NSF’s $1.7 million grant will help current and future low-income students obtain engineering degrees 

On Sept. 15, 2023, the National Science Foundation (NSF) announced a grant of over $1.7 million to go toward UVU’s Civil and Mechanical Engineering Scholarship Program. The money will be distributed over the next six years, beginning Feb. 15, 2024.  

“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 Utah Valley University,” according to the NSF’s Award Abstract for this grant.  

“36 unique full-time students who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering and mechanical engineering,” will receive the benefits of the grant’s six-year span. Specifically for low-income students, the NSF presents this as “an opportunity to benefit from and contribute to the dynamic growth and catalytic impact” of the supplemented programs. 

Beyond individual rewards for students, this project will also provide the civil and mechanical engineering program with “evidence-based practices” such as “supports for tutoring, collaborative projects, capstone projects, and internships.”  

The NSF explains that the main goal of this project is to “increase STEM degree completion of low-income, high-achieving undergraduates with demonstrated financial need.” This project also aims to “advance understanding about evidence-based, context-specific interventions for STEM programs” at UVU.    

“We anticipate that this project will make a substantial difference in keeping participants in school, helping them complete their degrees in a timely manner and preparing a talented workforce with the technical and soft skills to meet regional and national needs,” declares the NSF, also in the award abstract.  

The organization sees potential in this project and hopes that similar institutions will also learn from it, as an external evaluator will be appointed to assess which “interventions and combinations of interventions” are most impactful and valuable to students.  

Hopefully, this grant will create generational change and “prove the education of future STEM workers,” as well as “generate knowledge about academic success, retention, transfer, graduation, and academic/career pathways of low-income students.” 

Learn more about scholarships by visiting the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office online or in BA 103.