Physics & Astronomy Scholarships for Success (PASS)

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Texas A&M University-Commerce (TAMUC) will implement the Physics and Astronomy Scholarships for Success (PASS) project to provide at least 45 scholarships over 5 years to academically talented physics majors with demonstrated financial needs. TAMUC focuses on students transferring from 23 regional community colleges serving high percentages of underrepresented minorities. Community college students are the fastest growing segment in higher education and over 66% of students currently enrolled at TAMUC transferred from these 2-year institutions. The PASS project will implement new strategies for increasing recruitment, retention and graduation of physics majors and providing innovative support for them to enter top graduate schools in physical sciences or find rewarding jobs in a field of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM). The new knowledge gathered from carrying out the PASS project on how to address complex issues related to the provision of student support for the targeted populations has tremendous implications for other rural institutions attempting to increase the retention and graduation of physics majors through both financial and other innovative support strategies. The PASS project will also help meet the broadly recognized national need for more high-quality physics majors.The objectives of the PASS project include: 1) to increase the recruitment, retention, and graduation of low-income, academically talented students pursuing bachelor's degrees in physics, especially those from underrepresented groups in rural areas; 2) to provide an innovative support services model addressing both cognitive and non-cognitive factors leading to college success and transition into advanced graduate studies or the workforce in STEM fields; and, 3) to achieve the goal that 85% of students will be retained to degree completion. Linkage with TAMUC's Division of Student Access and Success will support student recruitment, support, career placement and effective project management. A powerful evaluation design will help investigate academic as well as non-cognitive factors that contribute to retention and degree completion. The PASS project thus advances the knowledge needed to recruit, retain and graduate students majoring in physics both financially through offering substantial scholarships, engagement in research projects early in their college careers, and through provision of support services.