The National Science Foundation S-STEM Scholarship for Engineering

NOVA CORE logo

NOVA CORE will provide scholarships for up to two years for up to 40 students annually over the next five years. The amount of the scholarship of up to $6000 will be determined by a student's need, as defined in the NOVA Financial Aid Handbook. This significant opportunity is geared toward low-income students interested in engineering. These grant-funded scholarships will help allow participants to focus on their studies full-time while developing the valuable skills needed to successfully complete their degrees at NOVA and transfer to four-year institutions.

Apply for NOVA Core Scholarship

CORE Scholars must

  • Be enrolled full-time in a program leading to an associate's or baccalaureate degree in Engineering.
  • Participate in Exploration and Service Bridges.
  • Attend 90% of Workshop and Exploration activities each year.
  • Complete either SDV 100 or SDV 101.
  • Participate in a service-learning assignment in their second cohort year.
  • Present at the Experiential Learning Conference.
  • Produce a YouTube video about their college experience.

Benefits

  • The scholarship amount of up to $6,000 per year covers costs associated tuition and fees.

Eligibility Requirements

  • Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, national, or lawfully admitted refugee.
  • Meet low-income qualifications (200% of the federal poverty limit of 80% of local median income, whichever is greater – as determined by FAFSA and the NVCC Financial Aid Office)

Application Requirements

  • Application form 
  • Recommendation letter
  • Essay: The topic can be found in the application form.

When to Start

  • Fall Semester Start - Students who have just graduated high school with a GPA of 3.5(weighted or unweighted) or higher and are ready for STEM-based Calculus.
  • Spring Semester Start - NOVA Engineering majors in their first year of study and who have a college GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Learn About Transfer Opportunities