Financial Aid Federal Grants
Grants are gift aid that does not have to be repaid. A student's aid package includes grant funds whenever guidelines and funding levels permit.
This grant is available to undergraduates who meet federal eligibility. The offered amounts reflect full-time status. Payment is adjusted based upon enrolled hours (12+ hours = full-time, 9-11 hours = three-quarter-time, 6-8 hours = half time, 1-5 hours = less than half-time). Link to the Department of Education for more information.
Students with Social Security Changes
Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART)
The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) and the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART) are two new federal grants available to undergraduate students. You must meet very specific criteria to be eligible.
The ACG is for first and second year students who:
- are U.S. citizens
- are receiving the federal Pell Grant
- graduated from high school either after January 1, 2005 or January 1, 2006
- followed a rigorous high school curriculum** or completed at least two AP courses with a minimum score of 3 or two IB classes with a minimum score of 4.
- are attending UNC full time by the end of the drop/add period
Second-year students must meet all the criteria above as well as have a minimum grade point average (GPA) at UNC of 3.0. A second-year student is defined as having completed satisfactorily at least 30 credit hours.
The National SMART Grant is for third or fourth year students who:
- are U.S. citizens
- are receiving the federal Pell Grant
- are enrolled full time by the end of the drop/add period
- have cumulative 3.0 GPA each semester
- are majoring in one of the following fields of study at UNC:
- Computer Science
- Foreign Language
- Life Sciences
- Mathematics
- Physical Sciences
- Technology
These criteria are reviewed on a semester by semester basis to determine new or continued eligibility.
The ACG and National SMART grant are funds that do not need to be repaid, but they must fit into your need-based financial aid awards. Other aid may have to be reduced to accommodate the grant. If you receive scholarships that meet all or part of your need, your grant will be reduced or cancelled accordingly. Any semester in which you do not receive a Pell Grant disqualifies you from receiving the ACG or SMART.
Funding for the ACG and SMART grants are made at the federal level as determined by Congress. The ACG is $750 in the first year and $1300 in the second year long as you have completed 30 credit hours and meet all other criteria.
The National SMART Grant is $4,000 in either the third or fourth year and you are restricted to one grant for each of the third and fourth academic years in an eligible program.
You may receive notice from the U.S. Department of Education that you may qualify but it is still up to UNC to determine your eligibility for either of these grants. If you are eligible, you will be awarded. You must meet satisfactory academic progress standards and attend full time (15 credit hours per semester) as well as meet the specific grant criteria.
**According to federal regulations, a rigorous high school curriculum must have included 4 years of English; 3 years each of math, including Algebra and higher level course (Algebra II, Geometry, Statistics); science, including two courses from biology, chemistry and physics, and social studies; and 1 year of a foreign language. A final high school transcript must be submitted to the Admissions Office at UNC.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG or SEOG)
Available to full-time undergraduates with exceptional financial need. Consideration will be given only to students who have the lowest family contribution and will also receive a Federal Pell Grant.