UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ARKANSAS ATOM SCHOLARS SCHOLARSHIP AND VIRTUAL FINANCIAL AID WORKSHOPS
Do you know a good student that is interested in pursuing a degree in chemistry but is unable to attend college due to financial hardships? If the answer is yes, then please help us spread the word about the ATOM Scholars Program and Scholarship at UCA.
To be eligible, a student must:
· Be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
· Be Federal Pell grant eligible as determined by the 2021/2022 FAFSA
· Have a High School GPA of at least a 3.0
· Be a UCA Freshman starting in the Fall of 2021
· Intend to graduate with a degree in chemistry or biochemistry from UCA (includes pre-pharmacy, pre-dentistry, and pre-med)
To apply, a student must:
· Apply to UCA
· Complete the 2021/2022 FAFSA
· Complete the ATOM Scholars application found at https://uca.edu/chemistry/atom-scholars/apply/ by March 1, 2021
· Complete the UCA Housing Application and select the STEM Residential College Living and Learning Community
· Agree to complete the UCA Chemistry Placement Exam
· Agree to send an unofficial copy of their high school transcript upon request by the ATOM Scholars Team
Six students will:
· Receive $10,000 / year for up to 4 years as long as they maintain a 2.75 GPA, remain a chemistry/biochemistry major, and complete the FAFSA annually.
· Have their Housing Deposit paid.
· Get to attend Student Orientation along with one parent at no cost to them.
· Get to attend the Bear Leadership Program at no cost to them.
· Have the opportunity to perform summer research and receive a stipend for that summer.
· Have the opportunity to attend a National Chemistry Conference at no cost.
· Obtain valuable skills to aid in attending graduate school or obtaining a position in industry as part of the Mentorship Circle.
· Participate in classes that provide scaffolded support that aids in their success.
We are offering a variety of events from October through February to provide information and help students with Financial Aid applications. The events are shown below.
o Virtual Recruitment/Financial Aid Events – Members of the UCA Financial Aid Department and the ATOM Scholars Team will provide financial aid and scholarship information as well as specific information about the ATOM Scholars program. The resources provided will empower students with knowledge to complete the FAFSA and scholarship applications to attend college. These resources will be valuable whether applying for the ATOM Scholars program and attending UCA or not. To register for the event, go to https://forms.gle/JjV5VLEHpehrqq4e6 and complete the registration form. Meeting times are listed below.
o Tuesday, November 17th at 7:00 pm
o Tuesday, January 12 at 7pm
o Monday, January 25 at 7pm
o Wednesday, February 3 at 7pm
o Thursday, February 18 at 7pm
· UCA Virtual Bear Facts Day – December 4th. Go to https://uca.edu/admissions/bear-facts-day/ to pre-register for the event. Additionally, be on the lookout for more information about the College of Natural Science and Mathematics virtual events.
· High School Chemistry Class Virtual Recruitment Events – The leadership team of the ATOM Scholars program would be delighted to attend your class via Zoom and speak with your students about the program and how to apply. To set up a time, please email us at ATOMScholars@uca.edu .
· Attend a College Chemistry Class – Drs Long and Massey have agreed to let students sit in on their College Chemistry Class to get a first-hand perspective of course expectations. They both have classes on Tuesday and Thursday. Times are listed below that your class or an individual student could attend. To register go to: https://forms.gle/63C4C5DupU1kh4XF6 . You will receive a Blackboard Collaborate Ultra link and pin for attending the class upon completion of the registration.
o Dr. Long’s optional dates and times are listed below.
§ Thursday, November 12th from 11:10-12:05
§ Tuesday, November 17th from 10:50-12:05
§ Thursday, November 19th from 11:10-12:05
o Dr. Massey’s optional dates and times are listed below.
§ Thursday, November 12th from 8:00-9:15
§ Tuesday, November 17th from 8:20-9:15
§ Thursday, November 19th from 8:00-9:15
o If one of these times does not work for the students schedule or yours, email us at ATOMScholars@uca.edu and we will see what can be arranged.
Please email us at ATOMScholars@uca.edu if you have questions and we will gladly respond.