CNN.com reported that “the Bush administration on [last] Tuesday declared which high school programs are rigorous enough to qualify students for college aid.” What does this mean for students at your school?

For starters, only college freshmen and sophomores who complete a rigorous high school course of study can receive certain new grants approved by Congress. “In creating the math and science grants for poorer students, Congress ordered Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to judge which high school programs are challenging.”

Students will qualify if they:

Have an advanced or honors high school diploma, as offered in at least 19 states.

Completed the courses of the State Scholars Initiative, a congressionally backed program. It requires students to take four years of English, three years of math, three years of lab science, three and a half years of social studies, and two years of a language other than English. Fourteen states have the program now, and eight more are starting soon.

Finished a set of courses similar to the State Scholars curriculum.

Taken at least two Advanced Placement or International Baccalaureate courses and passed the tests in both subjects.

Beyond those four options, states may also submit their own idea of what a rigorous course of study means, for review by Spellings. Those are due by June 1.

Starting this fall, grants of $750 will be available for college freshmen and $1,300 for sophomores. Juniors and seniors can receive up to $4,000 a year.