NSF grant to fund low-income graduate, undergraduate students at Montana State and University of Montana

BOZEMAN - For some students, earning an undergraduate degree can create financial pressure to enter the workforce immediately, putting graduate school - and the specialized knowledge, research experience and expanded career opportunities an advanced degree can provide - seemingly out of reach.

A new partnership between Montana State University and the University of Montana aims to change that for some lower-income students by combining substantial scholarships with internship opportunities, mentoring and professional development designed to help graduates enter the workforce with an advanced degree and valuable professional experience.

The program is funded by a $4.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation through its Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics program, known as S-STEM. Approximately $2.8 million will support lower-income senior undergraduate students and graduate students in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, while $2 million will support lower-income students studying natural resources at UM.

"We believe students who take advantage of our S-STEM offerings will graduate as highly skilled STEM professionals ready to immediately engage in the workforce with a combination of technical and professional skills that will prove to be in demand in the job market," said Ryan Anderson, head of MSU's Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and principal investigator on the grant.

Co-principal investigators on the grant are Craig Ogilvie, professor of physics at MSU; Ke Wu, dean of the Graduate School at UM; and Elizabeth Metcalf, dean of the W.A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation at UM.

The scholarships can cover a student's remaining financial need after other scholarships and grants are applied, with awards up to $15,000 for eligible undergraduate seniors and $20,000 for graduate students. Generally, Anderson said, students must meet federal low-income guidelines comparable to those used to determine eligibility for a Pell Grant, a form of federal financial aid that does not have to be repaid. Student recruitment at both schools is expected to begin in October, with current seniors potentially entering the program in the spring of 2027.

In addition to financial support, scholarship recipients will have access to mentoring and professional development designed to help them navigate graduate school's so-called "hidden curriculum" - the unwritten rules, expectations and knowledge helpful in navigating graduate school, which includes how to build professional relationships and networks.

"Some of the 'hidden curriculum' includes developing social capital," Anderson said. "It can be kind of a closed door to begin with that they may never even think to open. If a student hasn't had someone who has been in that role ahead of them - and they haven't really seen how that works - grad school can be tricky to navigate. We want to make sure they have the mentoring, professional networks and knowledge they need to navigate that space successfully."

Anderson said the program will work with industry groups to identify companies and help match students with optional internships in their engineering and science disciplines. Those groups include Big Sky Economic Development, the Montana High Tech Business Alliance and the Montana Photonics and Quantum Alliance.

"The funds made available through the S-STEM program will provide another meaningful avenue for MSU to support talented Montanans from across the state as they pursue advanced degrees," said Elizabeth Burroughs, interim MSU provost. "By removing financial barriers that can prevent promising students from continuing their education, this program will also strengthen our Graduate School and the community of scholars it serves."

The S-STEM program is expected to fund four groups of 16 students over six years, supporting 64 students across the two universities, with half at each institution.

"This is us coming together with the U of M to make this a successful effort for the state of Montana," Anderson said.