ACCESS S-STEM Scholarship

S-STEM scholarship recipients will be selected by St. Cloud State University. In order to be considered, applicants must:

1. Be citizens of the United States, Nationals of the United States (as defined in Section 101 (a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), aliens admitted as refugees under Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence;
2. Be a new entering first-year student in Fall 2020 and be enrolled full time in a program leading to a STEM degree at the associate or baccalaureate level. Enrollment must be full-time for each semester a student receives a scholarship; Students at the community colleges need to transfer to St. Cloud State to get the last two years of their scholarship.

3. Demonstrate academic potential or ability: High school GPA above 3.0; a minimum ACT Math score of 22 or above; a SAT score of 530; Accuplacer Intermediate Algebra score of 60; a college level math score of 50; Advanced Algebra and Functions score of 245; or a MCA Math score of 1158.

4. Eligibility of Documented Need as determined by the completion of their FAFSA.

Applicants will need two letters of recommendation from academic professionals, one of which should be a STEM teacher in their high school.

Applicants will need to write a 500 word essay around their career goals.

Finalists for the scholarship will be interviewed by the selection committee.

Eligible STEM programs within the following departments:

Transfer Guides

Transfer guides are available through the College of Science and Engineering.

More information is also available through Transferology.

• Dr. Adel Ali
  Dean, College of Science and Engineering
  Wick Science Building, 145
  alali@stcloudstate.edu
  (320) 308-2192

• Dr. Christopher Kvaal
  Professor of Biology
  Wick Science Building, 230
  cakvaal@stcloudstate.edu
  (320) 308-4138

• Dr. Mark Petzold
  Professor of Computer Science
  Engineering and Computing Center, 244
  mcpetzold@stcloudstate.edu
  (320) 308-4182

• Dr. Melissa Hanzsek-Brill
  Professor of Mathematics and Mathematics Education
  Engineering and Computing Center, 157
  mhanzsek@stcloudstate.edu
  (320) 308-2282

• Lois Schindler
  ACCESS STEM Project Coordinator
  Wick Science Building, 161
  lmschindler@stcloudstate.edu
  (320) 308-2156

What you’ll need to complete the application:

• Letter of intent stating institution(s) you are applying to, GPA and Qualifying Math Score (step 3)
• Two letters of recommendation – one must be from a science, technology, engineering or math teacher who had you in class. (step 4)
• 500 word personal statement (step 5)

Write a letter of intent stating:

• Which institution(s) you are applying for admittance and scholarship consideration
• High School GPA
• Math Score

Ask two academic professionals to serve as references and write letters of recommendation.

• One of the letters must be from a science, technology, engineering or math teacher whom you have had.

Write an essay (~500 words) in either Word Document (.doc or .docx) or Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) file.

• Describing your academic and career goals – the more concrete, the better.
• Obstacles & difficulties that you have faced or are facing – and what you have done or are doing to overcome them?
• How will you accomplish your goals and how will past experiences help you accomplish your future goals?

Your essay will be judged based on how successfully you articulated your goals, plans to accomplish your goals and the character traits you demonstrate.

Send all the above information in one email to ACCESSSTEM@Stcloudstate.edu (preferred) or mail to:

Lois Schindler
Grant Coordinator
St. Cloud State University
720 4^th Ave South WSB #161
St. Cloud, MN 56301

Finalists for the scholarship will be interviewed by the selection committee.