Grant Helps Students Majoring In Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
Columbia State Community College has been allotted $26,400 in scholarship funds by the Tennessee Valley region’s Workforce Innovation in Regional Economic Development (WIRED) for the 2009-2010 academic year.
“Columbia State is very grateful to receive the funding,” said Pauletta Burns, director of financial aid at Columbia State. “It is a great opportunity for Columbia State students majoring in the science, technology, engineering and math fields to receive assistance with their tuition.”
The scholarship funds will support an associate degree in fields including, but not limited to biotechnology and information technology.
Eligibility to receive a scholarship is dependent upon whether applicants meet certain criteria. First, applicants must be a U.S. citizen or have permanent status and reside in one of the 23 counties designated in the Tennessee Valley WIRED region. The counties in Tennessee include: Giles, Lawrence, Wayne, Marshall, Maury, Lewis, Lincoln, Franklin and Marion. Second, applicant must complete the Participant Form as required by the U.S. Department of Labor, and intake form indicating county of residence. Students applying for the scholarship must designate one of the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines as the major program of study and enroll and maintain full-time status throughout the award semester.
Also, students receiving college credit must have a minimum grade point average of 3.00 from high school or grade point average of 2.75 for existing college coursework. The scholarships must be used for the fall 2009 semester and spring 2010 semester. Scholarships may be full or partial and may be used for tuition, fees, and books.
The WIRED grant was originally awarded in January 2007 from the U.S. Department of Labor to Calhoun Community College and is making available a total of $500,000 in scholarships to 13 two- and four-year institutions in Alabama and Tennessee. The WIRED Initiative supports a 23-county region in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee and promotes education, workforce and economic development.
For more information about the scholarship, contact Pauletta Burns at (931) 540-2582 or by email at pburns4@columbiastate.edu.