Troy University - Financial Aid - Academic Competitiveness Grants

Office of Financial Aid
Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG)

An eligible student may receive an Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) of $750 for the first academic year of study and $1,300 for the second academic year of study. To be eligible for each academic year, a student must:

2006-2007

Be a U.S. citizen;
Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient;
Be enrolled full-time in a degree program;
Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study at a two-year or four-year degree-granting institution;
Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study (after January 1, 2006, if a first-year student, and after January 1, 2005, if a second-year student);
If a first-year student, not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program; and
If a second-year student, have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale (as set forth in regulations to be promulgated soon) for the first academic year.
Students should complete the 2006-2007 ACG Processing Form and submit to Troy University - Troy Campus.

2007-2008

Be a U.S. citizen;
Be a Federal Pell Grant recipient;
Be enrolled full-time in a degree program;
Be enrolled in the first or second academic year of his or her program of study at a two-year or four-year degree-granting institution;
Have completed a rigorous secondary school program of study (after January 1, 2007, if a first-year student, and after January 1, 2006, if a second-year student);
If a first-year student, not have been previously enrolled in an undergraduate program; and
If a second-year student, have at least a cumulative 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale (as set forth in regulations to be promulgated soon) for the first academic year.
Students should complete the 2007-2008 ACG Processing Form and submit to Troy University - Troy Campus.

IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE

May 2006
Final regulations for Academic Competitiveness Grants will be made available for institutional review.
June 1, 2006
Deadline for States to establish and submit to the Secretary of Education an alternate rigorous secondary school program of study for recognition in the 2006-07 academic year.
Late June 2006
States, colleges and students will receive notice of programs that have been recognized as rigorous for grant purposes by the Secretary of Education for the 2006-07 academic year.
July 2006
- The US Department of Education (USDE) notifies Pell eligible students who completed high school after 01/01/06 or second year undergraduates who graduated from high school after 01/01/05 of potential eligibility.
- USDE provides the student a web site to indicate under what rigorous criteria they may be eligible.
- Students will be instructed to send verification of the eligibility criteria to Troy University.
- Students should complete the 2006-2007 ACG Processing Form to Troy University - Troy Campus.
- USDE sends notification of potential eligibility to Troy University.
- Troy University financial aid will show a ACG document on our missing forms screen and will note the date a request was sent to Admissions/Records to verify information.

August 2006
- Troy University financial aid will show a ACG document on our missing forms screen and will note the date a request was sent to Admissions/Records to verify information.
- Troy University Admissions/Records will notify financial aid of student eligibility using records of high school performance and cumulative GPA for 2nd year students for Pell eligible students who attended a secondary school program that has been established as rigorous.
- Troy University financial aid office will note the ACG Form on our Forms Missing screen as received once Admissions/Records has indicated the student's curriculum was rigorous.
November 2006

Troy University financial aid office will award the AC Grant once our software is updated to comply with the recent legislation of the new programs.
We anticipate receiving final regulations on this program by November 1, 2006.

December 2006

The USDE will allow Troy University to be reimbursed for any payments to student accounts for the AC Grant.

January 2007

Final 0607 software was loaded into the Test account for ACG.
Troy will send Missing Information Letters (MILs) to students who self reported eligibility for ACG to FAFSA but never completed a Troy ACG Processing Form.

February 2007

The Financial Aid Office will begin testing in the Test account for ACG.
Troy will send Missing Information Letters (MILs) to students who self reported eligibility for ACG to FAFSA but never completed a Troy ACG Processing Form.
Troy University Financial Services (Student Accounts/Cashier's Office) will begin to disburse the AC Grant to student accounts.

http://www.ed.gov/admins/finaid/about/ac-smart/state-programs06.html

The State Scholars Initiative requirements. Students who participate in and complete the State Scholars program will be eligible. This program, currently offered in fourteen States and patterned after the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, requires at least four years of English, three years of math (including Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry), three years of lab science (biology, chemistry, physics), three-and-one-half years of social studies, and two years of a language other than English.
A required set of courses similar to the State Scholars Initiative. This program of study includes four years of English, three years of Math (including Algebra I and a higher level course such as Algebra II, Geometry, or Data Analysis and Statistics), three years of science (including at least two courses from biology, chemistry or physics), three years of social studies, and one year of a foreign language. The program of study must be completed with passing grades.
Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and test scores. This program requires a minimum of two Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school and a minimum passing score on the exams for those classes. Students must score 3 or higher on AP exams and 4 or higher on IB exams. This recognition is consistent with the Administration's belief that AP and IB courses demand rigor from a student, and complements the Administration's proposal to expand the AP/IB Incentive Program in Fiscal Year 2007.

Click here for the National SMART Grant Program

Office of Financial Aid
134 Adams Administration Building
Troy, Alabama 36082
Phone: 1-800-414-5756
Assistance Available 24 Hours A Day/7 Days A Week