ACG & National SMART Grant Update

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Session 6

• ACG National SMART Grant Update
• Transfer Student, Rigorous Secondary School
  Programs of Study, and Academic Major Issues
• Sophia McArdle
• Office of Postsecondary Education

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Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG)
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ACG Eligibility Requirements

• U.S. Citizen
• Federal Pell Grant recipient for same payment
  period or award year (if choose to implement
  early)
• First or second year student in a two- or
  four-year degree program
• Full-time enrollment
• Completed rigorous secondary school program of
  study
• No specific major required

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ACG Eligibility Requirements

• First-year students
• May not have been previously enrolled in a
  program of undergraduate education
• Have graduated from secondary school program
  after January 1, 2006
• Second-year students
• Have graduated from secondary school program
  after January 1, 2005
• Have a 3.0 GPA in an eligible program

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ACG Previous Enrollment Restriction

• Not applicable if prior enrollment was
• Not as a regular student
• After high school graduation

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ACG Eligibility Requirements

• Student must have completed a rigorous secondary
  school program of study
• ED has outlined options to meet requirements in
  the interim final regulations

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ACG Recognition of Rigorous Program

• For an award year
• The Secretary recognizes at least one rigorous
  secondary school program of study for each State
  as established by an SEA or if legally authorized
  by the State to establish a separate secondary
  school program of study, an LEA

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ACG Recognition of Rigorous Program

• The Secretary establishes a deadline for SEAs and
  LEAs to submit proposals for recognition of
  rigorous secondary school programs of study
• An LEA must submit documentation that the LEA is
  legally authorized by the State to establish a
  separate secondary school program of study

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ACG Recognition of Rigorous Program

• For 2007-2008
• Deadline for new submissions was November 1, 2006
• If State did not submit new or revised programs,
  remove current programs, or clarify State
  Scholars Initiative program requirements, States
  currently recognized secondary school programs of
  study will carry over

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ACG Recognition of Rigorous Program

• In identifying a rigorous program, the SEA or LEA
  must consider separate identifiable secondary
  programs that
• Are offered by secondary schools in the State
• Are considered by the SEA or LEA to prepare a
  student to pursue postsecondary education
  successfully
• Are not GED programs

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ACG Recognition of Rigorous Program

• In addition to the State submitted programs that
  the Secretary recognizes, the Secretary also
  recognizes several other options as rigorous

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ACG Options for Rigorous Program

• An advanced or honors secondary school program
  established by a State and in existence for the
  04-05 or 05-06 school year as identified by the
  Secretary
• A secondary school program identified by a
  State-level partnership recognized by State
  Scholars Initiative of the Western Interstate
  Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)

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ACG Options for Rigorous Program

• Completion of at least
• 2 Advanced Placement courses with a test score of
  at least 3 OR
• 2 International Baccalaureate courses with a test
  score of at least 4
• A set of courses as outlined in regulations

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ACGOptions for Rigorous Program
Courses as Outlined in Regulations

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math (include Algebra 1 and one other
  higher-level math )
• 3 years of science (at least two are one year
  each in Biology, Chemistry, Physics)
• 3 years of social studies
• 1 year of a foreign language

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ACGOptions for Rigorous Program

• The Secretary publishes a list of rigorous
  secondary school programs of study that the
  Secretary recognizes for each award year
• For 2006-7 Web site address
• http//www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/acsmart/stat
  e-programs06.html
• For 2007-8, submission deadline was November 1,
  2006

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ACGOptions for Rigorous Program
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ACGApplicant Self-identification Process

• Department notifies potentially eligible students
  of how to provide additional eligibility
  information
• Student provides additional information on
  website or calls toll-free number
• Department sends student responses to schools

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ACGDocumenting Rigorous Program

• Student not required to apply
• Institutions are responsible for determining the
  eligibility of students who ED reported as having
  self-identified eligibility
• On at least the standard(s) selected by the
  student
• Institutions are also able to identify eligible
  students based on records they have (e.g. high
  school transcripts, test scores)

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ACGDocumenting Rigorous Program

• Documentation from cognizant authority can be
  provided by
• The student
• Directly from cognizant authority
• If reason to believe documentation from student
  is inaccurate, must obtain directly from
  cognizant authority

