Federal Grant Award Summary

This $750,000 Project Grant, awarded on March 15, 2026, by the National Science Foundation's Division of Undergraduate Education under the STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), supports a collaborative initiative to increase Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) degree completion among academically talented, low-income students across North Carolina. The project, led by Gaston College in partnership with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and four regional community colleges (Rowan-Cabarrus, Cleveland, and South Piedmont), will provide scholarships of up to $15,000 annually to at least 120 scholars pursuing associate and bachelor's degrees in biology, data science, or computer science through February 28, 2031.

The core products and services delivered include merit-based scholarships addressing demonstrated financial need, faculty mentoring relationships, structured scholar cohorts facilitating shared courses and collaborative learning, undergraduate research opportunities, and service-learning activities. Complementary support services encompass tutoring, success coaching, and targeted career services designed to enhance retention and graduation rates. The project incorporates an external evaluation component focused on assessing scholars' development of transfer and science capital, with research findings intended to contribute to the national knowledge base regarding effective strategies for supporting low-income STEM students in higher education and strengthening the domestic STEM workforce.