a federal student aid grant program that may provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study.
How
do I qualify?
To qualify for an ACG, you must:
 |
Be eligible to receive a Federal Pell Grant |
|
Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen |
|
Be a first or second year undergraduate student |
|
Have successfully completed a rigorous high school program of study after January 1, 2006 (if you are a first year student). |
|
Have successfully completed a rigorous high school program of study after January 1, 2005 (if you are a second year student). |
|
Be enrolled in a degree program on at least a half-time basis |
|
Have at least a 3.0 GPA (if you are a second year student). |
What is meant by "successfully completed a rigorous high school program"?
The U.S. Department of Education has defined what constitutes a "rigorous high school program" for the purposes of ACG eligibility. For students from New York, the following is considered evidence of having met this requirement:
| 1. |
The New York Regents Diploma with Honors or Advanced Designation |
| 2. |
Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and test scores |
| |
- |
at least 2 AP courses with exam scores of 3 or higher |
| |
- |
at least 2 IB courses with exam scores of 4 or higher |
| 3. |
Received passing grades in the following set of courses: |
| |
- |
4 years of English |
| |
- |
3 years of Math (including Algebra I and a higher level course such as Algebra II, Geometry or Data Analysus and Statistics) |
| |
- |
3 years of science (including at least 1 year each of at least 2 of the following courses: Biology, Chemistry, or Physics) |
| |
- |
3 years of social studies |
| |
- |
1 year of a language other than English |
If you completed high school in another state, check here to see what programs have been designated as eligible in your state.
How
much do I receive?
If eligible, you may receive up to
|
$750 for the 1st academic year of study (0-24 degree credits) |
|
$1300 for the 2nd academic year of study (more than 24 degree credits) |
You may receive one ACG award in each academic year for which you are eligible. The yearly grant amount will be pro-rated by semester and by enrollment status.
ACG Maximum Semester Award Amounts |
| |
Full-time |
3/4-time |
1/2-time |
| 1st yr |
$375.00 |
$281.50 |
$187.50 |
2nd yr |
$650.00 |
$487.50 |
$325.00 |
The amount of the grant, in combination with the Federal Pell Grant, other resources and estimated financial assistance, cannot exceed your financial need.
How
do I apply?
Apply by completing a FAFSA and answering the ACG questions. Based on the information provided on the FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education will notify you of your potential ACG eligibility on your Federal Student Aid Report (SAR).
When will I receive
the award?
After receiving notification from the Dept. of Education of your potential eligibility, the college will verify your eligibility by checking your high school diploma or transcripts. In most cases, once your eligibility is determined, you will receive your semester ACG at the same time as your scheduled Pell Grant disbursement.
Who do I contact if
I have questions?
If you have any questions concerning your eligibility for
an ACG, please speak to a representative in
the Financial Aid Office.
You may learn more about this and other new federal financial aid programs at http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov. |
