OSGC community college scholarships are open to students who are U. S. citizens attending any of the 8 affiliate member Ohio community colleges (i.e., Cincinnati State Technical and Community College, Columbus State Community College, Cuyahoga Community College, Lakeland Community College, Lorain County Community College, Owens Community College, Sinclair Community College, and Terra State Community College). Underrepresented minority students, women, and persons with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. Community college scholarships are one-year awards of $1,000 ($750 from OSGC; $250 from the community college as cost sharing) to sophomores studying in a Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics (STEM)-related discipline. Students should have the intention to matriculate into a 4-year degree program at an OSGC Affiliate institution, or enter the world of work in a STEM position.
Through community college scholarships, OSGC is investing in the Nations diverse STEM workforce with student research, real-world experiences, and engagement of students in NASAs missions. They support the National Space Grant Program goal to contribute to the Nations science enterprise, NASA current areas of emphasis and aligns with the following: NASAs Strategic Objective 2.4; NIFS LOB; API ED-18-1; and ACRA CoSTEM Report Objective 4, Points 3-5. The program also mirrors OSGC Goal 1, Develop a diverse STEM workforce in Ohio and the Nation.
Awardees are required to work with a faculty mentor on an introductory research project, and present a poster of their research at the Annual Student Research Symposium held in late March or early April at the Ohio Aerospace Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Students are also required to write a written report detailing their research that is published in the Annual Student Research Symposium Proceedings.
Interested students should submit a completed application package to the appropriate Campus Representative that includes a personal objective statement discussing educational and career goals, and the benefits derived from a Space Grant scholarship, 1 letter of recommendation, transcripts, and a proposed research project. Applications are to be submitted to the appropriate Campus Representative where committees at each school select the awardees (refer to Competitiveness Section for additional information).
Each school may select up to two students for the awards. The selected student application packages are sent to the OSGC Main Office, and written award letters are sent to the recipients with an Acceptance Form that is returned to the OSGC Main Office. After the Acceptance Form is received, the awards are processed and the student scholarship check is sent to the Campus Representative.