NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM)
	Need to Know

NSF SSEM - Scholarship Recipients - need to know

S-STEM scholarship recipients will be selected by the awarded institution, but must:

• be citizens of the United States, nationals of the United States (as defined in section 101(a) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), aliens admitted as refugees under section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, or aliens lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence;
• be enrolled full time in a degree program at the associate, baccalaureate, or graduate level in one of the following disciplines. Enrollment must be full-time for each semester or quarter a student receives a scholarship.
  • 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 areas associated with the preceding fields (for example, biotechnology, chemical technology, engineering technology, information technology, etc.)
• demonstrate academic potential or ability;
• demonstrate financial need, defined for undergraduate students by the US Department of Education rules for need-based Federal financial aid, or, for graduate students, defined as financial eligibility for Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GANN).

Financial need is defined for undergraduates by the U.S. Department of Education as the Cost of Attendance (COA) for an institution minus the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) for the student (see http://www.studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/2004_2005/english/index.htm). The Cost of Attendance, determined by each educational institution, is the total amount it will cost a student to go to school, including tuition and fees; on-campus room and board (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students); allowances for books, supplies, transportation, loan fees, dependent care, costs related to a disability; and miscellaneous expenses. The Estimated Family Contribution is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and represents the expected family contribution toward the Cost of Attendance (http://www.fafsa.ed.gov). It is recommended that the PI consult the campus financial aid office for more information regarding the institutional COA and the calculation of student financial need.

• be part of a natural student cohort that is likely to associate during the scholarship period. Students may be from a single major, or from a group that will take several classes together, or from some other group that the proposal describes. See section V.A.5.j, Special Program Features, below, for more discussion of the rationale for a cohort.