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Higher
Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA) Information- Frequently Asked
Questions on ACG and National SMART Grants
- Eligible Major & Program of Study Updated on 10-30-2006 Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Eligible Major & Program of StudyQ1:
Does a student have to be in an acceptable major to receive ACG in the
first two years?
Q1: Does a student have to be in an acceptable major to receive ACG in the first two years?
A1: No. The student’s major only applies to the SMART grant. Although there are many similarities between ACG and SMART, they are two completely separate grants. It is possible that students eligible for ACG in the first two years will have a major that also qualifies them for a SMART grant in years 3 and 4, but there is no requirement. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q2: Where can we find specific information as to which majors are eligible for SMART grants? Are CIP codes used do determine the exact major?
A2: You can find it by going to www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov and clicking on the link in the opening text which says "Academic Competitiveness grant and National SMART grant." On the next page, scroll down to the information on National SMART. There is a direct link to the entire list of majors and their corresponding CIP codes. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q3: Are students who are in Teacher Education programs but who are majoring in Math or Science eligible for SMART grants?
A3: The student must major in math or science as the primary major. Teacher Education can be a second major or a minor, but "teacher education" with a concentration in math or science does not qualify. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q4: Who is responsible for monitoring majors for SMART grants?
A4: The president signs the institutional participation agreement (PPA). The Department of Education does not prescribe how the institution manages the work associated with student financial aid as long as there are proper internal controls. During a program review or audit the reviewer will ask to see the records maintained by the entity responsible for maintaining institutional academic records for other purposes. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q5: Once a SMART grant has been disbursed, how often throughout the semester does the major have to be monitored?
A5: The major must be monitored at the end of each grading period and before the disbursement for the next payment period. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q6: If a student is a dual major, and only one qualifies for SMART, can they get the full grant?
A6: Yes. The student in a dual major, where only one is an eligible major under the SMART grant, can receive the SMART grant. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q7: For the 3rd and 4th year SMART Grants, are the students self-identifying major and other requirements or is the school identifying these students?
A7: No. There is not a "self-identification" process for SMART. An institution must confirm from that the SMART student is eligible by looking at its own records. However, an institution must certify the student's self-identification for an ACG. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q8: If our students do not declare a major, what is required to be verified to show that a student is taking courses (has intent) towards a major? Do we have to review the courses taken each semester?
A8: If the school policy does not require a major before the 3rd year, a student must show intent to declare major by enrolling in relevant courses leading towards the intended major. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q9: What is the effect if a student receives part of a National SMART Grant, and then mid-semester or mid-year changes majors to a field that is not eligible?
A9: If a student changes their major mid-semester or mid-year, they do not lose the portion of the grant that was already disbursed to them. However, the student can not receive any further disbursements of SMART past the date that the major was changed. Posted on 7/17/2006
Q10: What happens if a student changes from an ineligible National SMART Grant major to an eligible major?
A10: If an otherwise eligible student changes to an eligible major during a payment period (semester or other term) the student may receive a SMART Grant beginning with that entire payment period, but not for past payment periods. If a student changes to an eligible major between payment periods the student may receive a SMART Grant beginning with the upcoming payment period, but not for any past payment periods. Posted on 10/30/2006
Q11: How often will the list of eligible majors change?
A11: The National SMART Grant eligible majors will be reviewed annually. Any changes that are made as a result of the annual review will be posted to our websites. Any student who received a SMART Grant based upon being in a major that has been deleted from one year to the next may continue to receive SMART Grant funds as long as he or she is still in that major. Posted on 10/30/2006
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