The Federal Pell Grant program is a federal aid program that provides financial assistance to students otherwise unable to afford an undergraduate education. Pell grants provide a foundation of Financial Aid to which other aid may be added.
The government currently states that in order to qualify for a Federal Pell Grant the citizen or eligible non-citizen must be either enrolled or accepted for enrollment at an accredited college. To find out if you qualify for Pell you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, (FAFSA).
A Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need--that is, students with the lowest Expected Family Contributions (EFCs)--and who also qualify to receive Federal Pell Grants.
The U.S. Department of Education guarantees that each participating school will receive enough money to pay the Federal Pell Grants of its eligible students. There's no guarantee every eligible student will be able to receive an FSEOG; students at each school may be awarded an FSEOG based on the availability of funds at that school.
An Academic Competitiveness Grant will provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study to full-time students who are U.S citizens, eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, and who had successfully completed a rigorous high school program, as determined by the state or local education agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. Second year students must also have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0.
A National SMART Grant will provide up to $4,000 for each of the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full-time students who are U.S. citizens, eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, and majoring in physical, life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or in a foreign language determined critical to national security. The student must also have maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 in coursework required for the major. The National SMART Grant award is in addition to the student's Pell Grant award.
