Government Relations Archive

The House passed the Higher Education Act Reauthorization in late March, and now the question is: will the Senate take up the HEA bill or will partisan tensions prevent this? There are some who are convinced the Senate will take up the bill, and others who believe that it will not come to the floor for a vote. My contacts in the Senate think it is doubtful the legislation will see any action before adjournment. Stay tuned.

Effective July 1, 2006, there are two new grant programs created by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2006, signed in February by the President:

Academic Competitiveness Grants for first year undergraduates who can receive up to $750. The requirements are:

-Must be a U.S. citizen
-Pell eligible
-Full-time status
-Have graduated from a high school with a rigorous program after 1/1/06. *There are 22 states that have criteria in place for identifying these schools, and Maryland is not one of them.*

Second-year students who have met the requirements above and have a 3.0 GPA can receive up to $1,300.

National Smart Grants for third and fourth year undergraduates who major in math, science, technology, or certain foreign languages, and maintain a 3.0 GPA in their major.

The requirements are:

-Must be a U.S. citizen
-Pell eligible
-Full-time status

A 3.0 GPA is required for transfer students who can receive up to $4,000.