Money for STEM Majors: Grants of up to $6000/year, to help students
- Be full-time,
- Excel in their studies,
- Graduate from Rio Hondo College,
- Transfer to a calculus-based STEM major and
- Graduate with their Bachelor’s Degree in Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics*
Applications for the 2024-25 academic year are open from May 1, 2024 – June 30, 2024
No Faculty Recommendation Needed!
Recipient Benefits?
- $6000/year for 2 years (incl. first year transfer)
- Faculty Mentor (who will meet with you regularly)
- A community of like-minded students
- MESA privileges and participation
Who is eligible?
- Enrolled at Rio Hondo College in at least 9 units/semester in fall 2024 and spring 2025
- Have a Calculus-Based STEM major for transfer (Please see the list below for a definition of STEM major)
- Passed Calculus 1 or Chemistry 130 level or higher by the end of Spring 2024
- Earned a GPA is 2.8 or higher (including Spring 2024)
- Filed a FAFSA for 2024-25
- Have unmet financial need
- We encourage students who are the first in their family to get a 4-year degree
- Are Citizen or Permanent Resident
Application
- Fill out the application and submit by 11:59 pm on June 30, 2024.
- Update your transcript if you finish your application before Spring 2024 grades post.
- Link to the Application
- Need help? Have questions? We are here to support you. Schedule an appointment.
*STEM Major List
- Biological sciences (except medicine and other clinical fields)
- Physical sciences (including physics, chemistry, astronomy, and materials science)
- Mathematical sciences
- Computer and information sciences
- Geosciences
- Engineering
- Technology fields associated with the disciplines above (e.g., biotechnology, chemical technology, engineering technology, information technology)
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The Scholarships to Aid Rio Hondo STEM Students (STARSS 2.0) program provides grants to academically talented, financially needy students working to transfer to a four-year university to complete an undergraduate degree in a science, technology, engineering, or math (STEM) major. Scholarships will be offered for up to three years of full-time academic study and in the first semester that the student transfers to the university.
The college’s objective is to both expand and retain the STEM talent pool, and therefore increase the number of STEM majors. The college anticipates that the retention and success rates in STEM major preparation courses will rise, the time required for transfer will decrease, and the number of Associate degrees and transfers for underrepresented minorities in STEM will increase.
With this financial support, STARSS 2.0 recipients will be able to work fewer hours at jobs, thereby freeing up valuable time. To further help these students meet their academic goals, they will utilize the services of Rio Hondo College’s MESA and TRIO SSS STEM programs: Academic Excellence Workshops, tutoring, mentoring, seminars, counseling, field trips, leadership and enhancement activities.
STARSS 2.0 is funded by the National Science Foundation Grant #1930037 (Nov 2019 – Nov 2024).
PI: Gisela Spieler-Persad, PhD, Rio Hondo College
Co-PI: Lucy Arellano, PhD, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX
Co-PI: Lydia Gonzalez, Rio Hondo College
