{"id":60530,"date":"2026-02-04T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?p=60530"},"modified":"2026-02-03T22:57:58","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T03:57:58","slug":"for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/","title":{"rendered":"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Jose Lopez Vasquez <\/strong>is a junior at 91短视频, a first-generation college student, and a reservist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Like many students on campus, he is mindful of the cost of his education and the long-term impact of student debt.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve always been conscious of how much money I\u2019m spending,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t want to have tons of debt I\u2019ll have to pay back later, especially at high interest rates.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And so for Vasquez, who works a part-time job at The Home Depot, financial aid from the Montgomery GI Bill, the Virginia Tuition Grant (VTAG), and a new National Science Foundation (NSF) S-STEM Scholarship has been a godsend in covering the full cost of his college education.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWithout the NSF S-STEM Scholarship, I would\u2019ve struggled financially,\u201d he said. \u201cThe scholarship really takes the pressure off my shoulders, because now I won\u2019t have that debt looming over my head.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Did you know?<\/strong><br \/>More than 99% of all undergraduate students at 91短视频 receive financial aid.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Born and raised in Harrisonburg, Vasquez graduated from high school in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and attended Blue Ridge Community College while enlisting in the military. After completing recruit training, taking time to reassess his academic goals, and changing majors from business to computer science, he transferred to 91短视频 last fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>He is among an initial cohort of 91短视频 students receiving the NSF S-STEM Scholarship, which provides:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Up to $15,000 in unmet financial need annually for the length of the degree<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A paid one-week Bridge to College program<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A STEM mentorship program<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An eight-week paid internship<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Free conference attendance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Forest restoration opportunities in Park Woods (91短视频\u2019s on-campus woodland)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The scholarship is open to high-achieving, income-eligible students who are majoring in Biochemistry, Biology, Computer Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Math, or Psychology (research\/STEM track).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">Applications for the S-STEM Scholarship <br \/>are due by 11:59 p.m. on <strong>Sunday, Feb. 15, 2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-left\">For more information, visit <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/emu.edu\/stem\/scholarship\">emu.edu\/stem\/scholarship<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018A welcoming community\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"761\" src=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224925\/PXL_20250821_185522167-1024x761.jpeg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-60542\" style=\"width:650px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224925\/PXL_20250821_185522167-1024x761.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224925\/PXL_20250821_185522167-300x223.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224925\/PXL_20250821_185522167-768x571.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224925\/PXL_20250821_185522167.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><strong>Dr. Jim Yoder (foreground), professor of biology at 91短视频 and program director of Natural Sciences, poses with a group of students on a hike in the Shenandoah National Park last fall. The students are recipients of a new S-STEM Scholarship funded by the National Science Foundation.<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Forming friendships at a new school can have its challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Along with other initiatives provided by the scholarship, a <strong>Bridge to College program<\/strong> helps new 91短视频 students adjust to life on campus by moving them in a week early, introducing them to STEM faculty and staff members, and engaging them in activities to build camaraderie and form connections with one another. Students participating in the weeklong program receive a generous stipend for their time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Ani Koontz<\/strong>, a first-year biology and secondary education double major from Newton, Kansas, is a recipient of the S-STEM Scholarship. She recalled traveling to Shenandoah National Park with students and faculty the week before classes, surveying salamanders and hiking trails, before bicycling around Downtown Harrisonburg on a tour led by city officials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThat first week showed me how friendly and approachable my professors are,\u201d she said. \u201cThey\u2019ve done a great job creating a welcoming community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Another S-STEM Scholarship recipient, <strong>Mara Carlson<\/strong>, is a first-year psychology major from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. \u201cMany of us have become close friends,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019ll see the other scholarship recipients around campus and we\u2019ll say hello to each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Through the scholarship, each student is paired with an academic advisor specific to their major, who can answer questions and help guide them forward. Carlson said she meets with <strong>Kathryn Howard-Ligas<\/strong>, assistant professor of psychology at 91短视频. \u201cWe discussed a four-year plan, and I was really grateful for that,\u201d she said. Part of that plan includes gaining invaluable experience through internships and conferences, additional perks of the S-STEM Scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Carlson said she already knew she wanted to attend 91短视频, and that receiving the S-STEM Scholarship was \u201ca nice surprise.