RCC students can apply for VA Space Grant scholarship

The Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC) has just opened the application process for its 2012-2013 Community College STEM Scholarship Program. VSGC is a coalition of five Virginia colleges and universities (the College of William and Mary, Hampton University, Old Dominion University, the University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), several state educational agencies, Virginia’s Center for Innovative Technology, and other institutions representing diverse aerospace education and research.

Annually, VSGC awards over $325,000 to students pursuing higher education at one of its five member institutions, or at one of the 23 Virginia community colleges. Rappahannock Community College students are eligible for a number of scholarships awarded each year to those pursuing a STEM (science, technology, engineering, or mathematics) degree, the specific number being contingent on available funding from NASA and the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The Community College STEM Scholarship provides a one-year non-renewable award of $2,000 for students enrolled full time (12 credit hours or more per semester) at a VCCS college. Students must apply during the freshman year for an award that will begin when they become sophomores. Applicants must be majoring in a STEM-related field, and must be interested in pursuing a career that supports NASA’s mission, including the aerospace sector. In addition, they must be United States citizens, must have a GPA of at least 3.0, must have completed at least one semester before applying for the award, and must be enrolled full time for the entire 2012-13 academic year, with a projected graduation date of May 2013 or later. The deadline for application is March 16, 2012.

The purposes of the VSGC’s community college scholarship program are: to encourage students engaged in associate degree programs who are preparing for careers in technology fields essential to America’s industrial and technological competitiveness, particularly those with aerospace relevance; to increase participation of underrepresented minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities in aeronautics, space and high-technology fields; and to implement VSGC and NASA goals. The program is a competitive one, based on academic merit and potential for a successful career in a STEM field. VSGC strongly supports the efforts of students engaged in technical career pathways to develop the essential skills for a competitive global workforce; awardees who transfer to a VSGC member university to continue their education are encouraged to apply as juniors or seniors to the Undergraduate STEM Research Scholarship program for further assistance.