<p>Next year I will be a transfer student to a state university from a community college. I have never filled out a fafsa, nor recieved financial aid, because I have parents who refuse to fill out their portion of the fafsa.</p>
<p>Next year though, when I transfer, I plan on applying for aid for the first time. This book I got from the library, "Paying For College Without Going Broke", published by the Princeton Review, says :</p>
<p>*"The Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant... Award amounts can range up to $750 for the first year and $1300 for the second year. For the ACG, students must also have completed a "rigorous" secondary school program of study...Second year students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on the 4.0 scale for their first year of study"</p>
<p>The National Science and MAthematic Access to Retain Talent Grant... This new federal grant program... is restricted to third and fourth year college students who are majoring in certain technical and other "high need" fields of study... They must also have a t least a 3.0 GPA ..."*</p>
<p>So... I will be transferring as a Junior, but it will be... technically speaking... my... 5th year of college (it has been a long and crazy journey, involving technical school and periods of extreme part time studentness. But when I actually transfer, I will be the equivalent of a full time junior.) I have a high GPA. </p>
<p>Because I've never received financial aid, would I be classified as a "first year student" for the purposes of these grants (because it would be my "first year" receiving aid), and thus be ineligible for the ACG because I did not have a "rigorous" HS experience back in the day, and ineligible for the SMART grant because I would not be a "third year" financial aid recipient?</p>
<p>Or would I be ineligible for the ACG because I would be a junior, and it only says "second year" students are eligible? </p>
<p>Thanks folks. I'm sorry to be so confused... but I've never done this before!</p>
<p>No, you will not be classified as a first year student (freshman) because you are a junior. If you graduated from high school before 2005, you wouldn't qualify anyway.</p>
<p>You will not qualify for the SMART Grant unless you major in a science or a needed foreign language. Third year means junior.</p>
<p>So because I was a member of the class of 2003, I am too old to qualify for the ACG? </p>
<p>And I plan on double majoring in Chemistry and Food Science. So I was thinking the Chem major would be my foot in the door for the SMART? </p>
<p>This book doesn't have information about the "you must be graduation class of 2005 or later" requirement for the ACG grant... nor does it have a whole lot of information which is applicable for non-traditional students (independent, transfer, etc...)</p>
<p>Could anyone could recommend resources (books or websites or whatever) which WOULD provide information relevant to my financial aid situation as a non-traditional, independent, transfer student?</p>
<p>Note: You must be in a program that has a CIP code that is on the government list. NO exceptions!!</p>
<p>ALSO: You must be enrolled in at least one course that counts directly toward the requirements of your major in order to receive the SMART in that term.</p>
<p>If you do not make third year status yet when you transfer, you won't be eligible until you do. Schools have different methods of calculating this status available to them, so you will need to check with your school to see if meet their critera for the third year status necessary to get the SMART grant.</p>
<p>Also, note that your SMART grant will be adjusted if your Pell and SMART together are more than your Cost of Attendance.</p>