Marietta College has been awarded a Choose Ohio First (COF) grant by the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) to support students in critical STEM fields.
The $1,227,744 grant over five years is for the College to recruit and support each cohort throughout its educational journey at MC. The grant supports students in science, including health professions, technology, engineering and mathematics. The grant was approved by the State Controlling Board today.
Marietta was awarded 5-percent more ($58,464) than it requested, as Chancellor Randy Gardner explained, “due to the strength of your proposal and the DeWine-Husted administration’s commitment to increasing STEM graduates in Ohio.”
“Once again, we are honored to receive a Choose Ohio First grant and be a part of this important program that represents our pledge to providing access to education, striving for student success, and preparing students to meet the emerging workforce needs in the state of Ohio,” Marietta College President Bill Ruud said. “We are enormously grateful for Chancellor Gardner’s dedication to helping Ohio students achieve their educational goals.”
Marietta College, which has received COF funds since 2011, will use the funding to provide STEM scholarships, which will help improve Ohio’s workforce development capacity to innovate and grow the state economy. One hundred percent of the funding from the grant goes toward scholarships for students in the selected majors. The grant also requires a one-to-one match, meaning Marietta will match the ODHE scholarship amount with other, internal scholarships for each student.
Marietta College promises that its admission counselors will work closely with Upward Bound programs around the state of Ohio to recruit low-income, first-generation students, and students with disabilities to our campus. Additionally, Marietta College also offers a Welcoming Inspirational Summer Experience (WISE) for prospective students. This four-day residential program targets young women and socially disadvantaged high school students with the goal of providing them a glimpse of college life while helping to boost their confidence as they plan for their futures. STEM majors and career opportunities are promoted during the program as is the Choose Ohio First scholarship program.
The Marietta programs that are part of the Choose Ohio First Scholars program include Petroleum Engineering, Geology, Psychology, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.