UAFS receives $200,000 grant for STEM programs

The University of Arkansas at Fort Smith (UAFS) has received a $200,000 grant to combat statewide dips in the graduation rate for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) programs.

The grant is courtesy the Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation. It will run for 2.5 years, to help seniors pursuing STEM-related disciplines persist to graduation. The funds will be used to research reasons for why STEM students leave prior to graduation.

A major component of the grant is to help financially challenged seniors in STEM programs overcome issues in completing college, including financial, personal and familial challenges. Efforts will include working with childcare facilities near campus to provide services for STEM seniors with young children at reduced or no cost, providing financial assistance for tuition and/or fees, providing small stipends for living and other expenses for students and arranging transportation to shuttle students to and from campus.

Additionally, UAFS will enhance tutoring programs for STEM and implement marketing efforts under a campaign urging students to finish their education. The campaign, called “Finish the Course,” is aimed specifically at students who have completed more than 90 credit hours.

Despite an increase in the number of college degrees and postsecondary credentials, the Arkansas graduation rate for STEM-related fields of study has fallen by 20% in recent years, according to Dr. Ron Darbeau, dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and author of the grant.

Darbeau added there are “2.4 STEM-related jobs for every unemployed person” and that “STEM jobs are growing at 300% the rate of non-STEM jobs.” He continued: “This grant will help us educate, retain and graduate students to enter the workforce in these much-needed areas, both in Fort Smith and beyond.”

The average professional with a STEM degree earns approximately $78,000 annually, compared to the annual salary for Americans of approximately $43,000. Fields of study that qualify for the grant include the biology, engineering, chemistry, math, information technology and geosciences degree programs.

Great Lakes is a nonprofit organization established in 1967 to help students nationwide in the areas of postsecondary education and student loan repayment. The organization has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to provide assistance and repayment planning to more than 8 million borrowers, as well as assistance to colleges and lenders nationwide. Since 2006, Great Lakes has committed more than $172 million in grant funding to promote higher education access and completion for students of color, low-income students and first-generation students.

Pell-eligible STEM majors who have earned at least 90 hours toward their degrees should contact JoAnn Chandler, advising coordinator for the College of STEM, at (479) 788-7129, or Darbeau at (479) 788-7611 for details.