Scholarships from NSF grant to benefit transfer students in STEM fields

Scholarships from a National Science Foundation grant will open more opportunities for transfer students in engineering, science and math to attend Northern Arizona University.

According to the NSF, the four-year, $600,000 award supports “academically talented students with demonstrated financial need in attaining baccalaureate degrees in the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences at Northern Arizona University after transfer from community and tribal colleges.”

The award was announced this week by U.S. Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick.

“Our district and our state need a STEM-trained workforce to be competitive in the 21st century,” Kirkpatrick said. “Projects like this make a difference, and they encourage students from our community colleges and tribal colleges to work hard and build a foundation for their future.”

Transfer students in astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, environmental science, geology, engineering, math or physics with at least 24 credits from a two-year college with a cumulative 3.0 GPA will be eligible for the scholarships.

A total of 42 students will be supported at an average scholarship of $6,000 for each of two years.

NAU Provost Laura Huenneke said, “Financial considerations are often a significant barrier for our community college transfers, and financial constraints can limit how many credit hours a student takes. These scholarships will help students in some of our most demanding degree programs stay enrolled and stay on track to graduate in a more timely way.”