The Financial Aid for Science and Technology students Enhanced by Research (FASTER) Student Grant Program is awarding an average of $5,000 per year to 26 academically talented students who demonstrate financial need, offsetting a significant portion of the need-based loan portion of each student's financial aid package, and is renewable for up to four years (provided the student meets eligibility requirements as outlined by the program). The average size of the awards is based on extensive student data. The University is using the FASTER Student Grant Program primarily as a recruiting tool for prospective students, by selecting entering students during each of the four years of this grant. First-generation college students are targeted, with the goal of increasing the diversity of students majoring in the participating departments. Scholarship recipients receive targeted student support through this program as well as existing Trinity services. The FASTER Program provides research opportunities for scholarship recipients early in their undergraduate career. Twelve competitive FASTER Program Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships are available for FASTER scholars. Participating STEM departments are Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering Science, Geosciences, Mathematics, and Physics & Astronomy.
Intellectual Merit: The university provides a wide range of student support services, from academic support to career counseling/job placement. Trinity has a long record of excellence in research with undergraduates, especially in the STEM fields. Funding for undergraduate research comes from a wide range of internal and external sources. Due to its strong support system and undergraduate research, Trinity ranks in the top 50 overall in Baccalaureate Origins of S&E Doctorate Recipients.
STEM faculty, administration, and staff across the university are providing effective and efficient management of all aspects of FASTER programming. The FASTER Program builds directly from experience with the current FAST Student Grant Program and strong ties with Allies-First Generation, Underrepresented Students (FGUS), the McNair Scholars Program, Noyce/Upward Bound, the Summer Research Program, and other Trinity student support services. The Program is strengthening this current support network to ensure quality advising and mentoring of undergraduate students in the STEM majors to enhance student learning, confidence, performance, retention to graduation, and career or higher education placement.
Broader Impacts: Trinity University's emphasis on recruiting first-generation students increases the diversity of the participating departments, as well as the overall student body, because first-generation students are more likely to have greater financial needs and to come from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Non-first generation college students who come from underrepresented groups are also heavily recruited. Because Trinity has a strong record of placing students into quality graduate programs, the Program not only provides first-generation college students and those from underrepresented groups access to a high quality education, it also increases the likelihood that these students will pursue post-graduate education. Institutional support systems are being strengthened through grant activities as various campus constituents are brought together to promote and support the Program. The high quality undergraduate research programs in which FASTER students can participate (many of which are NSF supported) each have their own and varied societal benefits that are some of the desired outcomes of the research activities.
