Idaho Scholarships for Transfer Students

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The Idaho Scholarships for Transfer Students program at Boise State University (BSU) provides approximately 50 scholarships in civil engineering, electrical engineering, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, computer science and mathematics. The overarching goals of the program are to decrease the time to graduate and increase retention for the transfer student cohort. Program objectives are to: 1) establish a transfer student cohort for engineering, computer science and mathematics stu-dents at Boise State University, 2) provide scholarships awards to the transfer student cohort ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 annually for up to four years, 3) implement programming to meet the needs of the transfer student cohort: ALEKS: a mathematics review strategy, 4) develop transfer student leader scholars from within the transfer student cohort, 5) use survey results from transfer students (to be conducted fall, 2010) to inform and adapt programming, and 6) integrate the transfer cohort into existing student support programs. The strength of the intellectual merit for this project lies in the assembled project team who demonstrate success, commitment and leadership in innovative teaching techniques, undergraduate research, and student success. BSU builds on strong programs to recruit and retain underrepresented and nontraditional students. The program provides a supportive environment for experienced transfer students as well as to students that are transferring to Boise State University for the first time. The program provides specialized program content that is tailored to the needs of transfer students. The broader impacts lie in the potential to provide a lasting legacy to the families whose sons and daughters receive scholarships, as most BSU students are first-generation degree seekers. Designed to increase the participation and retention of underrepresented groups in engineering, this program leverages existing student support efforts. It significantly raises the visibility and interest in the engineering, computer science and mathematics programs at BSU, resulting in an overall increase in the number of students pursuing these careers. Ultimately, this will result in enhanced economic growth in the Northwest.