ACG Grant
The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) is a need-based federal grant awarded to students in their first and second academic years of study. A student must meet specific program requirements to be eligible to receive this grant. These requirements are detailed below.
Academic Competitiveness Grant – First Year
A first-year student is defined as one who has earned between 0-23 credit hours (not including remedial hours). A student may receive up to $750 for his or her first academic year of study. The award is issued in two disbursements provided the student meets the eligibility requirements. Normally, a student would receive $375 for the first semester and $375 for the second semester. To be eligible for a first-year grant, a student must:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient during the same award year;
- Be enrolled in a two-year or four-year degree program;
- Be enrolled full-time as of the 14th class day in a regular semester (7th for summer);
- Have demonstrated financial need;
- Meet satisfactory academic progress standards;
- Have graduated high school on or after January 1, 2006;
- Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study as designated by the Department of Education (The TOPS core curriculum is defined as a rigorous program of study. Click here for a complete list of recognized rigorous secondary school programs of study.
- Have not been previously enrolled in college as a regular student while also in high school.
Academic Competitiveness Grant – Second Year
A second-year student is defined as one who has earned between 24-47 credit hours (not including remedial hours). A student may receive up to $1,300 for his or her second academic year of study. The award is issued in two disbursements provided the student meets the eligibility requirements. Normally, a student would receive $650 for the first semester and $650 for the second semester. To be eligible for a second-year grant, a student must:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient during the same award year;
- Be enrolled in a two-year or four-year degree program;
- Be enrolled full-time as of the 14th class day in a regular semester (7th for summer);
- Have demonstrated financial need;
- Meet satisfactory academic progress standards;
- Have graduated high school on or after January 1, 2005;
- Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study as designated by the Department of Education (The TOPS core curriculum is defined as a rigorous program of study. Click here for a complete list of recognized rigorous secondary school programs of study.
- Have earned a minimum cumulative external 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale as set forth in regulations at the end of the first year of study. The first year of study ends once a student has earned 24 credit hours with normally 30 weeks of instructional time.
Additional Requirements
- A student can only receive a first-year award and a second-year award once, regardless of if the student is still in the hour range for a specific academic year and meets all other program requirements.
- ACG is a need-based award, so the ACG award counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need. A student cannot be overawarded when he or she receives an ACG. Adjustments of award amounts may be necessary if the amount of ACG, when combined with a student’s other awards and expected family contribution, exceed the student’s cost of attendance.
- The earned hours and GPA used to determine eligibility include college level credit earned while in high school due to exam, transfer credit, or dual enrollment credit. International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement (AP) credits count in earned hours, but they do not count in the GPA. Hours for remedial coursework count towards determining a student’s full-time enrollment as of the 14th class day (7th for summer), but remedial coursework does NOT count in a student’s earned hours for progression purposes. Remedial hours and grades do count in the GPA.
- The federal government does not allow for an appeal or reinstatement process for students who do not meet the continuing eligibility requirements.
- Students must meet all other Title IV eligibility requirements.
- If the number of eligible students is large enough that payment of the full grant amounts would exceed the program appropriation in any fiscal year, then the amount of the grant to each eligible student may be ratably reduced.