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Office of Financial Aid
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Types of Financial Aid

Grants

ACG Grant

The enactment of the Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA) among other things created the Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant Program (ACG) effective with the 2006-07 Award Year. The U.S. Department of Education recently published interim implementing regulations and we have begun identifying and awarding the ACG to qualifying students.

Otherwise eligible students who have earned fewer than 24 semester hours may receive a Federal ACG of $750 for their first academic year of study (ACG-1). Otherwise eligible students who have earned at least 24 hours but not more than 59 hours may receive a Federal ACG of $1300 for their second academic year of study (ACG-2). Once students have earned 60 semester credit hours they are not eligible for the ACG.

To be eligible, a student:

  • Must be a U.S. Citizen (students classified as Permanent Residents or any other non-citizen status are not eligible);
  • Must receive a Federal Pell Grant during the same semester;
  • Must be enrolled full-time in a degree program;
  • Must be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study;
  • Must 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. Rigor is determined by Winthrop University's Office of Admissions based on U.S. Department of Education regulations;
  • If a first-year student, must not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program;
  • If a second-year student, must have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale at the end of the term in which the 24th semester hour of post-secondary credit was earned;
  • The total awarded financial aid cannot exceed the student's Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Once a student has received $750 in Federal AC Grant as a first year student, he/she is not eligible for additional AC Grant funds as a first year student, even if the student has earned fewer than 24 semester hours. Once a student has received $1300 in Federal AC Grant as a second year student, he/she is not eligible for additional AC Grant funds as a second year student, even if the student has earned fewer than 60 hours.

ACG funds, when combined with other need-based funds, cannot exceed a student's need as determined using FAFSA data. Need is the coast of attendance minus expected family contribution.