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Academic Competitiveness Grants and National SMART Grants: Determining Eligibility

Academic Competitiveness Grants and National SMART Grants: Determining Eligibility. Heather Boutell Bellarmine University. Patricia Arauz University of Louisville. &. Why do we have these grants?. “The grants will encourage students to take more challenging courses in high school —

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Academic Competitiveness Grants and National SMART Grants: Determining Eligibility

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  1. Academic Competitiveness Grants and National SMART Grants: Determining Eligibility Heather Boutell Bellarmine University Patricia Arauz University of Louisville &

  2. Why do we have these grants? “The grants will encourage students to take more challenging courses in high school — making success in college more likely, according to research—and to pursue college majors in high demand in the global economy, such as science, mathematics, technology, engineering and critical foreign languages.” -- FSA Web site

  3. ACG Student Eligibility Agenda • Rules/Regulations • Authorization and Funding • Citizenship • Eligible Program • Determining Enrollment status • Rigorous Program • GPA • Academic Year Progression • Transfers • Need

  4. Rules and Regulations • Interim Final Regulations published July 3, 2006 • These regulations govern 2006-07 awards • Final regulations published November 1, 2006, governing 2007-08 and beyond • Optional early implementation for 2006-07 • Negotiated Rulemaking underway; regulations produced will make changes for 2008-2009 and beyond • Sessions began February 5, 2007

  5. Authorization and Funding • Funding for these programs is not subject to annual appropriations process: 2006-07 -- $ 790 million 2007-08 -- $ 850 million 2008-09 -- $ 920 million 2009-10 -- $ 960 million 2010-11 -- $ 1.01 billion

  6. Authorization and Funding • Funds not spent in one year are carried over to subsequent year • If funding insufficient, awards will be ratably reduced (no reduction foreseen for 2006-07)

  7. Scheduled Award • 2006-07 Scheduled Award is the same as the maximum award for the award year – • ACG Year 1 - $ 750 • ACG Year 2 - $1,300 • Same for all students • Could change from award year to award year

  8. ACG Eligibility Requirements • U.S. citizen (naturalized citizen is U.S. citizen) • Nationals and non-citizens are not eligible • Federal Pell Grant recipient in the same payment period (or in same award year if school chooses to early implement Nov. 1 regs for 2006-07)

  9. ACG Eligibility Requirements • First or second year student in a two or four year degree program • Full-time enrollment • No specific major required

  10. Determining Enrollment Status • Initial Determination of Eligibility • Use enrollment status as of the date initial eligibility is determined for ACG • This parallels Pell Grant calculations, in which enrollment status as of the initial calculation date for Pell Grant is used

  11. Enrollment Status • Must recalculate Pell Grant if • Enrollment changes between payment periods • Enrollment changes within payment period before student begins all classes • If < full-time, lose ACG • May recalculate after Pell Grant if enrollment status changes after student begins all classes • If recalculate, may use census date after which no further changes are considered • If redetermine ACG eligibility, must apply same policy as used for Pell Grant

  12. Enrollment Status Example • Sequence of Events: • Pell Grant calculated • Census date passes • Student’s enrollment status changes • First determination of ACG eligibility occurs • What enrollment status is used for 06-07? • What enrollment status is used for 07-08?

  13. Enrollment Status • Original enrollment: ¾ time • At census: Full-time • At ACG determination: ¾ time • In 2006-2007: Pell: Full-time; ACG: eligible • In 2007-2008: Pell: Full-time; ACG: ¾ time and not eligible

  14. ACG Eligibility Requirements • 1st year students • May not have been previously enrolled as regular student in an ACG-eligible program of undergraduate education while enrolled in secondary school program of study • Must have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study after January 1, 2006

  15. ACG Eligibility Requirements • 2nd year students • Must have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study after January 1, 2005 • Must have at least a 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) at the completion of the first academic year in an eligible program

  16. ACG Eligibility Requirements • Student must have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study • ED has outlined options to meet requirement in DCL GEN-06-08 and in the interim regulations published July 3, 2006 (no change in Nov. 1 regulations) • Student may self-identify potential eligibility through FAFSA process or school may identify eligible students through institutional process

  17. ACG Applicant Self-Identification • Results of student self-identification will be sent to all schools listed -- • CPS will send ISIRs with new comment codes • If no other changes, message class will be IGAA07AP • Special “flat file” with separate message class of ED2007OP • Student specific information available using FAA Access

