The National Science Foundation granted
Grand Valley State University $500,000 to go toward financial assistance for low-income students interested in engineering and science degrees.
The four-year grant will allow administrators to recruit and award scholarships to 32 students in each year of the grant.
"Nationally, engineering enrollments have not been keeping up with the needs of industry for a number of years," said Paul Plotkowski, dean of the Padnos College of Engineering. "Far too often, students who begin engineering programs step out of college for financial reasons. This program is intended to help students avoid or minimize the need to earn money to pay for college during the most demanding years of an engineering program."
Jann Joseph, associate dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, said the first step is to begin recruiting students who could qualify for the need-based scholarships.
And that is already underway. She said interviews should be conducted in January and scholarship awards made in April.
Scholarship recipients will be placed in a cohort that allows for peer tutoring and faculty support, Plotkowski said.
Source: GVSU
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