NSF-CS Scholarship Program

Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the "Expanding the Pool: Scholarships in Computer Science" program provides scholarships to academically talented undergraduates majoring in computer science at Central Washington University.

Students selected into the program will receive an award of up to $3,125 per year for the initial academic year with the possibility of renewing the scholarship for a maximum of three years. Students may use the scholarship award for tuition, books, supplies, and/or equipment.

In addition, scholarship recipients will be assigned a faculty mentor and will participate in a special enhancement program designed to foster successful completion of the Computer Science Bachelor of Science degree.

Eligibility

• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, permanent resident alien, or refugee alien at the time of application.
• Demonstrate financial need (defined by the US Department of Education rules for need-based Federal financial aid).
• Plan to pursue (or continue) full-time enrollment in the Computer Science Department at CWU.
• Have the ability to complete the Computer Science Bachelor of Science degree in three or four years of full-time study.

Application Procedure

Students wishing to apply for the 2009-2010 scholarship should:

• Complete the CWU Computer Science Scholarship Program Application:
  • Application Form - as PDF document
  • Application Form - as WORD file
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. List CWU on the FAFSA (its federal school code is 003771). Additional financial aid information is available online at www.cwu.edu/~finaid.
• Write a one-page essay explaining why you wish to study computer science and how the scholarship will help you attain your degree.
• Include a letter of recommendation from a faculty member describing your potential for success in the computer science major and profession.
• Provide transcripts of all college work done or, in the case of incoming freshmen, high school work done (unofficial photocopies of transcripts are OK).

The complete application package (include application, essay, transcripts, and letter of recommendation) should be received by due by June 1, 2009 for full consideration. After this date, applications will be reviewed until all scholarships are filled.

Mailing Address:

CS Scholarship Program
Department of Computer Science
Central Washington University
400 East University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7520

Evaluation

Applicants meeting the eligibility criteria will be evaluated based on:

• Academic excellence as reflected in computer science and overall GPAs (college or high school).
• Preparation for the major as reflected in computer science courses completed so far (if any).
• Quality and content of application essay.
• Content of the letter of recommendation.
• Preference will be given to applicants that add gender and ethnic diversity to the student body.

The Computer Science Department is located in Hebeler Hall with state-of-the-art computing facilities. More information about the scholarship, department, and Central Washington University may be obtained at www.cwu.edu/~cs_dept.or by e-mail at gellenbe@cwu.edu or by telephone at (509) 963-1495.

Out-Of-State Students

Western Undergraduate Exchange Program (WUE)

This program allows students throughout the western United States to enroll at Central at a reduced tuition rate. The WUE award waives all but 150% of in-state resident tuition. Participating states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, (Washington), and Wyoming. More information about the program can be found at http://www.cwu.edu/~scholar/wue.html

Transferability of Out-of-State Associate Degrees

For students attending community colleges in the northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Utah), a new policy provides for the transferability of full general education credit for many associate degrees. Please contact the Office of Admissions for more specific information.

CWU Office of Admissions
400 East University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926-7463
Phone: (509) 963-1211
E-Mail: cwuadmis@cwu.edu

2001-02 Scholars

The Computer Science Department at Central participated in the 2001-2003 scholarship program funded by the National Science Foundation. Read about the 2001-2003 Scholars and their activities.

Support for the scholarships is provided by the National Science Foundation's Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships Program under grant DUE-0426330.

Central Washington University is an AA/EEO/Title IX Institution. TDD (509) 963-3323.