Title: Academic Competitiveness Grant and National SMART Grant
1Academic Competitiveness Grant and National SMART
Grant General Session Overview David
Bergeron Jeff Baker Kay Jacks
2- The Higher Education Reconciliation Act of 2005
(HERA)
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
National Science and Mathematics Access to
Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant)
3Other Sessions
- Session 5 - ACG and National SMART Grant
- Student Eligibility and Academic Year Issues
- Session 6 - ACG and National SMART Grant
- Transfer Student, Secondary School Program of
Academic Rigor, and Academic Major Issues. - Session 17 - ACG and National SMART Grant
- Reporting from CPS to COD.
- General Session - Federal Update (Friday)
4Authorization and Funding
- Funding for these programs is not subject to the
annual appropriations process - 2006-07 -- 790 million
- 2007-08 -- 850 million
- 2008-09 -- 920 million
- 2009-10 -- 960 million
- 2010-11 -- 1.01 billion
5Rules and Regulations
- Interim Final Regulations for the 2006-2007 award
year published on July 3, 2006 - Invitation to comment through August 17, 2006 for
possible changes for the 2007-2008 award year - Received 80 comments
- Final Regulations for the 2007-2008 award year
published on November 1, 2006 - Institutions may implement changes made in the
final regulation for the 2006-2007 award year
6Rules and Regulations
- One Significant Change
- July 3 interim final rule required student to
have received a Pell Grant in the same payment
period (e.g., term) to receive an ACG or National
SMART Grant - November 1 final rule requires student to have
received a Pell Grant sometime in the same award
year to receive an ACG or National SMART Grant
7Rules and Regulations
Negotiated Rulemaking for the 2008-2009 Award
Year and Beyond
- Tentative Calendar
- Sessions December 2006, February and
- March 2007
- NPRM May 2007
- Comments July 2007
- Final Rule November 1, 2007
- Effective Date July 1, 2008 with possible
- early implementation
8Institutional Responsibilities
- Institutions are responsible for implementing the
new programs within the guidance provided - The Secretary recognizes that institutions will
face significant challenges in implementing the
programs with virtually no lead time for the
2006-2007 award year - These facts will be considered during reviews of
an institutions implementation of the programs
9- Basic Program Requirements
10Programs Are Similar in Some Ways
Student Eligibility
U.S. Citizen Only Eligible Non-Citizens Do Not Qualify
Pell Grant Recipient During Same Award Year
Full-time Enrollment for Payment Period
Enrolled in Degree Program
Progression by Student Academic Year
Only One Scheduled Award for Each Academic Year
11Separate and Distinct Programs
ACG National SMART
1st 2nd academic years of a two or four-year degree program 3rd 4th academic years of a four-year degree program
Requires completion of rigorous secondary school program of study Requires student to be in a designated major
1st Academic Year - 7502nd Academic Year - 1,300 3rd Academic Year - 4,000 4th Academic Year - 4,000
GPA of at least 3.0 as of the end of 1st academic year only GPA of at least 3.0 at each disbursement
12- Duration of Student Eligibility
- For ACG, students are restricted to
- one grant for the students first academic year
and - one grant for the students second academic year
- For National SMART Grant, students are restricted
to - one grant for each of the students third and
fourth academic years
13- Academic
- Competitiveness
- Grant
- (ACG)
14ACG Eligibility Requirements
- 1st-year students
- Have completed a rigorous secondary school
program of study after January 1, 2006 - May not have been previously enrolled while in
high school as a regular student in an ACG
eligible program - 2nd-year students
- Have completed a rigorous secondary school
program of study after January 1, 2005 - Have a 3.0 or higher GPA at the end of 1st year
15Previous Enrollment Restriction for 1st- Year ACG
- While in High School
- Not eligible if enrolled as a regular student
in an ACG eligible program - May be eligible if not enrolled as a regular
student in an ACG eligible program
- After High School
- No previous enrollment restriction for a student
enrolled after high school
16ACG Options for Rigorous Program
- State-Designated Program
- State-submitted program
- An advanced or honors program established by a
state and in existence for the 2004-2005 or
2005-2006 school year - State Scholars Initiative (SSI) Programs
17ACG Options for Rigorous Program
- States were given the option of retaining,
modifying or adding rigorous programs of study by
submitting those for review by November 1, 2006
for high school seniors graduating in 2007 for
2007-08 - Several states Kentucky, Minnesota, South
Carolina -- submitted programs that will be
approved - Most states made no changes
- A few states have made minor changes to
previously approved plans
18ACG Documenting Rigorous Program
- A set of courses as outlined in the 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
19ACG Options for Rigorous ProgramSet of Courses
- 4 years of English
- 3 years of math
- Two of which must be algebra I and above.
