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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:
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Must be
a U.S. Citizen (students classified as Permanent Residents
or any other non-citizen status are not eligible);
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Must
receive a Federal Pell Grant during
the same semester;
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Must be
enrolled full-time in a degree program;
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Must be
enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her
program of study;
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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;
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If a
first-year student, must not have been previously enrolled
in an undergraduate program;
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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;
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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.
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