Academic Competitiveness Grant

Paying for College
1

<p>Hi gang,</p>

<p>Just a heads up...</p>

<p>My son is a sophomore at UCB and we received notice about a month ago that we owed $650 because he no longer qualifies for the Academic Competitiveness Grant.</p>

<p>It turns out that he has too many units and should have applied for the SMART grant for spring semester. Son only takes 13 - 16 units per semester so it must have been the college classes he took while he was in high school (he also took one class last summer at Cal) that put him over.</p>

<p>Live and learn.....</p>

2

<p>I knew that was something that could happen but assumed the school would take care of making sure of the eligibility and changing over to the SMART grant if eligible. I did not think one applied for the SMART grant - I thought it was something the financial aid department awarded based on eligibility. Have you tried going back and asking about that?</p>

<p>Thanks for the head up. I will be sure to check with my Ds school for next spring.</p>

3

<p>Yeah-- the finaid department at each UC assesses eligibility on a 'census date' each quarter, where they check major and gpa and number of units and such, to see if each student is eligible for a SMART grant or the ACG. Census date may be different for different UC's, but I think the process is pretty much the same. So there's no application per se-</p>

<p>Maybe what happened is that in the original finaid offer they projected ACG funds for the year, but since he's not eligible for the spring semester, the aid package went down $650.</p>

<p>Regardless, if he's eligible for SMART grant (depends on major as well as gpa) they should have plugged him into it.</p>

4

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>Son plans on double majoring in English and Society & Environment. Hope the S & E qualifies!</p>

5

<p>There is a list here
<a href="http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/CompleteListEligibleMajors0708SMART.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://ifap.ed.gov/dpcletters/attachments/CompleteListEligibleMajors0708SMART.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>I also read somewhere that you have to be careful to enrol each semester for at least one class (not gen ed)that is required for the SMART eligible major. So careful planning required especially with a double major..</p>

6

<p>My son was automatically switched from the ACG to the SMART grant when he had attained the required number of credits. He is a math major so it is an eligible SMART major. Also, that is correct you now have to enroll in at least one class that is required specificially for your SMART eligible major to receive the funding. If you have any questions, contact your financial aid department. For example, my son has some required teaching classes in the morning next fall, so that leaves afternoon availability for his math major classes (and those are the ones he has already taken). Although he is running into scheduling conflicts, he has a computer software design class that is also required of math majors, so by taking that course he WILL remain eligible for his SMART grant this fall.</p>

7

<p>The ACG should NOT include AP units- though might include CC units</p>

8

<p>I thought I would refresh my understanding of the ACG and SMART rules after reading this thread. Next years rules seem to be much better and make more sense than this years (and previous years) from what I have seen on my daughters schools web site. I hope they have it right. Anyway the rules according to her school forms - for those who are interested</p>

<p>2007-2008 ACG
Maximum Award Amounts:
• First-Year: $750 for students who have completed a total of no more than 23 credit hours.
• Second-Year: $1,300 for students who have completed at least 24 credit hours and no more than 47 credit hours and who had at least a 3.0 Cumulative Graduation/Retention GPA at the end of the semester in which the student completed the 24th hour.</p>

<p>2008-2009 ACG
Maximum Award Amounts:
• First-Year: $750 for students who have completed a total of no more than 27 credit hours.*
• Second-Year: $1,300 for students who have completed at least 28 credit hours* and no more than 59 credit hours* and who had at least a 3.0 Cumulative Graduation/Retention GPA at the end of the semester in which the student completed the 28th hour.
*Credit hour totals must exclude any CLEP, IB, AP, or remedial course credits as well as any credit hours earned prior to high school graduation. The U.S. Department of Education recently changed the federal regulations that specify the way these credits are calculated for ACG eligibility. These changes may cause some students to be ineligible for all or part of either a first year or second year grant, or may delay receipt of the grant.</p>

<p>So a (sensible) change from the max for 2nd year being 47 credit hours (which would have meant my daughter would have lost it for 2nd semester sophomore year) to a much more reasonable 59 hours. And is the not including AP, CLEP and CC credits during high school new?</p>

<p>*** SMART grant 2007-2008 rules***
• The maximum award amount for eligible students who have completed between 48 and 71 credit hours is $4,000.
• The maximum award amount for eligible students who have completed between 72 and the maximum number of hours required for their degree is $4,000.</p>

<p>*** SMART grant 2008-2009 rules***
• The maximum award amount for eligible students who have completed between 60 and 93 credit hours* is $4,000.
• The maximum award amount for eligible students who have completed between 94 and the maximum number of hours* required for their degree is $4,000.
• An eligible student cannot receive more than $8,000 total in SMART funding during his/her education.
*Credit hour totals must exclude any CLEP, IB, AP, or remedial course credits as well as any credit hours earned prior to high school graduation. The U.S. Department of Education recently changed the federal regulations that specify the way these credits are calculated for ACG eligibility.</p>

<p>Seems much more sensible and in line with what most people actually do - the original rules seemed to be based on the assumption that students average 12 credit hours a semester - not the case with those I know. In fact I seem to recall seeing the SMART rules when they first came out nd the maximum hours were 96 - I have not seen many (any?) bachelors degrees that only require 96 hours! Which makes me wonder - did the person who wrote the original rules go to college? ;)</p>

<p>(which is not meant as insulting to anyone who did not go to college - I didn't so that would be insulting myself :D )</p>

<p>Hope the school has the rules right - my daughter s/b eligible for the SMART (unless she changes directions) and it would be nice to not lose part of it because of oddly conceived rules!</p>

9

<p>Fresnomom - check with your son's school about when the new rules went into affect in case maybe it might help him out. I have read that FA officers have had much difficulty the first year or two with understanding the rules on these grants.</p>

10

<p>Hope they let schools on the quarter system adjust to semester units- like all the UCs other than Berkeley.</p>

11

<p>They may have rules for the different systems - the above came from my D's school website so they probably only print what is applicable to their system.</p>

<p>On the other hand we are talking about the government here :rolleyes:</p>