Academic Competitiveness (AC) Grants
The AC Grant is available to full-time freshman and sophomore Pell Grant recipients
that are U.S. citizens and have completed a rigorous secondary school program
of study. Freshmen must have graduated from high school after Jan. 1,
2006 and the maximum award is $750 per academic year. Sophomores must
have graduated from high school after Jan. 1, 2005, must have at least a cumulative
3.0 GPA after their first year of college study, and the maximum award is $1300
per academic year. Read the U.S.
Department of Education press release for more information.
Tennessee Recognized Rigorous Secondary School Programs of Study
The below information is current as of April 2007. Information is subject to change without prior notice.
The eligibility options for a student graduating from secondary school in Tennessee during the 2005 or 2006 calendar years are:
- Tennessee Scholars. This program, part of the national State Scholars Initiative and patterned after the recommendations of the National Commission on Excellence in Education, requires at least:
- Four credits in English
- Four credits in math (including Algebra I, Algebra II, geometry and one higher level course)
- Three credits in science (Biology 1, and two other lab sciences)
- Three credits in social studies (chosen from U.S. and world history, geography, economics, and government)
- Two credits in the same foreign language
- One credit in business/computer related course
- One credit in wellness
- One credit in fine arts
- Two credits in technical courses in same technical track
- Twenty hours of community service
- Overall C average in all Tennessee Scholars courses
- 95 percent attendance
- No out-of-school suspensions
- A set of courses similar to the State Scholars Initiative. This program of study requires passing grades in the following:
- Four years of English;
- Three years of Math (including Algebra I and a higher level course such as Algebra II, Geometry, or Data Analysis and Statistics);
- Three years of science (including at least two courses from biology, chemistry or physics);
- Three years of social studies; and
- One year of a foreign language.
- Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses and test scores. This program requires a minimum of two Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses in high school and a minimum passing score on the exams for those classes. Students must score 3 or higher on AP exams and 4 or higher on IB exams.
- Tennessee University Path Curriculum. This program requires:
- Four years of English;
- Three years of math (including Algebra, Algebra II, and Geometry);
- Three years of science (including biology, and at least one physical science course);
- Three years of social studies;
- Two year of the same foreign language; and
- One year of the fine arts.
- Tennessee Dual Enrollment Program. Students must successfully complete a minimum of six (6) credit-bearing college coursework in core content subjects with at least a 2.75 high school GPA.
Click here to view the Tennessee Recognized Rigorous Secondary School Programs of Study as a pdf.
