Mizzou Engineering STEM is a scholarship program at Mizzou for incoming freshman undergraduate students. The scholarship program is funded through a 5- year grant by the S-STEM Program of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The NSF S-STEM program supports the National Science Foundation’s strategic goal to help create a diverse, competitive, and globally engaged U.S. workforce of scientists, engineers, technologists, and well-prepared citizens. Preference will be given to freshman applicants to the Civil Engineering program, however all other engineering freshmen applicants with an interest in Engineering Sustainability will also be considered for the STEM scholarship.

The objectives of the Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholars Program are to (i) increase the number of academically talented students from low-income backgrounds with demonstrated financial need obtaining degrees in engineering and entering the workforce/graduate programs in STEM fields. The recruitment effort will focus on first-time-college, underrepresented minorities, and female students so that a more diverse cohort group is given the opportunity to enter and successfully graduate with an ABET-accredited engineering degree. (ii) Provide early intervention and comprehensive support in the Gateway 8 courses for our undergraduate Scholars. (iii) Generate knowledge to advance the understanding of how factors and evidence-based curricular activities affect the success, retention, academic/career pathways, and graduation in STEM of academically talented students from low-income backgrounds. (iv) Mentor qualified undergraduate scholars to matriculate into MU’s graduate engineering program.

• Apply online for the scholarships at: https://engineering.missouri.edu/departments/cee/stem-scholars/prospective-students// . Before you complete your application for the Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholars Program, please complete the application for admission to Mizzou. You cannot be considered for the Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholarship unless you have been accepted for admission to the College of Engineering at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
• Undeclared engineering and pre-engineering students are also eligible for Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholarships provided they academically qualify to enter the Mizzou Engineering program. Scholarship award amounts and related details are included in this FAQ. Applications should be submitted on or before the deadline. Please also review the specific eligibility criteria for Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholars in the following sections of this FAQ.

No. International students are not eligible to receive the Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholarships.

Scholarships are exclusively for engineering students admitted to Bachelors programs. You will no longer be eligible for the scholarship if you change to a non-engineering major.

We plan to notify applicants selected to receive the Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholarship awards in late March or early April of each year.

• Scholars must be US citizens, permanent residents, US nationals, or admitted refugees pursuing a Bachelor’s degree program in engineering.
• Scholars must have demonstrated financial need as identified by Mizzou Office of Financial Aid.
• Scholars must show evidence of academic potential based on their performance in high school (e.g., 3.0 high school GPA, ACT score of 26 or higher). Selections will be based on academic merit.
• Scholars must be admitted as a full-time freshman to the College of Engineering. In addition to students directly admitted to a specific engineering program, students admitted as Undeclared Engineering Freshman and Pre-engineering Freshman are also eligible, provided they qualify for entry to and commit to the College of Engineering.

To meet these criteria a student must demonstrate Pell eligibility (not a rigid criteria, financial need is important). You will need to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as part of your application process to Mizzou. The Financial Aid Office will be able to address any questions you may have in this regard.

No, but this score may be one of the criteria used to determine your academic potential.

Applicants to the Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholars Program should have fully completed applications submitted by the deadline. They should have previously also applied for admission to Mizzou. Reviewers for the STEM Scholars Program will focus on academic potential of the applicant based on the academic transcripts, ACT/SAT scores, the two required essays, and the other significant accomplishments listed in the application/resume. A well- rounded resume that includes details of participation in community service and athletics in addition to academic accomplishments would serve the applicant well. For the Fall 2023 entry we are not requiring any letters of recommendation.

• Freshman applicants selected for the STEM Scholars Program will be awarded a scholarship of $8,500 for the first year. The scholarship will be renewed at $9,000 for the sophomore year subject to satisfactory performance in the program. STEM Scholarships will be paid in two installments each year. This scholarship will be in addition to other financial aid provided by the University of Missouri Financial Aid Office.
• Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholar applicants who are Missouri residents may be eligible for tuition aid, if they qualify. Please see the Missouri Land Grant award details. STEM Scholar applicants from states bordering Missouri may check if they are eligible for Border State Scholars
• Scholarship recipients will additionally receive early intervention, if needed, and comprehensive personalized academic support in eight foundational courses (termed Gateway 8) including calculus, basic sciences, and engineering analysis during their freshman and sophomore years.
• Work force training opportunities with industry and government partners will be provided to CEE STEM Scholars during their Bachelors program at Mizzou. These opportunities include job shadowing, internship and summer work and research opportunities to provide positive role models, increase personal engagement and nurture self-confidence in STEM Scholars.
• Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholars will also have the chance to explore various career options, interact with experienced professionals in STEM fields, travel to professional STEM- related research conferences and participate in a paid undergraduate research opportunity with faculty mentors.
• Mizzou Engineering STEM Scholar Program advising team will help undergraduate scholars in locating internship, summer employment and research experience opportunities during their junior and senior years.

* The STEM Scholarship can be added to the other scholarships and/or grant funding such as Pell. A student’s financial aid may not exceed the cost of attendance for the assigned academic year.

• The Scholar will need to maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher while attending Mizzou Engineering academic programs.
• The Scholar will also be required to attend and participate in events that assist in furthering their academic and professional achievement as a part of the STEM Scholars cohort class.
• The Scholar will need to participate in internal and external evaluation surveys required by the NSF which are conducted to generate knowledge on the efficacies of methods to support the success of the STEM Scholars cohort class. These surveys are designed to understand scholar experiences in the program. This research will follow all ethical guidelines as outlined in the Institutional Research Board (IRB) Policy of Mizzou and is intended to share the knowledge generated with other STEM institutions.
• Scholars will be encouraged to participate in community service projects so that they recognize the positive transformation that this experiential learning brings to their professional and personal lives.
• The Scholar will be required to complete a FAFSA each year by January 1, along with completion of matching questions and Mizzou scholarship applications in the Scholarship Universe portal.

No, but this scholarship is intended to help you work less so that you can study more. We strongly recommend you reduce your work hours as much as possible, if awarded this scholarship.