Capitol College awarded five-year S-STEM grant

Capitol College awarded five-year S-STEM grant

    LAUREL – On August 18, 2008, Capitol College was awarded a $586,000 five-year grant from the National Science Foundation, Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program.

    The NSF S-STEM program issues grants to higher education institutions to support scholarships for academically talented, financially needy students in order for them to enter the workforce in science and engineering disciplines after receiving their degree.

    The majority of the awarded funds will help to establish the Capitol Scholars Program, which will provide funding and support programs for nine specially selected, high-ability, high-need freshmen each year for the next five years, beginning September 1, 2008. Remaining grant funds are allocated for recruitment efforts.

    Scholarship awards will pay for the students’ tuition during their first two years of study in the departments of engineering, computer science, and engineering technology. After two years, Capitol College scholarship funds will be allocated to complete their full, four-year scholarship.

    “Most of Capitol’s students with high need are from disadvantaged backgrounds and often represent the first generation in their family to attend college. These students have great potential for success, but also require significant assistance both academically and financially to stay in college,” said Dianne Veenstra, Vice President for Planning and Assessment. “The NSF- funded Capitol Scholars Program will attract and retain the high-ability students who might not have the resources to attend college or might leave college before completing a degree. This program allows them to enter the workforce as highly-educated engineers and computer scientists.”

    This grant will help to bring the region’s brightest and most motivated young minds to the Capitol College campus to be taught by some of the engineering industry’s top experts. When the students fulfill their scholarships and receive their degrees, they will help to fill the pipeline of engineers in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. region.

    Capitol College is the only independent college in Maryland dedicated to engineering, computer science, information technology and business. Founded in 1927, Capitol College is a regionally accredited institution offering associate, bachelor's and master's degrees, as well as professional development training and certificates. The college's 52-acre campus is located in Laurel, Maryland, a suburban setting midway between Washington, DC and Baltimore. Full-time undergraduate students are eligible for a five-year tuition lock and a job guarantee. All graduate-level degrees are available online, supported by software that delivers live, real-time lectures.

    The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" The NSF funds research and education in science and engineering, through grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. The Foundation accounts for about 20 percent of federal support to academic institutions for basic research.

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