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Achieving Upward Socio-Economic Mobility (AUSEM)

The AUSEM project is fonded by National Science Foundation (NSF) award # 2322299. This AUSEM project will contribute to the national need for well-educated scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and technicians by supporting the retention and graduation of high-achieving, low-income students with demonstrated financial need at Montgomery College.

Over its 6-year duration, this project will fund scholarships for full-time students who are pursuing associate’s degrees in Cloud Computing, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, and Engineering.

The project will benefit low-income student populations by providing them with scholarships that fully cover their anticipated financial need, supplemented with supports that show evidence to increase transfer and completion rates. The project will couple an array of academic, peer, and professional supports with these scholarships. In addition, the project will be designed as a cohort model (to provide peer support), match students with academic mentors (for academic support) and provide stipends for internships and research experiences (for professional experience and networking).

Program Requirements

  1. You must be an MC student majoring in Cloud Computing, Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or Engineering.
  2. You MUST be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
  3. You must have completed a FAFSA 
  4. You must have demonstrated financial need.
  5. The minimum GPA is 2.7.  If your GPA is lower or you do not have a GPA you must provide a recommendation letter from a science or mathematics faculty member.
  1. Registered for a full-time load with a minimum of 12 credits. Credits above 15 need to be approved by the program mentor.             
  2. Register for the cohort seminar course (Year 1 in the program: ENES 104, Year 2 in the program: CMSC 299)  
  3.  Available for a minimum of 40 hours a week for your studies.
  4. Attend the First Cohort Meeting for the semester, on “date to be determined”, from “time to be determined”. Meet weekly with your program mentor during the semester.    
  5. Participate in monthly industry on-site visits for experiential learning.
  6. Participate in a summer internship to be approved by your program mentor.  
  7. Adhere to the student code of conduct (PDF, Get Adobe Acrobat PDF Reader - Link opens in new window) .

Application Materials

December 2, 2024 for Spring Semester, 2025

  1. Confirm that you meet ALL of the eligibility requirements.
  2. Request a letter of recommendation from a science or mathematics professor if your GPA is below 2.7 or if you do not have a GPA.  Upload recommendation letter as a part of the application.
  3. Complete the AUSEM Application Form