ACG Grants: How to Get a Federal ACG Grant

ACG grants or Academic Competitive Grants are sources of free money for college provided by the United States Department of Education. By filling out a FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a student can determine their eligibility for the ACG grant, as well as a host of other types of federal educational funding, including other grants, loans, scholarships, and work study. ACG grants are different from any other federal programs
in that one of their central requirements is that a student be “academically competitive” and meet certain minimum GPA requirements. In addition, students will need to meet these other requirements in order to qualify for the Academic Competitiveness Grant:

1.) Student must be enrolled at an accredited institution in an approved two or four year degree program.
2.) Student must be enrolled at least half time. Students that drop below half time during the year place themselves in jeopardy of losing ACG funds.
3.) Using the FAFSA, the student must be qualified for the federal Pell grant in order to qualify for the ACG.
4.) Student must be a citizen of the United States or otherwise be an eligible non-citizen who is qualified for federal financial aid programs.
5.) In general, students must maintain an overall 3.0 GPA or grade point average. Students that drop below this level could lose ACG funds that were previously disbursed, and sometimes even owe a refund of ACG funds used.
6.) Students must demonstrate financial need via the FAFSA. This may require certain documentation to verify your particular financial situation.
7.) Other types of aid, such as other grants or scholarships, may reduce the amount of an Academic Competitiveness Grant.

Students who wish to apply for the ACG need only to fill out a FAFSA. The ACG is available on a yearly basis, and some government officials have indicated that the grant may soon run out of funding. For this reason, it is imperative that students apply for the ACG now in order to maximize their chances of receiving the grant, which provides up to $750 for first year students and up to $1300 for second year students. FAFSA’s are available at more than 4,000 schools nationwide, making it very likely that the ACG or Academic Competitiveness Grant will be available at your school.

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