2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The NSF S-STEM scholarship at Western New England University provides financial aid to academically talented Mechanical Engineering students. In addition to the scholarship, evidence based educational programs are incorporated to enhance their academic experience and promote long term success. These programs include student services and cohort activities.
The student service program includes a comprehensive advising system, featuring faculty advisors, university advisors, and peer advisors, as well as career consultation resources to help students prepare for post-graduation opportunities.
Cohort activities include conference participation (Hoxby 2015, Ononye 2018) and community outreach (Yeh 2010, Eyler 2001), play a critical role in cultivating a sense of belonging among the scholars. These activities expose students to professional development opportunities and encourage engagement with the broader community, helping to strengthen their professional identity. Both the advising and cohort-building initiatives are designed to boost the self-efficacy of low-income students, particularly early in their college careers, by equipping them with the tools and confidence needed to overcome academic and personal challenges.
This work presents a detailed analysis of longitudinal data collected over three years through quantitative formative assessments conducted each fall and spring semester, as well as through focus group studies. The data offers insights into how the different components of the student support program contribute to key outcomes, such as retention and academic success, which are central to the objectives of the NSF project
The survey data will be analyzed to assess changes in student feedback over time and identify which aspects of the support program are most effective in retaining students. Specifically, the study will explore which team advisors—faculty, university, or peer—students most frequently consult, and how these interactions contribute to their persistence in the program. Additionally, the data will be used to evaluate the impact of various cohort activities on students’ sense of community and professional development. Based on the feedback, recommendations for potential revisions to the program will be discussed, with a focus on enhancing its effectiveness in supporting student retention and success.
Ultimately, this longitudinal analysis provides valuable insights into how targeted student services and cohort-building activities can contribute to improved outcomes for low-income, academically talented students in STEM fields. The findings will inform future iterations of the NSF S-STEM program, with the goal of optimizing student support systems to ensure scholars are well-prepared to thrive academically and professionally.
1. Hoxby, Caroline M., and Sarah Turner. 2015. "What High-Achieving Low-Income Students Know about College." American Economic Review, 105 (5): 514-17.
2. Ononye, L. & Bong, S. (2018). The Study of the Effectiveness of Scholarship Grant Program on Low-Income Engineering Technology Students. Journal of STEM Education, 18(5).
3. Yeh, T, (2010), “Service-Learning and Persistence of Low-Income, First-Generation College Students: An Exploratory Study”, Michigan Journal of Community Service Learning, v16 n2 p50-65
4. Eyler, J; Giles, D. E; Stenson, C M.; and Gray, C J., "At A Glance: What We Know about The Effects of Service-Learning on College Students, Faculty, Institutions and communities, 1993- 2000: Third Edition" (2001). Higher Education. Paper 139.