- 3 years of science
- Two of which must be biology, chemistry, or
physics - 3 years of social studies
- 1 year of a language other than English
20ACG Documenting Rigorous Program
- Institutions are responsible for determining the
eligibility of students who self-identified on at
least the standard(s) selected by the student - Institutions are encouraged to identify all
eligible students based on records they have
(e.g., high school transcripts, test scores) - Institutions are also responsible for determining
eligibility if student informs the institution
directly
21ACG Documenting Rigorous Program
- Documentation from cognizant authority
- For home-schooled students, the parent or
guardian is the cognizant authority - For transfer students, an institution may rely on
another schools determination that the student
completed a rigorous program - NSLDS will store the data
22ACG Grade Point Average
- For second academic year, student must have a
cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least
3.0 from the first academic year - GPA determined one time, after completion of
first academic year - For a student who transfers after completing
first academic year, the new institution must
calculate GPA using the grades from all
coursework accepted from prior schools
23- National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain
Talent Grant - (National SMART Grant)
24National SMART GrantMajor Fields of Study
- Computer Science
- Engineering
- Technology
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Physical Sciences
- Designated Critical Foreign Languages
Identified by CIP code in DCLs GEN-06-06
and GEN-06-15 Classification of Instructional
Program
25National SMART Grant Major Fields of Study
- Requires that a recipient
- Declare an eligible major or
- Show intent to declare eligible major if school
policy does not yet allow a major to be declared - Institution must have a process for monitoring
that the student is making progress toward
completion of the program with that eligible major
26National SMART Grant Grade Point Average
- For each payment period, a student must have a
cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least
3.0 that - Includes all coursework required for degree in
approved major - Is calculated through last completed payment
period - Is reviewed prior to each disbursement
27- Other
- General
- Requirements
28Both ProgramsGrade Point Average (GPA)
Incompletes
- All coursework taken in the payment period must
be used in the calculation of a students 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 payment period - When there is one or more grades of incomplete
for courses taken in the payment period
29Both ProgramsNeed-Based Grants
- Total of ACG/National SMART Grant, EFC, Pell, and
all estimated financial aid cannot exceed cost of
attendance - ACG and National SMART Grant may not replace EFC
in need equation - To avoid an over-award, an institution may reduce
other aid, including FSEOG, or it may reduce the
ACG or National SMART Grant
30Both Programs Determining Enrollment Status
- Schools must have the same policy for determining
enrollment status for Pell Grants and for ACGs
and National SMART Grants - Schools must use same recalculation policy, such
as recalculation date (census date) that is used
for Pell Grants
31Both ProgramsDisbursements
- Funds maintained and disbursed according to Title
IV cash management rules - Disbursements made on payment period basis
- If disbursement is for a cross-over payment
period, Pell Grant and ACG/National SMART Grant
must be assigned to same award year - Student may not receive ACG or National SMART
Grant concurrently from more than one school - All R2T4 requirements apply to the new grant
programs
32Both ProgramsRemaining Eligibility
- Determination of remaining eligibility based on
percent of scheduled award remaining - Example Student with second year ACG for two
quarters for a total of 866 has received 66.7
of the 2006-07 scheduled award of 1,300.
