A major barrier to a student pursuing degrees in the STEM fields, especially one who is financially disadvantaged, is his/her need to work a significant number of hours to support themselves and/or a family while carrying the demanding load of a STEM major. This project is providing scholarships that will lower this major barrier for our STEM majors and motivate our students while they are attending and preparing for transfer to a four-year institution. The S-STEM scholars receive major support through the established Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) Program. S-STEM scholars are also divided into small faculty-led cohorts of students based on their majors. These cohorts provide mentoring, academic and social support, and professional development guidance. Our program targets those students who are traditionally underrepresented: however, assistance will be available to any STEM student attending the institution who meets the minimum requirements. This program is increasing the number of students who successfully complete their coursework and transfer to 4-year institutions in a STEM field. It is anticipated that this programmatic model can be adapted for use with other MESA Programs throughout the state and other community colleges.
