S-STEM Husky PAWS Scholarship

The S-STEM Husky PAWS scholarship is awarded competitively to incoming first-year students who are Pell-eligible and majoring in Applied Geophysics, Applied Physics/Physics, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Network & System Administration, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Data Science, Electrical Engineering, Electrical Engineering Technology, Environmental Engineering, Geological Engineering, Geology, Geospatial Engineering, General Computing, General Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering Technology, Mechatronics, Mining Engineering, Robotics Engineering, or Software Engineering.

These scholarships are made possible through funding from the National Science Foundation’s Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program, which seeks to increase the number of low-income, academically talented students with demonstrated financial need who earn degrees in STEM fields.

*Husky PAWS Scholars will be required to participate in a 3-week Summer Bridge 1-credit course prior to the start of their first semester, followed by Prep4Tech and Orientation Week.

Who Should Apply

For the four-year Husky PAWS scholarship:

• Any new incoming first-year undergraduate student AND
• Majoring in engineering, computing, or physics programs AND
• Pell-eligible

*Transfer students may be eligible if they intend to major in engineering, computing, or physics and none of their transfer credits apply to the major they are enrolling at Michigan Tech.

For the one-year Husky PAWS finishing scholarship:

• Any current Michigan Tech student with senior standing AND
• Majoring in engineering, computing, or physics AND
• Pell-eligible

*Students pursuing an accelerated master's degree are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

• Students must apply for admission to Michigan Tech by April 1. -Complete the FAFSA application by April 15.
• Current Michigan Tech students with senior standing complete the one-year S-STEM Husky Paws finishing scholarship applicationby April 26.
• New incoming first-year undergraduate students complete the four-year S-STEM Husky PAWS Scholarship application by May 1.

Essay Details

Students from all different backgrounds have a familial culture and a community culture, and there are assets that come from that lived experience. We are looking at the Cultural Wealth of Students (Yosso, 2005). Other terms for wealth are capital or assets, which comes in the form of

• Aspiration is the ability to sustain hopes and dreams for the future in the face of real and imagined barriers.
• Navigation is the ability to move through college and into a desired job.
• Social skills use existing community resources and connections to build a group of people supporting your goals.
• Language assets are the knowledge, social, and communication skills gained from your language, history, and experiences.
• Family includes the cultural knowledge gained from family and community experiences.
• Resistance is the ability to resist inequality within systems. This includes resisting stereotypes that are not authentic to your sense of self.

As part of their S-STEM Husky PAWS Scholarship Application, students will submit an essay addressing the following topic: "Explain the types of capital you possess (you don't need to discuss every one - just highlight the top 1-2 of importance to you) that will help you attain a STEM degree." The essay can either be in written (1,000 to 1,500 words) or video/audio (3 to 5 minutes) format. Students are welcome to search online for videos/other resources on cultural wealth to support their written/video/audio essay.