HCC Receives $1 Million Grant for STEM Scholars Program
HOLYOKE — Holyoke Community College (HCC) has been awarded a five-year, $1 million grant from the National Science Foundation that will enable students majoring in STEM fields to qualify for scholarships of as much as $6,500 a year toward tuition and fees.
The scholarships are open to current and incoming HCC students enrolled full-time or part-time in chemistry, biology, biotechnology, environmental science, computer science, engineering, mathematics, physics, or other STEM areas of study.
Students selected for the scholarship awards will become part of HCC’s STEM Scholars 2.0 program. HCC started a STEM Scholars program in 2015 after receiving its first five-year STEM grant from the National Science Foundation.
“We are really excited to be re-funded for this program so we can continue and expand the work that we’ve been doing for the past five years,” said Ileana Vasu, professor of Math and coordinator of HCC’s STEM Scholars program. “The grant not only provides significant money to students for college, but will enable us to focus on culturally relevant practices in STEM that will help us work toward equity in education for all members of our community.”
HCC STEM Scholars are required to complete a one-credit STEM seminar each semester and attend several STEM events each semester they are enrolled in the program. The NSF STEM Scholarships continue each semester students remain in good academic standing.
The scholarship application deadline for the 2020-21 academic year is Friday, Sept. 4. Awards will be announced by Tuesday, Sept. 8, the first day of classes of the fall 2020 semester.
Applicants must be enrolled in a STEM program, demonstrate academic ability or potential, and demonstrate financial need. Full eligibility guidelines for the NSF Scholarship in STEM, as well as a link to the online application, can be found at hcc.edu/stem-scholarship.
