Federal Grants
Grants are a type of aid that does not need to be earned or repaid. The application for federal grants is the FAFSA that students file each year.
Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant is awarded to students based upon their level of enrollment and Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The Federal Pell Grant is considered “portable,” meaning that, for a given academic year, an eligible student would receive the same Pell Grant at any university.
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, awards range from $304 to $5350.
- Awards are based on a combination of EFC and level of enrollment:
- EFC range of $0-$4617.
- Levels of awards for full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-halftime enrollment; minimum enrollment is 1 credit hour per semester.
- Eligibility is based upon the number of enrolled hours at the end of the first week of classes.
- A student must be pursuing their first undergraduate degree.
- A FAFSA must be filed.
- The Federal Pell Grant is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is a federal, campus-based grant. This means that federal funds are provided to individual universities to administer at their discretion (although always within federally governed parameters); Federal SEOG amounts and eligibility requirements may therefore vary from university to university.
- A student must have an EFC of 0.
- A student must be receiving a Pell Grant (and thus be working on their first undergraduate degree).
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, the amount of the award is $200.
- The Federal SEOG is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
The Academic Competitiveness (AC) Grant is a need-based federal grant for high-ability freshman and sophomore students.
- A FAFSA must be filed.
- A student must be enrolled at least halftime. For students enrolled more than halftime, but less than fulltime the award will be prorated.
- A student must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant (and thus have an EFC of $4617 or less and be working on their first undergraduate degree); however, not all Pell recipients are ACG-eligible, since the ACG is also based on academic achievement.
- A student must be a first- or second-year, degree-seeking student.
- First-year students must have completed their secondary-school program after January of 2006.
- Second-year students must have completed their secondary-school program after January of 2005.
- Enrollment status is based upon the number of enrolled hours at the end of the first week of classes.
- A student must have completed a “rigorous” secondary-school program; second-year students must also have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, $750 is the maximum award for first-year students; $1300 is the maximum award for second-year students.
- The ACG is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
Federal National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (SMART)
The National SMART Grant is a federal grant for junior and senior students. The program recognizes high-achieving Federal Pell Grant recipients majoring in particular academic programs.
- A student must be a U.S. citizen who has filed a FAFSA.
- A student must be enrolled at least halftime. For students enrolled more than halftime, but less than fulltime the award will be prorated.
- A student must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant (and thus have an EFC of $4617 or less and be working on their first undergraduate degree).
- A student must be a third- or fourth-year, full-time, degree-seeking student.
- A student must be majoring in physical, life, or computer science; engineering; mathematics; technology; or a critical foreign language.
- A student must be enrolled in at least one course each semester that meets the specific requirements of the student's National SMART Grant eligible major, this excludes electives and general education courses.
- A student must be completing coursework at an appropriate pace for their declared major as determined by their academic department.
- Enrollment status is based upon the number of enrolled hours at the end of the first week of classes.
- A student must have at least a 3.0 GPA in their major field of study.
- Eligible students will be identified automatically by major.
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, $4000 is the maximum award for both third- and fourth-year students.
- The SMART Grant is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