  18. ACG Applicant Self-Identification • Comment codes will be provided on SAR for student, and ISIR for schools • Comment codes can be found in ISIR positions 1677 to 1736 • Multiple comment codes - one for each rigorous criteria selected by student

  19. ACG Applicant Self-IdentificationSAR and ISIR Comments

  20. ACG Rigorous Programs • State Designated Program • State Submitted Program • An advanced or honors secondary school program established by a state and in existence for the 04-05 or 05-06 school year • State Scholars Initiative

  21. ACG Rigorous Programs • A set of courses as outlined in the interim final regulations • Completion of at least two Advanced Placement (AP) courses with passing test score of 3 or two International Baccalaureate (IB) courses with passing test score of 4

  22. Documenting Rigorous Program • School must have documentation of rigorous program completion. This can be provided: • By the student • An unofficial transcript is acceptable documentation for ACG eligibility if school has no reason to believe it is inaccurate • Directly from “cognizant authority” • For home schooled students, the parent or guardian is the cognizant authority

  23. Documenting Rigorous Program • For transfer students, institution may rely on another school’s determination that student completed a rigorous program • NSLDS will store the data

  24. Grade Point Average • No GPA requirement to receive ACG funds for 1st academic year • For 2nd academic year ACG, student must have a GPA of at least 3.0 (on 4.0 scale) at end of the 1st academic year • Only determined one time, which must be only at the completion of 1st academic year

  25. Grade Point Average • Special rule for transfer student – • For student who transfers after completing first academic year, the new school must calculate GPA using the grades from all coursework accepted from prior schools if no GPA transferred in

  26. A Note About Transfer GPA • The special calculation of GPA using grades from transfer credits is solely for the purpose of determining the GPA for ACG/SMART upon the initial enrollment of a transfer student into a program that does not transfer in grades. Otherwise, such transfer students would not be eligible • The requirement is not intended to change the institutional academic policy regarding the treatment of grades when a student transfers

  27. GPA & Incompletes • All coursework taken in the payment period must be used in the calculation of a student’s GPA. • If a complete GPA for the payment period is not available, school can make an interim disbursement at its risk. Includes: • When the GPA has not yet been officially calculated for the prior payment period. • When there are one or more grades of “incomplete” for courses taken in prior payment periods.

  28. GPA & Incompletes • If GPA would be at least 3.0 even if incomplete(s) becomes an F, disbursement can be made • If GPA would not be at least 3.0, you can make: • No disbursement, or • Interim disbursement • If not resolved by end of payment period • No disbursement can be made, or • Interim disbursement must be cancelled

  29. Need Based Grants • Total of EFC and all estimated financial aid cannot exceed cost of attendance • These grants may not replace EFC • School may reduce other aid, including FSEOG, or ACG to avoid an overaward

  30. Need Based Grants • Special sub loan treatment as in campus-based awarding if Chapter 30 VA benefits or AmeriCorps award received • No overaward tolerance

  31. Academic Year • HEA provides that an academic year for a student in an undergraduate credit hour program be defined as: • At least 24 semester or trimester credit hours, or 36 quarter credit hours, or 900 clock hours; and • At least 30 weeks of instructional time (26 weeks for clock hours) • Schools must use their Title IV academic year definition to determine the student’s academic year in the program of study

  32. Academic Year- Credit Hours Regardless of how many credit hours an institution uses to define a program’s academic year, full-time for an undergraduate is a minimum of – • 12 semester credit hours; or • 12 quarter credit hours. Title IV Academic Year is often not the same as grade level progression for institutional purposes and loan limits (i.e., 30 credit hours to progress from grade level 1 to grade level 2).

  33. Academic Year – Credit Hours (cont’d) • School may define its Title IV academic year as more than 24 credit hours – 30 in the prior example • If program is offered by semester, trimester, or quarter and fulltime is defined as at least 12 credit hours, including summer, there is – • No impact on 12 credits as full-time Pell Grant • No impact on 6 credits for FFEL/DL loans • Would impact loan proration • Could impact Pell Grant formula 3 calculations

  34. Academic Year – Credit Hours (cont’d) • ACG Example – • Institution defines Title IV Academic Year as 24 credit hours but grade level progression as 30 credit hours • First year ACG recipient completes 24 semester hours • Student now eligible for second year ACG award while still “freshman” and still at first year loan limit

  35. Academic Year – Credit Hours (cont’d) • ACG Example – • Institution defines Academic Year as 30 credit hours and grade level progression as 30 credit hours • First year ACG recipient completes 24 credit hours • Student not yet eligible for second year ACG award, because 30 credits required to complete first academic year and student still at first year loan level

