Benedictine university stem scholars

The National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education awarded Benedictine University a $1,595,353 Project Grant under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076) effective October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2031. The award supports the Benedictine University STEM Scholars initiative, which provides annual scholarships averaging $7,637 to 50 high-achieving, low-income undergraduate students pursuing Bachelor of Science degrees in chemistry, computer and information science, engineering, mathematical sciences, and physics. Scholarships are available for up to five years and are coupled with comprehensive student support services designed to enhance retention and degree completion rates.

In addition to direct financial aid, the project delivers integrated support services including faculty and peer mentoring, a summer bridge program for incoming scholars, and strategic cohort-building activities through enrollment in designated freshman seminar sections and exclusive sections of challenging first-year science and mathematics courses. Scholars progress into leadership development roles including peer mentoring and learning assistant positions in STEM courses and extracurricular clubs. The project incorporates rigorous evaluation by an experienced assessor to monitor student success outcomes and analyze student experiences. This initiative directly addresses the national workforce development need to expand the STEM workforce and increase degree completion among economically disadvantaged, academically talented students.

Abstract

This project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at benedictine university. A total of 50 scholars pursuing bachelor of science degrees in chemistry, computer and information science, engineering, mathematical sciences, and physics will receive scholarships averaging $7,637 annually for up to five years. Scholars will receive faculty and peer mentoring and the project will build strong scholar connections through a tailored schedule that intends to form them into a cohort through enrollment in designated, exclusive sections of a freshman seminar course focused on navigating the new challenges of being a college student. Cohorts will be maintained and strengthened through enrollment of these students in designated sections of challenging first year science and math courses. Students will continue to build connections while taking on leadership roles, acting as peer mentors, as learning assistants in challenging stem courses, and as leaders in extracurricular clubs. Additional activities for scholars will include a summer bridge program to introduce students to the program and the university. The overall goal of this track 1 scholarships in stem project is to increase stem degree completion of academically talented, low-income undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. There is a significant national need to grow the stem workforce and nurture key talent that will ensure economic competitiveness and provide domestic leadership across critical sectors. This project directly speaks to this need by supporting stem student success, which will strengthen the workforce in key areas of need. The project will be assessed by an experienced evaluator that will monitor student success outcomes and analyze student experiences, and the data generated will contribute to the knowledge base regarding effective strategies to support talented, low-income students in stem. This project is funded by NSF's scholarships in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of academically talented, low-income students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in stem fields. IT also aims to improve the education of future stem workers, and to generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.- subawards are not planned for this award.