is there a Course Directory?

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Accel ProgramSITUATIONS QA

• Answer The Accel Course Directory is now
  available at www.gsfc.org.
• It includes course information from the
  University System of Georgia, the Georgia
  Department of Technical and Adult Education, and
  a number of private colleges.

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Accel Program

• What are YOUR questions?