Student is only eligible, as a second-year
student, for the remaining 33.3 of the ACG
scheduled award (434 of 1,300) - Note Scheduled award may be different if balance
of an academic year is in a new award year
33Both ProgramsAcademic Year
- Students progress and duration of eligibility in
an eligible program is measured in Title IV
academic years. A Title IV academic year is
defined in the HEA to be - A minimum of either
- Twenty-four semester credit hours, or
- Thirty-six quarter credit hours, or
- 900 clock hours.
- --AND--
- A minimum of 30 weeks of instructional time (26
weeks for clock-hour programs)
34Both ProgramsAcademic Year - Credit Hours
- An institutions Title IV Academic Year will
often be different from the grade level
progression used for most institutional purposes
and for loan limits for FFEL and Direct Loans
(e.g., 30 credit hours to progress from grade
level 1 to grade level 2) - Regardless of how many credit hours an
institution uses to define a programs academic
year, full time for an undergraduate is a minimum
of - 12 semester hour credits for a semester or
trimester - --or--
- 12 quarter hour credits for a quarter
35Both ProgramsAcademic Year - Credit Hours
- 24 Credit Hour Definition
- First Academic Year is 0 to 24 credits
- Second Academic Year is 25 to 48 credits
- Third Academic Year is 49 to 72 credits
- Fourth Academic Year is 73 to 96 credits
- 30 Credit Hour Definition
- First Academic Year is 0 to 30 credits
- Second Academic Year is 31 to 60 credits
- Third Academic Year is 61 to 90 credits
- Fourth Academic Year is 91 to 120 credits
36ACGAssociates Degree Second Academic Year
- For the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 Award Years
- For a student enrolled in an associates degree
program, the second academic year ends when the
student has completed the credits required for
completion of that academic program, as published
in the institutions official academic
publications - For example, for an AA program that requires 65
credits, the second academic year is from 31
credits to 65 credits - See DCL GEN-06-18
37National SMART GrantBachelors Degree Fourth
Academic Year
- For the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 award years
- For a student enrolled in a bachelors degree
program, the fourth academic year ends when the
student has completed the credits required for
completion of that academic program, as published
in the institutions official academic
publications - For example, for an BA/BS program that requires
130 credits, the fourth academic year is from 91
credits to 130 credits - See DCL GEN-06-18
38Both ProgramsAcademic Year Weeks of
Instructional Time
For the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 award years, an
institution with a 30-week academic year and
standard terms ( Formula 1) may
- OR -
- Determine the actual number of weeks of
instructional time that were included for the
student to complete the number of credit hours in
the institutions Title IV academic year
definition
- Assume that there were 30 weeks of instructional
time for each increment of credit hours that
comprises the institutions Title IV academic
year definition
39Both ProgramsAcademic Year Weeks of
Instructional Time
- May exercise option
- On a student by student basis
- For same student for different terms
- For transfer credits differently than for
home-earned 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 they have completed an
academic year - See DCL GEN-06-18
40 41ACG Documenting Rigorous Program
- Documentation from cognizant authority
- For home-schooled students, the parent or
guardian is the cognizant authority - For transfer students, an institution may rely on
another schools determination that the student
completed a rigorous program - NSLDS will store the data
42ACG Applicant Self-Identification Process
- Starting July 1, 2006, the Department began
notifying potentially eligible students about the
ACG program - Changed the FOTW to ask questions about high
school and rigorous programs - Offered a call-in option for non-electronic
filers
43ACGApplicant Self-Identification Process
- After July 1, 2006
- FOTW Filers Potential ACG recipients will
submit the additional information at the time
they complete their FAFSA - Paper Filers Potential ACG recipients will
receive a SAR comment directing them to the web
