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Education Reconciliation Act of 2005 (HERA) Information- Frequently Asked
Questions on ACG and National SMART Grants
- Rigorous Course of Study and Requirements Updated 10-30-2006 Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Rigorous Course of Study and Requirements Q1:
What is considered rigorous program criteria for home school students? Q1: What is considered rigorous program criteria for home school students? A1: Based on the criteria of rigorous, it is possible that a student has met one of the Secretary's pre-approved criteria even though the student was home schooled. The parent will be responsible for providing documentation that the student has completed one of the rigorous definitions. Posted on 7/17/2006 Q2: What is the foreign language requirement as it relates to rigorous program criteria? A2: The Secretary has recognized a set of course work that is similar to the State Scholars Program, which is one way that a student from any state can qualify to receive an ACG grant. This set of course work requires one year of a foreign language. For 08-09, the secretary stated that there will be a 2 year foreign language requirement. It is the secretary’s intention that the definition of rigorous continues to become more strict over time. The Secretary has also recognized alternative sets of eligible course work for those states that submitted programs. These programs may vary in the number of years required for a foreign language. Further information on eligible state rigorous secondary programs of study can be found at: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/attachments/0713HERAOperGuidanceAttachA.xls Federal Regulations for the ACG, as well as other HERA changes, can be found in the Federal Register, Vol. 71, No. 127 as posted on Monday, July 3, 2006. Posted on 7/17/2006 Q3: Do private schools qualify as rigorous programs of study? A3: The ACG grant is not limited to public school attendance only. Students who attend private high schools are eligible if they meet the rigorous criteria. Posted on 7/17/2006 Q4: What about states that do not have an approved rigorous program of study? Can they award ACG to students? A4: If a state does not have an approved rigorous program, the student may be eligible based on completing the coursework identified in the Secretary's letter on 5/3/06 or by meeting the AP or IB requirements. Students are eligible to receive ACG at a college or university located in a state that did not specify a rigorous program of study. Rigorous applies to the student's secondary curriculum, not the state in which the student attends college. The school must be sure that they have the documentation that supports the awarding of the grant on this basis. Posted on 7/17/2006 Q5: Are there specific courses that meet the need for rigorous programs? (i.e. What types of Math or Science classes qualify a student?) A5: The Secretary has recognized a set of course work that is similar to the State Scholars Initiative Program. This is one way that students from any state can qualify to receive an ACG. This set of course work requires at least 3 years of math, including Algebra I and a higher level class such as Algebra II, Geometry, or Analysis and Statistics. For science, students must have at least 3 years, including one year of at least two of the following courses--Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The Secretary has also recognized additional sets of eligible course work for those states that submitted programs. Further information on eligible state rigor programs can be found at: http://www.ifap.ed.gov/eannouncements/attachments/0713HERAOperGuidanceAttachA.xls Posted on 7/17/2006 Q6: If a student was not eligible for a first year ACG because their secondary program of study was not deemed "rigorous," but the student achieves a 3.0 or better in the first year and meets all other requirements, can the student receive a second year ACG? A6: No. The Academic Competitiveness Grant requires that a student complete a rigorous secondary program of study. If the student does not qualify for a first year award because he/she did not meet the rigor requirement, then he/she is not eligible to receive a first nor second year ACG grant. However, eligibility for SMART Grants does not require completion of a rigorous secondary program. Posted on 7/17/2006 Q7: What classes are considered to be "Social Studies" classes to meet the rigor requirement for ACG? A7:If a high school or an admissions department categorizes the class as social studies, then it is also categorized as social studies for the purpose of ACG. These classes can vary, and they include, but are not limited to: History, Geography, Sociology, Civics, Economics, and Humanities. Posted on 7/17/2006 Q8: How do we use AP test scores when the high school students don't take the AP exam until after we are reviewing them for eligibility? (incoming freshmen) A8: Both the coursework and the grade on the tests are required to use this option; therefore, if the student does not meet one of the other options, the school could not make the award to the student until after knowing the results of the test. Posted on 7/17/2006 Q9: Does the high school of graduation need to be accredited? A9: No, the Federal Regulations published on July 3, 2006 do not state as a requirement that students graduate from an accredited institution. Posted on 10/30/2006 Q10: For the 2007-2008 academic year would all 2nd year ACG recipients have to be participants in the ACG program in their 1st academic year? A10: It is likely that most second year ACG recipients in 2007-2008 would have been recipients of a first year ACG. However, some students may be eligible in their second year but not in their first due to changes in enrollment status, citizenship, or Pell Grant eligibility. As a reminder, to receive a second year ACG the student must have a GPA from their first academic year of at least 3.0. Posted on 10/30/2006 Q11: If our state has a unique recognized state plan among its several options for students to qualify under a rigorous program of study for the ACG award, is that the only way that students can qualify? A11: No, students
may qualify under any of the options listed for that state. The following
website should be helpful when determining whether a students has met
the rigorous secondary school program of study requirement. Q12: Does an ESL (English as a Second Language) course count towards the English requirement for ACG? A12: If the state or high school district allows an ESL course to meet its high school English graduation requirements, then it can meet the English requirement for a rigorous high school program of study. Posted on 10/30/2006 Q13: Is American Sign Language considered a language other than English? A13: Yes, American Sign Language is considered a language other than English when determining if a student (whether hearing impaired or not) meets rigorous standards for the ACG award. Posted on 10/30/2006 Q14: For ACG rigorous program, does a computer programming language count as a language other than English? A14: No, computer-programming languages do not count as a language other than English. Posted on 10/30/2006 Q15: What do we do if a student attended a high school that was only grades 10-12? The high school transcript does not show what courses were taken in 9th grade. A15: In instances where the student completed the secondary school curriculum in a system where the high school did not include grade 9, colleges should use their normal processes for ensuring that coursework completed in grade 9 is included. That said, if the grades 10-12 high school transcript shows completion of three years of English, the college can assume that the student completed a year of English in the ninth grade. Additionally, a college can make the following assumptions that will apply not only to coursework completed by the student in grade 9, but courses completed in grades 6 thru 8: If the high school transcript shows completion of the second year of a foreign language, the college can assume that the student completed the first year of that same language. If the high school transcript shows completion of Algebra II, the college can assume that the student completed Algebra I. If the high school transcript shows completion of Geometry and the college knows that the student's high school requires the completion of Algebra I before Geometry can be taken, the college can assume that the student completed Algebra I; otherwise, the college cannot assume Algebra I was completed. Posted on 10/30/2006
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