  36. Academic Year – Credit Hours (cont’d) • Basic Requirement – Academic year progression based on all credits earned in any ACG-eligible program regardless of application to student’s current program • Current Institution’s Credits – All credits earned • Transfer Institution’s Credits – Only credits accepted by current institution

  37. Academic Year – Credit Hours (cont’d) 24 Semester Credit Hour Definition – • First Academic Year is 0 to 23 credits. • Second Academic Year is 24 to 47 credits. • Third Academic Year is 48 to 71 credits. • Fourth Academic Year is 72 to 96 credits. 30 Semester Credit Hour Definition – • First Academic Year is 0 to 29 credits. • Second Academic Year is 30 to 59 credits. • Third Academic Year is 60 to 89 credits. • Fourth Academic Year is 90 to 120 credits.

  38. Academic Year – Weeks of Instructional Time • An institution’s definition of Title IV academic year for a credit hour program must contain a minimum of 30 weeks of instructional time.

  39. Academic Year - Weeks of Instruction For the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 award years, an institution with a 30 week academic year and standard terms (Pell Formula 1) may either: • Determine the actual number of weeks of instructional time that were included for the student to complete the number of credit hours in the institution’s Title IV academic year definition. • Assume that there were 30 weeks of instructional time for each increment of credit hours that comprises the institution’s Title IV academic year definition.

  40. Academic Year – Weeks of Instruction Institution may exercise option: • On a student-by-student basis; • For the same student for different terms; • Differently for transfer credits vs. home institution credits. NOTE: An institution must determine the actual number of weeks of instructional time for a student who requests that such a determination be made or questions whether he or she has completed an academic year.

  41. Academic Year – Weeks of Instructional Time (cont’d) • When tracking actual weeks of instructional time, courses that are not part of an eligible program of postsecondary education or courses not at the postsecondary level have no weeks of instructional time. These include: • Remedial Coursework; • Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses/exams; • College Level Examination Program (CLEP); • Credit for life experience; • Courses taken when not enrolled as a regular student; and • Courses that are not part of an eligible program.

  42. Example: Advanced Placement courses • Student graduated high school May 2006. Enrolls at School A for Fall 2006. Student has 45 AP credits, all with a score of 3 or higher. • School A’s definition of academic year is 24 credit hours and 30 weeks of instructional time.

  43. Example: Advanced Placement courses • If School A assumes weeks of instructional time, this student would be in his/her second academic year. • 45/24 = 1.875 • However, student has no GPA from “first academic year” and would therefore not be eligible to receive ACG funds for his/her “second academic year”. • If School A decides to track actual weeks of instruction, the student would be in his/her first academic year since no weeks are associated with AP credits.

  44. And Now for SMART! • Pat Arauz, University of Louisville

  45. Eligibility Requirements • U.S. citizen • Federal Pell Grant recipient in the same payment or same award year • Third or fourth year student in a four year degree program • Full-time enrollment in an eligible major • Cumulative 3.0 GPA (on 4.0 scale) in student’s eligible program • No rigorous high school program required

  46. Eligibility Determination • No student self-identification as in ACG • Institutions are responsible for reviewing records to identify all eligible students – • ISIR for Pell Eligibility, Citizenship, and other Title IV eligibility requirements • Academic Records for – • Eligible Major or, if available, intent • GPA • Full-time enrollment

  47. Computer Science Engineering Technology Life Sciences Mathematics Physical Sciences Designated Foreign Languages Eligible Major Fields of Study Identified by Classification of Instructional Program(CIP) Code from Dear Colleague Letters GEN-06-06 and GEN-06-15

  48. Monitoring Major • Requires that a recipient – • Declare an eligible major, or • Show intent to declare eligible major (if school policy does not require a major before 3rd year) Major must be checked before each disbursement • In both cases, student must enroll in coursework leading to completion of the program with that eligible major

  49. Double Majors • If student is enrolled in a double major: • The student must be enrolled in coursework that applies to an eligible major degree program • The school must ensure that student is pursuing completion of the eligible major by enrolling in coursework supportive of timely degree completion • Enrollment status and academic year progression must be based on all coursework the student is taking • GPA is for the student’s full academic program; there is no need to “pull-out” the other major’s coursework

  50. List of Eligible Majors • ED will publish list of eligible majors by Classification of Instructional Programs (CIP) code for each award year • Students who receive a SMART Grant for an eligible major remain eligible for a SMART Grant in subsequent award years even if the major is no longer classified as an eligible major, if all other eligibility criteria are met

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