Future Tech Stars NSF S-STEM Scholarship Program

Lake Washington Institute Of Technology, Kirkland WA

Investigators

Abstract

The goal of the Lake Washington Institute of Technology (LWTech) will be to develop the Future Tech Stars NSF S-STEM Scholarship Program (Future Tech Stars) to provide approximately 100 scholarships to full-time, low income, non-traditional students in four STEM disciplines: Computer Security, Information Technology Applications, Digital Gaming, and Multimedia Design. With more students attending full time, the college anticipates increased student retention, improved completion rates of degrees and certificates, and additional students transferring to a four-year university. These outcomes directly support national policy goals to improve post-high school education attainment. Future Tech Stars will address the growing need for a skilled workforce to support the vibrant technology industry in the Greater Puget Sound region and as a result will lead to economic development for the Greater Puget Sound region and improved employment outcomes for students. The three goals of the program will be to: support student retention to complete certificates within two years and associate's degrees within three years; increase the number of students receiving a Certificate or Associate's degree in an information technology, digital media, or computer networking technology program; and increase the number of students who transfer to a four-year college or university. To support full-time students and to encourage the transition to full-time status, scholarship recipients will receive support from the program coordinator and from faculty who will provide dedicated support through writing workshops and advising. Through this work, this program will increase the body of knowledge around support services in scholarship programs, especially in programs targeting non-traditional students in technology programs. In terms of the broader impacts, the college will work closely with students and financial aid professionals to help them stay focused in studies. The students will be tracked with an Academic Early Warning system to identify problems early on and seek to help the students take corrective action. The project will involve the whole campus, including the president, the PI, and individual students. Through an evaluation of the project, the program coordinators will provide information that can be used when disseminating the results of the project. As a member of the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC), LWTech will access SBCTC resources for use in dissemination of results at regional conferences, through their yearly fact book, and at quarterly statewide meetings of college staff associated with divisions such as Financial Aid, Institutional Research, and Instruction.