Federal Grant Award Summary

Chemeketa Community College District received a $1,999,946 project grant awarded on January 15, 2026, through the National Science Foundation's (NSF) STEM Education program (CFDA 47.076), Division of Undergraduate Education. The grant supports a Track 2 Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) initiative designed to increase degree completion and workforce readiness among academically talented, low-income undergraduate students. The project will provide scholarships averaging $6,554 per scholar for up to two years to approximately 98 students pursuing transfer degrees in biology, chemistry, data science, engineering, geology, mathematics, physics, and computer science.

In addition to financial aid, the grant funds a comprehensive support ecosystem including faculty and peer mentoring, scholar-specific cohort development through dedicated first-year experience course sections, industry laboratory field trips, and a speaker series. Scholars will receive STEM-specific academic advising, tutoring services, and targeted transfer support to facilitate progression to four-year institutions. The project, which extends through December 31, 2031, will be evaluated by an experienced evaluator who will collect formative and summative data to contribute to the knowledge base on effective support strategies for low-income STEM students and to strengthen the regional and national STEM workforce across critical sectors.