Federal grants for undergraduates

MIT administers four federal grant programs you’ll automatically be considered for when you apply for financial aid each year. If you’re eligible, we include these federal grants in your aid package. 

Pell Grant
– A grant from $400 to $4,310 per year to undergraduates with the greatest financial need. MIT will match your Pell Grant with additional funding over and above any MIT scholarship you receive, meaning that your MIT Pell Matching Grant will be used to reduce or eliminate your self-help.

Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
– A grant of $750 for freshmen and $1,300 for sophomores who are already receiving a Pell Grant. Recipients must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be enrolled full-time
• Complete a rigorous secondary school program as defined by the U.S. Department of Education, or at least two Advanced Placement courses with a passing test score of 3, or two International Baccalaureate courses with a passing test score
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) to qualify for the grant as sophomores

National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART Grant)
– A grant of $4,000 for juniors and seniors who are already receiving a Pell Grant and who are majoring in science, technology or certain foreign languages. Recipients must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be enrolled full-time
• Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) in their major field

We'll deduct the dollar amount of your Pell, ACG or National SMART Grant from your self-help amount, so you can work fewer hours at your term-time job and/or borrow less in student loans.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Award (Federal SEOG)
– A grant of up to $4,000 per year to undergraduates with the greatest financial need.

Since we administer the Federal SEOG program and choose the recipients, we don’t reward you by reducing your self-help; the Federal SEOG reduces your MIT scholarship.