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Academic Competitiveness Grant

This program is no longer available beginning with the 2011-2012 Award Year.

The Academic Competitiveness Grant is available for students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2005.

How Much Can A Student Receive?

An Academic Competitiveness Grant will provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study to students enrolled at least half-time who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who had successfully completed a rigorous high school program, as determined by the state or local education agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. Second year students must have successfully completed their first year and have a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Additional Information

  1. Eligible Students

    An eligible student may receive an Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) of up to $750 for the first academic year of study and up to $1,300 for the second academic year of study. To be eligible for each academic year, a student must:

    • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;
    • Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient;
    • Be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program;
    • Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study at a two-year or four-year degree-granting institution;
    • Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study;
    • If a first-year student, not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program; and
    • If a second-year student, have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale for the first academic year.

    2.  

    Note that the amount of the Academic Competitiveness Grant, when combined with a Pell Grant, may not exceed the student's cost of attendance.

  2. Recognized rigorous secondary school programs of study for Academic Competitiveness Grant program

    Click here for more information on recognized rigorous secondary school programs of study for the Academic Competitiveness Grant program.

    In order to provide options to students, the following three programs will be recognized as evidence of rigor in a secondary school program of study.

    • The State Scholars Initiative requirements. Students who participate in and complete the State Scholars program will be eligible. This program, currently offered in fourteen States and patterned after the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, requires at least four years of English, three years of math (including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry), three years of basic lab science (biology, chemistry, physics), three-and-one-half years of social studies, and two years of the same foreign language other than English.
    • A required set of courses similar to the State Scholars Initiative. This program of study includes four years of English, three years of Math (including Algebra I and a higher level course such as Algebra II, Geometry, or Data Analysis and Statistics), three years of science including one year each of at least two of the following courses: biology, chemistry or physics, three years of social studies, and one year of a language other than English. The program of study must be completed with passing grades.
    • Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and test scores. This program requires a minimum of two Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school and a minimum passing score on the exams for those classes. Students must score 3 or higher on AP exams and 4 or higher on IB exams.