Supporting Undergraduates for Careers in Computing and Engineering with Scholarships and Supervision II (SUCCESS II)

OVERVIEW

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) has received an award of $1.1M from National Science Foundation (NSF) for an S-STEM (Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math program) project to support high-achieving, low-income students majoring in Engineering and Computer Science. This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians. TAMUCC is a Hispanic-Serving and minority-serving institution in South Texas that serves a large proportion of Pell-eligible and transfer students. Over its 6-year duration, this project will provide scholarships to 24 incoming freshmen and transfer undergraduate students who will receive up to four years of scholarship support. The project aims to increase student retention and graduation of scholars through effective co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, such as mentoring, academic counseling, first-year learning communities, undergraduate research, internships, professional development seminars, graduate school preparation, and scientific conferences. The project will retain scholars through a cohort-based learning community augmented by support services tailored for freshmen and transfer students. With the support of a team of faculty, industry, and peer mentors, students will progress toward graduation and prepare to enter graduate school or the workforce. Because TAMUCC has a high population of underrepresented Hispanic students, this project has the potential to broaden participation in STEM fields and to learn how mentoring, first-year learning communities, and research, support the retention and graduation of this student population.

The overall goal of the project is to increase the degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates in the nation’s critical fields of engineering and computer science. More details on the project can be found at NSF’s site by following the link: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2221581&HistoricalAwards=false 

BENEFITS

• Up to $10,000 scholarship award per academic year
• Up to 8 semesters of funding ($40,000)
• Cohort-based learning community augmented by support activities
• Career counseling, academic counseling, and tutoring support services
• Student-Student mentoring with a junior or senior TAMU-CC mentor
• Faculty-Student mentoring based on discipline
• Industry-Student mentoring from industry volunteers 
• Workshops and seminars on soft skills for professionalism
• Undergraduate research participation and internships
• Participation in job fairs, conferences, or symposiums

SCHOLARSHIP ELIGIBILITY

• Be accepted or admitted to TAMU-CC in Engineering or Computer Science major
• US Citizen, US Permanent Resident, or US National
• Talented and has academic potential in an Engineering or Computer Science field
• Demonstrate financial needs (such as Federal Pell Grant eligible)
• Maintain cumulative GPA > 2.9
• Full-time enrollment in an Engineering or Computer Science major

SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

• Complete a SUCCESS Scholarship Application Form
• Three letters of recommendation
• Write a 300-500 word essay describing your interest and goals for your major
• Qualify for financial aid, as determined by TAMU-CC Financial Aid Office (must complete FAFSA form)
• High school or other transcript(s)