WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin and Congressmen Jamie Raskin and David Trone (all D-Md.) announced that Mount St. Mary’s University, in partnership with Montgomery College and Frederick Community College, will receive $899,926 to support Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) degree completion and job placement for low-income, high-achieving undergraduates. The program will focus on transfer student success, providing scholarships and academic, social, and professional development support services.

“Increasing access to STEM careers for students from all backgrounds is vital to cultivating a strong, 21st century economy in Maryland and across the country. This program will support students with wraparound services from the moment they start college on to graduate school or job placement,” the lawmakers said. “We are proud to continue fighting for federal investment in STEM education so we can break down the structural barriers that deny opportunity to too many Marylanders." 

The program will recruit 27 low-income students from Frederick Community College and Montgomery College into cohorts and support their education in STEM fields from the pre-transfer period through post-graduation job placement. Researchers will evaluate the academic and employment outcomes of students who participated in the program to measure its success. 

Funds were awarded through the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics program, which aims to increase the number of low-income students earning degrees in STEM fields.

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