
The 2005 Reconciliation Act introduced two new grant programs for undergraduates under the Higher Education Act (HEA). This includes the Academic Competitiveness Grant and the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant program.
They were made available for the school year of 2006-20027 and have helped tens of thousands of students to pay for their college.
Both of these programs were launched for financial assistance for students and to motivate them to take challenging courses for high school education.
Apart from this federal student aid, striving students can apply for other financial assistance options. We have discussed the Student Aid Application in our College Evently article, so you can understand it better by reading it. These are the options for financial aid that are provided by the government and include scholarships, Pell Grants, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG). The access to each of them is through the Federal Application For Student Aid (FAFSA).
The Academic Competitiveness Grant
The ACG provides approximately $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study to full-time United States resident students. It is a need-based grant assistance that helps students meet their educational expenses. As it is awarded to academically promising undergraduates, income or financial need is not the only thing that is considered; your grades and past academic performance also matter.
An important thing to remember is that the amount you receive as ACG, combined with the award of your Pell Grant, can not exceed the total cost of attending your education.
How To Apply For An Academic Competitiveness Grant
To be eligible for ACG, a student must be eligible for a Pell Grant. Applying for this federal student aid is through the Federal Aid For Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which can be filled out online or mailed to the agency specified on the form.
The eligibility of applicants to receive a grant is calculated by the Department of Education.
Eligibility For Academic Competitiveness Grant
To be eligible for Educational Aids, students have to meet the following criteria.
Requirements
The award is given on the basis of leadership, scholarship, and financial aid. Some of its requirements are
Frequently Asked Questions

There are different factors that can make a grant competitive and make it stand out of the crowd. However, for an ACG, your grant becomes competitive if you promote your academic success, as financial need is not the only criterion for getting it.
As discussed above, this grant was offered under the Higher Education Act (HEA). It is a Federal award awarded to financially needy undergraduates in the first or second year of their studies.