GAO Says Recent Eligibility Changes, Awareness Campaigns Could Increase ACG & SMART Participation

GAO Says Recent Eligibility Changes, Awareness Campaigns Could Increase ACG && SMART Participation

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a report on March 25, 2009 about the Federal ACG and SMART Grant programs. Due to lower than expected participation in ACG and SMART in the first year of their existence, the GAO was asked to determine what factors affected ACG and SMART Grant student participation; what challenges colleges face in administering the grant programs; and the extent to which Education has assisted states and colleges with implementation.

The GAO found that the requirement to complete a rigorous program of study in high school was one of the biggest barriers to ACG participation, while the requirement to take at least one course each semester in the student's SMART-eligible major, such as science, technology, and math, was the biggest barrier to SMART Grant participation. A relatively short implementation time line also affected some colleges' ability to identify eligible students.

The GAO reported that recent legislative changes taking effect on July 1, 2009 will expand eligibility and thus increase participation in both grant programs. NASFAA understands that the Department is currently working on an Interim Final Rule regarding these changes, which is expected to be released in the next weeks.

Because both ACG and SMART are scheduled to expire after the 2010-2011, the GAO recommended only that the Secretary of Education should take appropriate and timely steps to further assist states and colleges in implementing the grant programs by developing a strategy to increase awareness of the ACG and SMART Grant programs among states and high schools while minimizing the administrative challenges faced by colleges. The strategy could include developing promotional materials about the grant programs and disseminating information about actions states are taking to promote awareness of the grant programs.

You can read the entire GAO report online.

Posted 03/31/09 to www.NASFAA.org. Redistribution to non-NASFAA institutions is prohibited. Please submit Web site questions or comments to Web@NASFAA.org.