Capitol Scholars Program opens doors of opportunity

A STEM education yields opportunities and rewards, but not all students have the financial ability to pursue a degree in such fields. Capitol Technology University and the National Science Foundation are helping open the doors through the Capitol Scholarship Program, which awards full tuition scholarships to a select group of applicants each year.

Launched in 2008, the program is specifically geared towards students who excel in science and technology. Candidates are chosen each year from among the applicants to Capitol’s programs in computer science, engineering and IT.

“Our goal isn’t simply to bring these students in, but to ensure that they thrive and graduate,” said Senior Director of Admissions George Walls. “We’ve had huge success with the CSP program, with award recipients doing great things during their time on campus and them going out to become strong members of the professional STEM community.”

Competition for any full tuition scholarship is bound to be robust, and the CSP is no exception: out of nearly 50 students who applied this year, 14 will be chosen. The selection process begins with an on-campus event – held this year on Saturday, February 28 -- during which applicants give presentations and are interviewed by faculty members and Capitol staff.

Students who face travel constraints can arrange to present online, through the university’s distance learning platform. Of this year’s applicant pool, 32 attended the Saturday event and presented in person.

“We get applicants from all over the country, including California,” Walls said.

Out of the 14 scholarships awarded, nine are funded through the NSF grant and are need based – that is, intended for students who demonstrate academic potential but face financial obstacles that would otherwise limit them from completing a higher education degree.

However, Capitol also supplements the program with a handful of institutionally funded scholarships for students whodo not meet the financial need benchmarks, Walls noted. These scholarships – three this year – are also awarded through the CSP program.

“Because the NSF grant-based scholarship funds involve a requirement of financial need, we added some institutional funding to cover students who might not meet the high need requirement but have high abilities,” he said.

All applicants must have a 3.0 GPA and an 1100 combined critical reading and math score in order to be eligible. In addition to the scholarship funds, CSP awardees also benefit from an extensive support and mentoring system that includes a summer workshop, dedicated mentors, and career and internship resources.

“These are our star students,” says Meghan Young, director of admission operations. “They tend to play a leading role on campus. Many of last year’s CSPs, for example, have become student ambassadors, while some created their own STEM group. They’re really big advocates for the school.”

Photos: 1) Sarah Deen presents at the Capitol Scholars Program selection event, February 2016. 2) Capitol faculty members Dr. Sandy Antunes and Pamela Opeka attend.Faruq Adam's presentation; 3) Ashley Wong (right) converses with Capitol student ambassadors.