Published: July 10, 2006 08:26 am      

New grants available for needy students

Qualified Pell Grant-eligible students are being urged to apply for new grants worth between $750 and $4,000 that will help make college more affordable.

The new Academic Competitiveness (AC) grants and the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) grants provide $790 million in funding this fall and $4.5 billion over the next five years.

“In an era of rising cost to attend college, this is a wonderful opportunity to reward college students who excelled, while helping to make higher education more affordable,” said Gov. Ernie Fletcher. “These grants will inspire academic excellence and higher education accessibility while making careers in science and math more attractive and affordable. I urge every student to check their availability as soon as possible.”

The grants are part of the Higher Education Reconciliation Act signed into law by Congress in February, according to Shelly Park, director of financial aid at Eastern Kentucky University.

“Students who have filled out their Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) and have been determined to be Pell Grant eligible, do not have to fill out any other forms to receive the new grants,” Park said. “All students who are ruled Pell Grant eligible will receive an e-mail telling them about the new grants. Students who do not qualify for a Pell Grant, but are eligible for student loans, are not eligible for the new grants.”

To receive an Academic Competitiveness Grant, students must be either a freshman or sophomore and have completed a program of rigorous high school course work such as Kentucky’s strict pre-college curriculum, which earns students a Commonwealth Diploma.

The AC grant is $750 for the student’s freshman year and up to $1,300 the second year.

In order to qualify for the SMART grant, students must be a junior or senior majoring in computer and information science, biology, math, statistics, chemistry or physics, and have a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average. The SMART grants are worth $4,000.

“Math, science and critical foreign language skills are the new currency in our global economy. To ensure our nation’s economic competitiveness, we must first expect high academic performance from our students,” said U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings.

The U.S. Department of Education estimates that approximately 500,000 students will qualify to receive the new grants.

Students attending any college or university that takes part in the Federal Aid Program are automatically eligible for the grants.

Students can find additional information about the grants at www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov or by calling 4FEDAID (1-800-433-3243).

Bob Flynn can be reached at 624-6694 or at bflynn@richmondregister.com.