Scholarships and Programming to Increase Graduation, Retention, and Self-efficacy of Low-income STEM Students

Spring Hill College, Mobile AL

Investigators

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 Spring Hill College. Spring Hill College (SHC) is located in Mobile, AL, a county in which 29% live below the poverty level and a state in which 24% of students are proficient in science and only 22% are proficient in mathematics. Over its six-year duration, this project will fund scholarships to 10 unique full-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in biology, mathematics, or pre-engineering. First year students in biology and mathematics will receive up to four years of scholarship support. First year pre-engineering students will receive up to three years of scholarship support, the total expected time at SHC. Scholars will (1) participate in a Living Learning Community; (2) engage in common coursework in core STEM courses; (3) participate in a first-year seminar; (4) receive faculty mentoring; (5) engage in service-learning activities; (6) participate in research and internship opportunities; and (7) attend an annual career seminar. The project is informed by the needs of the local community and should help broaden participation in STEM in the Gulf Coast region. The program will advance the understanding of how financial support for biology, math, and pre-engineering majors—combined with additional curricular and co-curricular activities—impacts students’ sense of self-efficacy as scientists. The overall goal of this project is to increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need. The Reflection, Engagement, Action, and Learning STEM (REAL-STEM) program 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. The project will investigate the conditions under which improved student learning occurs as well as the effectiveness of the project interventions in improving students’ self-efficacy in STEM. By developing lessons and workshops on self-efficacy, Spring Hill will elevate the value of STEM careers and build a new pipeline of highly capable STEM professionals in the Gulf Coast region and nationally. This project is funded by NSF’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields. 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.