Prince George's Community College (PGCC) is providing 20 scholarships per year for four years to STEM students in the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry, Computer Information Science, Engineering, Computer Science, Information Security, and Engineering Technology to encourage full-time enrollment until associate degree attainment and/or transfer. Research shows that students enrolled full-time are more likely to transfer within four years; students with grants, such as scholarships, are more likely to graduate; and community college students who transfer with an associate degree are more likely to complete a bachelor's degree. Thus, scholarships tied to a full-time enrollment requirement are likely to increase graduation and transfer rates.
Students are recruited from the STEM Collegian Center (a STEM learning community), from STEM majors, and from prospective high school graduates interested in STEM careers through a variety of recruitment activities and materials. PGCC has a minority majority student body, mainly African-American, and has had declining STEM enrollments. The scholarships, STEM Collegian Center membership, faculty mentoring, optional enrichment activities, and well-established support structures benefit a population that has been underrepresented in STEM careers.
Activities supported by the program include specialized workshops presented by faculty and by student support services and financial aid staff on a variety of topics. These workshops foster valuable skills to better prepare the scholars for advanced studies and a professional life in their chosen STEM field. Optional team project competitions and faculty research collaborations lead to opportunities for regional and national conference presentations. The evaluation plan includes qualitative as well as quantitative measures. Dissemination of best practices and outcomes is planned at many venues.
