The Department of Life Sciences at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, a Hispanic serving institution, established the Scholarships To Enhance Life Sciences (STELS) program to assist academically talented, but financially needy life science majors, to successfully complete their baccalaureate degrees. The program offers 15 new and/or continuing scholarships annually to second semester freshmen and first semester sophomores. STELS goals are to: - increase the quantity, quality, diversity and retention of undergraduate students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in life sciences; - increase matriculation into graduate school; and - increase the quality of students entering the workforce.
In order to achieve these goals for life sciences majors, STELS provides scholarships to fulfill the scholarship recipients' unmet financial needs; integrates student support services into STELS activities; presents professional development opportunities to STELS students; encourages interactions between STELS students and students in other scholarship programs; and builds a community for the cohorts of STELS scholars.
Recruitment strategies include brochures, announcements at freshman orientation, and advising sessions and class visits. In addition, targeted recruitment occurs through (a) a First Year Learning Community (FYLC) program which helps students make successful academic and social transitions from high school to the University, and (b) the Honors Program which offers enriched plans of study to highly motivated students who have the ability to excel academically and the desire to develop global perspectives.