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ACGDocumenting Rigorous Program

• Cognizant authority includes but is not limited
  to
• An LEA
• An SEA or other State Agency
• A public or private high school
• A testing organization such as the College Board
  or State Agency
• Parent if student is home-schooled

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ACGDocumenting Rigorous Program

• For transfer students, an institution may rely on
  another schools determination that student
  completed a rigorous program
• NSLDS will store the data

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ACGGrade Point Average

• For second academic year ACG, student must have a
  GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale from the first
  academic year
• Only determined one time, at the completion of
  the first academic year

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ACGGrade Point Average

• Special Rule for transfer student
• For student who transfers after completing the
  first academic year, the new school must
  calculate GPA using the grades from all
  coursework accepted from prior schools for the
  students first academic year in determining
  eligibility for the second academic year
• If no credits are accepted, there is no GPA

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National SMART Grants
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National SMART GrantsEligibility Requirements

• U.S. citizen
• Pell Grant recipient for same payment period or
  award year (if choose to implement early)
• In 3rd or 4th year of a four-year degree program
• Full-time enrollment in an eligible major
• Cumulative 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale in students
  eligible program
• No rigorous high school program required

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National SMART Grants Major Fields of Study

• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Technology
• Life Sciences

• Mathematics
• Physical Sciences
• Designated Foreign Languages

Identified by CIP code in DCL GEN-06-06 and
GEN-06-15 Classification of Instructional Program
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National SMART Grants Major Fields of Study
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National SMART Grants Major Fields of Study
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National SMART Grants Critical Foreign Languages
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National SMART Grants Major Fields of Study

• If a students eligible major is removed from the
  list of eligible CIP codes in subsequent years,
  student remains eligible if continues in that
  major
• If a student majors in a language no longer
  deemed critical in subsequent years, student
  remains eligible if continues to major in that
  language

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National SMART Grants Monitoring Major

• Requires that a recipient
• Declare an eligible major or
• If school policy does not allow declaring a major
  in time to qualify for a SMART grant, show intent
  to declare an eligible major as documented by the
  institution
• Student must formally declare an eligible major
  as soon as institutional policy allows

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National SMART Grants Monitoring Major

• Whether a student declares a major or indicates
  intent, he or she must enroll in coursework
  leading to completion of the program with that
  eligible major
• Institutions must have a process or processes in
  place to monitor that the student is making
  progress toward completion of the program in that
  eligible major

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National SMART Grants Monitoring Major

• If student changes to an eligible major between
  payment periods
• Eligible for new payment period
• Cannot be paid for prior payment periods
• If student changes to an ineligible major between
  payment periods
• No grant for the new payment period
• Prior disbursement need not be repaid

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National SMART Grants Monitoring Major

• If student changes to an eligible major within a
  payment period
• Can be paid for the entire payment period
• Cannot be paid for prior payment periods
• If student changes to an ineligible major within
  a payment period
• No additional disbursements
• Prior disbursements, including for the current
  payment period, need not be repaid

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National SMART Grants Grade Point Average

• For all payment periods, student must have a
  cumulative GPA of at least 3.0
• Includes entire program all courses required
  for degree in approved major
• Calculated as of last completed payment period
• Reviewed prior to each disbursement
• Schools can make an interim disbursement at
  schools risk

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National SMART Grants Grade Point Average

• Special Rule for student who transfers after
  completing two or more academic years, the new
  school
• For the first payment period upon transfer, must
  use the grades from all coursework accepted from
  prior schools for GPA determination
• For subsequent payment periods, comply with
  school academic policies
• Same policy for all students

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National SMART Grants Eligibility Determination

• No student self-identification as in ACG
• Institutions are responsible for reviewing
  records to identify all eligible students
• ISIR for Pell Eligibility, Citizenship, and other
  Title IV eligibility requirements
• Academic Records for
• Eligible Major or, if available, intent
• Third or fourth academic year of enrollment
• GPA
• Full-time Enrollment

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Contact Information

• We appreciate your feedback and comments.
• We can be reached at
• Sophia McArdle
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Email sophia.mcardle_at_ed.gov