site and toll-free number
44ACGApplicant Self-Identification Process
- Student presented with questions on their high
school curriculum - High school completed after January 1, 2005
- State where high school curriculum completed
- Drop-down box with state designated programs
- AP/IB course and test completion question
- Listed courses question
45(No Transcript)
46ACGApplicant Self-Identification Process
- As of November 10, 2006, 681,986 students have
self- identified themselves - Clearly some students do not meet minimum
criteria - Institutions can use other data such as age to
screen applicants.no follow-up necessary - See Electronic Announcement dated October
24, 2006
47ACGRecognized State Rigorous Programs
- Quick Reference to the Recognized
- State Rigorous Secondary School
- Programs of Study
- http//www.ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/attachments/
0713HERAOperGuidanceAttachA.xls
48(No Transcript)
49(No Transcript)
50(No Transcript)
51ACGApplicant Self-Identification Process
- Results of student self-identification will be
sent to all schools listed on students record - 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
52ACGApplicant Self-Identification Process
- 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
criterion selected by student
53ACGApplicant Self-Identification Process
- For 2007-2008 Award Year, a criterion will be
added that approximates the date of high school
graduation - For 2008-2009
- Likely, add graduation from high school question
to the paper form - Same for FOTW
54Availability of Funds
- Initial authorizations in GAPS and COD with
Electronic Statements of Account (ESOA) on July
29, 2006 - Not like campus-based
- No institutional allocation
- Allocation more like Pell
- Funds have been available in GAPS since early
August - Separate authorization for each program
55Status of Funds
- As of November 17, 2006
- 762 schools out of 3,351 schools have drawn 45
million for ACG - 484 schools out of 1,944 schools have drawn 41
million for National SMART Grant
56Data Suggest
- Schools are using their own money
- Institutions have not made awards
- Burden too great, given time frame
- Uncertainty
- Are not aware they must make awards
- Think they can wait until next year
- Students do not qualify
- Risk is we leave a large portion of 790 million
designated for needy students on the table
57Reporting of Awards and Payments
- Schools report student-specific awards and
disbursements with COD Release 5.2, beginning
December 16, 2006 - COD can handle one grade level for Direct Loans
and a different academic year for new grants
58NSLDS and ACG/SMART
- NSLDS will begin
- Receiving ACG/SMART Grants from COD on December
17, 2006 - Displaying ACG/SMART Grants on the web site on
December 18, 2006 - Using a new file format for Transfer Student
Monitoring/Financial Aid History on January
1, 2007
59NSLDS and ACG/SMART
- No ACG/SMART Grant award data will appear on
2006-2007 ISIRs - Beginning on January 1, 2007
- 2007-08 ACG/SMART Grant disbursement data will
appear on 2007-08 ISIRs - ISIR Financial Aid History will display up to
three ACG and three SMART Grant disbursements
60Upcoming HERA Training
- Stand Up Training
- More than 50 sites across country
- Began late September
- Will also offer a Spring series
61Other Sessions
- Session 5 - ACG and National SMART Grant
Student Eligibility and Academic Year Issues - Session 6 - ACG and National SMART Grant
Transfer Student, Secondary School Program of
Academic Rigor, and Academic Major Issues - Session 17 - ACG and National SMART Grant
Reporting from CPS to COD - General Session - Federal Update (Friday)
62 63- Aristotle
- "To give away money is an easy matter and in any
man's power. But to decide to whom to give it,
and how large and when, for what purpose and how,
is neither in every man's power nor an easy
matter. Hence it is that such excellence is rare,
praiseworthy and noble."
64- Baker
- If it was easy, anyone could do it.
65Other Sessions
- Session 5 - ACG and National SMART Grant
Student Eligibility and Academic Year Issues - Session 6 - ACG and National SMART Grant
Transfer Student, Secondary School Program of
Academic Rigor, and Academic Major Issues - Session 17 - ACG and National SMART Grant
Reporting from CPS to COD - General Session - Federal Update (Friday)