Physics & Astronomy Scholarships for Success (PASS)

德克萨斯农工商业大学(TAMUC)将实施物理学和天文学成功奖学金(PASS)项目，在5年内为有明显经济需求的有学术天赋的物理专业学生提供至少45个奖学金。TAMUC的重点是从23所地区性社区学院转学的学生，为比例较低的少数族裔提供服务。社区学院学生是高等教育中增长最快的部分，目前在TAMUC注册的学生中有66%以上是从这些两年制院校转来的。PASS项目将实施新的战略，以增加物理专业的招生、留住和毕业，并为他们进入顶尖物理研究生院或在科学、技术、工程和数学(STEM)领域找到有回报的工作提供创新支持。从实施PASS项目中获得的关于如何解决与向目标人群提供学生支持有关的复杂问题的新知识，对试图通过财政和其他创新支持战略提高物理专业留校率和毕业率的其他农村机构具有巨大影响。PASS项目也将有助于满足国家对更多高质量物理专业的广泛认可的需求。PASS项目的目标包括：1)增加低收入、有学术天赋的学生攻读物理学学士学位的人数，特别是来自农村地区代表性较低群体的学生；2)提供创新的支持服务模式，针对导致大学成功并过渡到高级研究生学习或STEM领域的劳动力的认知和非认知因素；以及3)实现85%的学生将被保留到学位完成阶段的目标。与TAMUC学生入学和成就部的联系将为学生招聘、支持、职业安置和有效的项目管理提供支持。一个强大的评估设计将有助于调查有助于留住和完成学位的学术和非认知因素。因此，PASS项目通过提供大量奖学金、在他们大学生涯早期参与研究项目以及提供支助服务，在经济上促进了招收、留住和毕业物理专业学生所需的知识。

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.