Project Grant 2221574

This Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education will support Albany State University's "It Takes a Village: Communities Leveraged to Advance Scholars' Success" program. Funded at $1,499,993 under the STEM Education (formerly Education and Human Resources) program (CFDA 47.076), the project aims to increase degree completion in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields among low-income, high-achieving undergraduate students with demonstrated financial need. Specifically, the university will provide $10,000 annual scholarships to 24 students majoring in biology, chemistry, and forensic science over six years. Recipients will participate in academic and co-curricular support programs shown to improve retention, achievement, and graduation, such as a first-year experience seminar, learning communities, undergraduate research, mentoring, and attendance at conferences. Evaluation will assess the impact on scholars' sense of belonging, self-efficacy, and pursuit of STEM careers. Findings will be disseminated to inform practice, particularly at rural-serving institutions.