Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)

By simply completing and submitting your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you’ll be considered for the Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG). This grant is need-based and can help you pay for any  educational expenses, such as tuition, fees, room and board, and/or living expenses.

The ACG is available to undergraduate students who:

• are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens;
• are Federal Pell Grant-eligible during the same award year;
• completed a rigorous program of study while in secondary school (after January 1, 2006 if a first-year student, and after January 1, 2005 if a second-year student);
• have at least a 3.0 grade point average as of the end of the their first academic year (for second-year students), or have not previously been enrolled in a program of undergraduate education (for first-year students); and,
• are enrolled at least half time in a degree program as first- or second-year students (or students in a certificate program of at least one year) at a two-year or four-year degree granting institution  (prior to the 2009-10 academic year, recipients were required to be enrolled full time).

The maximum grant amount is up to $750 for first-year students and up to $1,300 for second-year students.

Details regarding this program (including eligibility requirements and recognized rigorous secondary school programs of study) are available online via the Funding Education Beyond High School publication and the Student Aid on the Web site, which are provided by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). ED notifies applicants of their eligibility by regular or electronic mail.

Click here to access a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).