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the Kansas-born Koontz, 91短视频 had always been on her radar, but she also considered attending in-state schools that normally would\u2019ve been cheaper. When she learned she had been offered the S-STEM Scholarship and that it would lower her college costs to \u201ca very affordable amount,\u201d her choice to attend 91短视频 became an easy one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt&#8217;s 100% the reason I came,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen I got that, it meant I could completely afford to go here, and it honestly made 91短视频 more affordable than any other college in my area. It\u2019s my joy to share how grateful I am because this is truly just an amazing thing that 91短视频 has.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jose Lopez Vasquez is a junior at 91短视频, a first-generation college student, and a reservist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Like many students on campus, he is mindful of the <a href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"more-link\">... read more <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">about For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0<\/span><\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":302,"featured_media":60541,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4515,5725,5583,5592,13808,17562,17364,5598,5603,5730],"tags":[18221,18785,18262,11134,7962,18261,18260,15447,14265,6865,11381,18784,18786,15422,10146,18248,17394,18223,13780,18258,17841,16474,18263],"feature":[17427,17426,17241,17422],"class_list":["post-60530","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academics","category-admissions","category-campus-community","category-chemistry","category-computer-science","category-digest","category-engineering","category-mathematical-sciences","category-psychology","category-undergraduate-programs","tag-academic-excellence","tag-ani-koontz","tag-belonging","tag-biochemistry","tag-biology","tag-bridge-to-college","tag-chemistry","tag-computer-science","tag-engineering","tag-environmental-science","tag-grants","tag-jose-lopez-vasquez","tag-mara-carlson","tag-math","tag-national-science-foundation","tag-nsf","tag-park-woods","tag-pathways-of-promise","tag-psychology","tag-s-stem","tag-scholarships","tag-stem","tag-tutoring","feature-emu-home-page-feature","feature-myemu-feature","feature-news-feature","feature-news-landing-page-main-feature"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0 - 91短视频 News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0 - 91短视频 News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Jose Lopez Vasquez is a junior at 91短视频, a first-generation college student, and a reservist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Like many students on campus, he is mindful of the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"91短视频 News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-02-04T15:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1280\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"720\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@91短视频_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@91短视频_News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ryan Cornell\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/\",\"name\":\"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0 - 91短视频 News\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-02-04T15:00:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg\",\"width\":1280,\"height\":720},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/\",\"name\":\"91短视频 News\",\"description\":\"News from the 91短视频 community.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf\",\"name\":\"Ryan Cornell\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0 - 91短视频 News","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0 - 91短视频 News","og_description":"Jose Lopez Vasquez is a junior at 91短视频, a first-generation college student, and a reservist in the U.S. Marine Corps. Like many students on campus, he is mindful of the","og_url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/","og_site_name":"91短视频 News","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/EasternMennonite","article_published_time":"2026-02-04T15:00:00+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1280,"height":720,"url":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ryan Cornell","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@91短视频_News","twitter_site":"@91短视频_News","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ryan Cornell","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/","name":"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0 - 91短视频 News","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg","datePublished":"2026-02-04T15:00:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/emu-wordpress-multisite-instance-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2026\/02\/03224656\/PXL_20250821_142929608.jpeg","width":1280,"height":720},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/2026\/for-cost-conscious-college-students-new-s-stem-scholarship-offers-much-needed-relief\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"For cost-conscious college students, new S-STEM Scholarship offers much-needed relief\u00a0"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/","name":"91短视频 News","description":"News from the 91短视频 community.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/4d24e9770fdab8276fbcf29504123fdf","name":"Ryan Cornell"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60530","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/302"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=60530"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60530\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":60545,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/60530\/revisions\/60545"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/60541"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=60530"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=60530"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=60530"},{"taxonomy":"feature","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/emu.edu\/now\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/feature?post=60530"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}