Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships

ET² Scholars Program

The Engineering & Technology Transfer Scholars Program

ET² Scholarships at RIT

In August ’08, the National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded RIT a four-year $599,972 grant from its 2008 Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) Program to increase substantially the number of high technology workers and to develop high-quality professionals in selected fields. RIT is contributing $50,000 in the post-grant period in support of this program. These scholarships are in addition to the grants and scholarships already awarded by RIT. The ET² Scholars Program is a collaborative effort of the following five academic departments:

How It Works

RIT will award a maximum of 25 ET² scholarships for six quarters in the fall quarters of 2008, 2009, and 2010. ET² scholars will receive a scholarship of $2,000 during the first two quarters that they are enrolled in a full load of academic courses. The scholarship award will be reduced to $1,000 per quarter for the remaining four quarters of academic courses after the ET² scholar has completed two cooperative education blocks. Transfer students do not need to apply for an ET² scholarship. All eligible students will be considered for the scholarship.

Eligibility

To be considered for the ET² Scholars Program, a student must:

be a transfer student who has submitted an application for admission to one of the ET² programs by March 15 in the year that the student is applying to RIT, have been accepted by an ET² program, and be eligible to transfer 84 quarter credit hours to RIT in the fall quarter of the academic year of entry;
be a citizen, national, refugee alien, or permanent resident alien of the United States of America;
be matriculated and enrolled full time in an ET² program; and
demonstrate financial need as defined by the U.S. Department of Education and by the RIT Office of Financial Aid upon receipt of results from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Selection Process

The Selection Committee will consist of ET² faculty representatives and the Director of Financial Aid. The Director of Financial Aid will identify all full-time transfer students in the ET² programs who have demonstrated financial need as defined by the rules of the U.S. Department of Education for federal financial aid. The selection committee will review the eligible students and will choose a maximum of 25 students entering RIT in the fall of 2008, 2009, and 2010.

ET² scholars must fulfill current admission requirements, which include a variety of indicators of merit, including the students’ GPA. Each academic program has its own admission criteria. However, we recognize that admission processes must be flexible to accommodate applicants from diverse backgrounds. Therefore, we will consider additional indicators of merit during the review of students’ applications.

Requirements

The scholarship will be renewed only if the ET² scholar:

demonstrates financial need for each additional year;
remains matriculated full time in any BS program of the five participating departments; and
maintains a quarterly GPA ≥ 2.50.

An ET² scholar whose quarterly GPA falls below 2.5 will have one quarter of probation to improve his/her GPA while participating in an appropriate intervention program to improve his/her academic performance. An ET² scholar whose GPA has not improved in the probation quarter will no longer be eligible for the ET² Scholarship Award.

Mentors

Vinnie Gupta, Mechanical Engineering
Vincent Amuso, Electrical Engineering
Daniel Johnson, Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology, and Packaging Science
Michael Eastman, Electrical, Computer and Telecommunications Engineering Technology
Abi Aghayere, Civil Engineering Technology, Environmental Management & Safety

FAQs

How do I apply for this scholarship?
You do not need to apply. If you are a full-time transfer student and matriculated in a BS program offered by the five participating departments, you will be considered for the ET² scholarship. You also must demonstrate financial need as defined by the U.S. Department of Education. This is determined by the Office of Financial Aid upon receipt of result from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Why should I accept this scholarship offer?
You will be participating in several social activities, have additional contact with RIT faculty members, and will be in a position to mentor new transfer students in addition to receiving the scholarship. Selection for a National Science Foundation scholarship is a prestigious accomplishment that is highly regarded by both industry and academia.

What happens to the scholarship if I change my major?
If you transfer to another academic program offered by the five participating departments, you remain eligible to continue to receive the ET² scholarship.

What happens to the scholarship if I become a part-time student?
You must be a full-time student (as defined by RIT) in the quarter you receive the scholarship. You become ineligible for the scholarship if you become a part-time student.

Are there any academic performance requirements to continue to receive the scholarship?
Yes. You must maintain a quarterly GPA of 2.50 to continue to receive the scholarship. If your quarterly GPA falls below 2.50 or if you receive a D, W, or F grade, you must participate in an intervention program in consultation with your academic adviser and the ET² faculty representative from your department. If your quarterly GPA in the follow-up quarter is again below 2.50, the scholarship may be discontinued.

Are there any other requirements to continue to receive the scholarship?
Yes. You also must continue to demonstrate financial need each year and be enrolled for a full-time academic load each quarter. Simply complete the FAFSA each year and have the results sent to RIT. You must do this each year to receive any federal, state, or other RIT financial assistance.

Are there any expectations of me as an ET² scholar?
Per NSF requirements, we need to inform NSF about your accomplishments during and after your education at RIT. Please inform Dr. Gupta (skgeme@rit.edu) of your achievements such as when you win an award or go on co-op employment. When you graduate from RIT, please email him the name of your employer or plans for graduate school.

Why is the National Science Foundation providing this scholarship money?
Our government is concerned about the shortage of qualified graduates from baccalaureate institutions with majors in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. These federal funds, provided through the National Science Foundation, are to encourage and enable the achievement of baccalaureate degrees in these disciplines.

Why is RIT providing additional funds to this NSF-funded scholarship program?
RIT endorses the goals and objectives of the ET² Scholars Program, and wants to ensure that ET² scholars have continuing financial support after the NSF grant expires, and help them graduate on time.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Award #DUE-0806757.

Contact Information

Questions about the ET² Scholars Program at RIT may be sent to Professor Vinnie Gupta at skgeme@rit.edu.