Federal Grants: Federal Pell Grants
The Federal Pell Grant is awarded to students based upon their level of enrollment and Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The Federal Pell Grant is considered “portable,” meaning that, for a given academic year, an eligible student would receive the same Pell Grant at any university.
Details
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, awards range from $304 to $5350.
- Awards are based on a combination of EFC and level of enrollment:
- EFC range of $0-$4617.
- Levels of awards for full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-than-halftime enrollment; minimum enrollment is 1 credit hour per semester.
- Eligibility is based upon the number of enrolled hours at the end of the first week of classes.
- A student must be pursuing their first undergraduate degree.
- A FAFSA must be filed.
- The Federal Pell Grant is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
Federal Grants: Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is a federal, campus-based grant. This means that federal funds are provided to individual universities to administer at their discretion (although always within federally governed parameters); Federal SEOG amounts and eligibility requirements may therefore vary from university to university.
At Indiana University Bloomington, Federal SEOG details are as follows:
- A student must have an EFC of 0.
- A student must be receiving a Pell Grant (and thus be working on their first undergraduate degree).
- A student must be enrolled at least half time.
- The FAFSA must be filed by the IUB priority deadline (March 1).
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, the amount of the award is $1000.
- The Federal SEOG is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
- Awards are made until funding is exhausted.
Federal Grants: Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
The Academic Competitiveness (AC) Grant is a need-based federal grant for high-ability freshman and sophomore students.
Details
- A FAFSA must be filed.
- A student must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant (and thus have an EFC of $4617 or less and be working on their first undergraduate degree); however, not all Pell recipients are ACG-eligible, since the ACG is also based on academic achievement.
- A student must be a first- or second-year, degree-seeking student.
- First-year students must have completed their secondary-school program after January of 2006.
- Second-year students must have completed their secondary-school program after January of 2005.
- A student must be enrolled at least half-time
- Enrollment status is based upon the number of enrolled hours at the end of the first week of classes.
- A student must have completed a “rigorous” secondary-school program; second-year students must also have at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, $750 is the maximum award for first-year students; $1300 is the maximum award for second-year students.
- The amount is prorated for students enrolled less than full-time.
- The ACG is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
Federal Grants: National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant
The National SMART Grant is a federal grant for junior and senior students. The program recognizes high-achieving Federal Pell Grant recipients majoring in particular academic programs.
Details
- A student must be receiving a Federal Pell Grant (and thus have an EFC of $4617 or less and be working on their first undergraduate degree).
- A student must be a third- or fourth-year, full-time, degree-seeking student.
- A student must be majoring in physical, life, or computer science; engineering; mathematics; technology; or a critical foreign language.
- A student must be completing coursework at an appropriate pace for their declared major as determined by their academic department.
- A student must be enrolled at least half-time
- Enrollment status is based upon the number of enrolled hours at the end of the first week of classes.
- A student must have at least a 3.0 GPA in their major field of study.
- Eligible students will be identified automatically by major.
- For the 2009-2010 academic year, $4000 is the maximum award for both third- and fourth-year students.
- The amount is prorated for students enrolled less than full-time.
- The SMART Grant is a need-based award and thus counts towards fulfilling a student’s overall need figure.
