NSF PR 99-19 - March 26, 1999
This material is available primarily for archival
purposes. Telephone numbers or other contact information
may be out of date; please see current contact information
at media
contacts.
NSF To Provide $21 Million For Computer Science, Engineering
And Math Scholarships
The National Science Board this week approved plans
by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to provide
some $21 million to fund 8,000 one-year scholarships
of up to $2,500 each to low income students who pursue
degrees in computer science, engineering or mathematics.
These Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics
Scholarships (CSEMS) are authorized by the American
Competitiveness and Workforce Improvement Act of 1998.
The $21-million education fund created during the
first year of the program (FY 1999) is derived from
a $500 fee that U.S. employers pay to the federal
government for each high-technology immigrant employee
they employ under terms of an H-1B visa application.
Additional funds will be provided in FY 2000 and FY
2001.
Among the eligible institutions to receive and administer
the scholarship awards are two-year community colleges,
undergraduate and graduate institutions.
According to Luther S. Williams, NSF's director of
education and human resources, 100 institutions will
receive the two-year scholarship fund grants in the
first year of the program. Each will be able to award
a total of 80 scholarships (i.e., 40 during each of
the two years of the grant).
"These scholarships are not expected to be a 'magic
bullet,'" Williams said. "They are but one component
of what necessarily must be a multi-pronged approach
to ameliorating the nation's current need for people
trained in the sciences, math and high-technology
in order to aide industry, government and education
in the United States," he said.
The program will be managed by NSF's Directorate for
Education and Human Resources, and the program awards
will be made to institutions that in turn will award
scholarships to economically disadvantaged students,
as determined by Department of Education criteria
used for Pell Grants or Graduate Assistance in Areas
of National Need. The first scholarships are expected
to be made in January 2000.
Students must be pursuing an accredited associate,
bachelors or graduate degree in computer science,
engineering, mathematics, computer technology or engineering
technology. Students may be supported for up to two
years but must re-compete annually. Scholarship recipients
must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, refugee aliens
or permanent resident aliens.
For Oct. 1999 CSEMS Factsheet/Update, see http://www.nsf.gov/cgi-bin/getpub?nsf009.
|