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JCCC STEM Scholars Program

Is a STEM career in your future? You could become a STEM Scholar and earn up to $10,000 a year, for two years toward your degree.

Supporting students to achieve their goals is the focus of the STEM Scholars Program at Johnson County Community College. This program, funded through a National Science Foundation grant, uses a wide-ranging and innovative infrastructure of supports to help STEM students to achieve success at JCCC, to transfer to their chosen four-year college, and to persist in their chosen STEM field, allowing them to achieve their goals.

Don’t miss out on your chance to be a JCCC STEM Scholar and propel your future!

Johnson County Community College was awarded a six-year grant of approximately $1.5 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to create the JCCC STEM Scholars Program: Achieving Successful Transfer (Self Efficacy, Independence, Persistence and Momentum) and to research its efficacy in retaining students to graduation in a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field. The program is comprised of three parts: scholarships, program activities and research.

Scholarships

Up to twelve scholarships a semester are awarded to eligible incoming or current JCCC students who plan to study in a STEM* field, including:

  • Biological Sciences**
  • Physical Sciences
  • Mathematical Sciences
  • Computer and Information Sciences
  • Geosciences
  • Engineering

*eligible applicants must intend to pursue a 4-year STEM degree.

**except medicine and other clinical fields.

Upcoming Application Dates

The Fall 2024/Spring 2025 application is available March 1, 2024, through May 31, 2024.

How to Apply for a JCCC STEM Scholarship:

  1. Complete a JCCC application for admission. You must first be an accepted JCCC student for consideration.
  2. Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A FAFSA is required, as candidates must show financial need based on the FAFSA results.
  3. Log in to the JCCC Scholarship Portal and complete the JCCC Scholarship Application for the current year.
  4. Once you complete the JCCC Scholarship Application, if you meet initial eligibility criteria during the open application period, the STEM Scholarship Application will appear in “My Tasks” on the JCCC Scholarship Portal homepage. Complete that application.

The faculty leading the project select STEM Scholars from the applicant pool based on content and essays from the initial application, an interview and supplemental information.

STEM Scholars then may receive $7,000 or $10,000 a year for two years to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and other expenses.

Program Activities

STEM Scholars also receive non-monetary wrap-around assistance to assure academic success.

  • Mentoring: Scholars become part of a guided cohort group which includes faculty and peer mentoring and regular meetings throughout the year. After the first year, the scholars act as mentors to the next class cohort of scholars, sharing their experiences at JCCC and within the STEM Scholars program.
  • Required resource center visits: In their first semester of the program, each scholar is expected to visit JCCC’s Academic Resource Centers for free tutoring and class assistance.
  • Participation in Transfer Workshops: STEM scholars will develop transfer plans to their chosen university, as well as meet with representatives from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, and the University of Missouri – Kansas City.
  • Meetings and activities: STEM Scholars meet throughout fall and spring semesters for enrichment activities like field trips to STEM-related research labs and businesses. These opportunities for networking also give program participants a chance to get to know each other and provide a social support system.

Research

JCCC’s Institutional Effectiveness, Planning and Research will track the progress of the student scholars and report to the NSF certain key statistics, including whether JCCC STEM Scholars successfully transfer to a four-year school and continue to pursue a STEM degree.

This project is funded by an award from the National Science Foundation (Grant: DUE-2220912). Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.