Science Engagement and Active Mentoring (SEAM) Program

The SEAM program, funded by a $1,000,000 grant from the National Science Foundation Scholarships in STEM (S-STEM) Program, provides scholarships covering tuition, room, and board for high-achieving STEM majors, including:

  • Environmental Geosciences
  • Chemistry
  • Computer Science
  • Computer Information Systems

The program is open to new first-time freshmen and transfer students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents funded by the federal PELL grant. You can be a West Virginia resident or an out-of-state resident (See “Eligibility” for more details).

Besides the generous scholarship funding, students accepted into the program will be part of a cohort of students that meet regularly with each other and with a dedicated faculty mentor. You will receive:

  • A high-performance laptop computer for use during your four years
  • A special college orientation program for SEAM scholars
  • Access to special SEAM workshops to build success in classes, career development, and your professional identity
  • Monthly meetings with other cohort members and your faculty mentor to help you succeed in college
  • Field trips to STEM-focused job sites to learn more about the workforce
  • Field trips to Green Bank Observatory for radio astronomy and high-performance nanotechnology and computing laboratories
  • Access to undergraduate research
  • Success coaching

The maximum Federal Pell Grant award is $7,395 for the 2024–25 award year (July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025). The SEAM program will pay all or most of your tuition, room, and board beyond the PELL award, depending on your Student Aid Index determined by the FAFSA form. A significant benefit of the SEAM program is that you may not need to take out loans to pay for tuition and housing. A typical student might receive $2500 to more than $10,000 beyond the PELL grant, depending on your Student Aid Index.

To be eligible for the scholarship, you must:

  1. Have a federal FAFSA form on file and be eligible for the federal PELL Grant* with unmet financial need.
  2. Declare one of the four non-health/non-medical fields as your major.
  3. Be a new first-time freshmen OR transfer from another 2- or 4-year college
  4. Have a high school GPA >3.0, or college 3.0 GPA if a transfer student.
  5. Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, U.S. national, or admitted refugee.
  6. Be enrolled full time (12 or more hours/semester).

*If your FAFSA form has not been processed or submitted, you can still apply. However, consider the following guidance. According to Prep Scholar, PELL grants are mostly awarded to students with family incomes less than $30,000, although some are awarded to students from families with incomes between $30,000–$60,000. It is rare but possible to be eligible for a PELL grant with a larger family income. Unlike a loan, the federal PELL grant and the SEAM scholarship does not have to be repaid. Unmet financial need is calculated based on cost of attendance minus the Student Aid Index (expected family contribution) and other grants and scholarships excluding loans and work.

Information about SEAM-eligible Majors