Spelman College Expands STEM Scholarship Initiative

Spelman College announced an expansion of its STEM scholarship initiative this fall, adding research stipends and dedicated mentorship funding aimed at increasing the number of Black women pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

The expanded initiative provides recipients with a paid summer research position alongside a Spelman faculty member during their sophomore or junior year, in addition to covering tuition costs. College officials say the research component was added specifically because national data shows students who complete undergraduate research are significantly more likely to pursue graduate STEM degrees.

"Scholarship money alone gets a student in the door, but research experience is what convinces her she belongs in a graduate program or a research lab," said Spelman's Provost. "We wanted this initiative to do both."

The program has become one of the most competitive scholarship tracks at Spelman, with this year's applicant pool nearly tripling the number of available spots. The college has long been recognized as a leading producer of Black women who go on to earn STEM doctorates nationally, a reputation administrators say the expanded initiative is designed to reinforce.

Spelman says it is seeking additional corporate partnerships to fund further expansion of the research stipend program over the next three years.