Achieving commuter engagement and success in STEM (ACCESS) program
Achieving commuter engagement and success in STEM disciplines (ACCESS) is a project funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) focused on recruiting academically talented students with a significant financial need, and who intend to commute to and from campus daily. For the purposes of this project, a "commuter student" is defined as any student that drives a car or takes a bus to campus. The program provides students with the academic and professional skills needed for success in the undergraduate engineering degree program of their choice, as well as career preparation for success in the workplace.
Scholarships
Students participating in this program will be awarded scholarships of approximately $2,500 per year for up to four years.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible for the ACCESS program, an applicant must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Be enrolled at Wayne State University, with a cumulative high school grade point average of 3.2 or higher, and MAT 1800 or above through math placement exam or AP credit.
- Be enrolled full time (registered for at least 12 credits) in an engineering discipline.
- Demonstrate financial need. We will work with the Office of Financial Aid to determine financial need using the same criteria used to determine eligibility for federal student aid, which is defined as the difference between Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and Expected Total Cost of Attendance (ETCA). All applicants must have a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the Office of Financial Aid.
Maintaining eligibility
ACCESS participants must:
- Continue to be enrolled in an engineering discipline at Wayne State University.
- Demonstrate continued financial need.
- Demonstrate continued academic excellence. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 overall grade point average.
- Participate in all required ACCESS activities.
Application
The online application requires your WSU access ID, identification as a commuting student, and a 250-500 word response to an essay prompt. Students will be notified of their status within four weeks of receiving their application.
Program contacts
Jeffrey Potoff
Interim Chair, Chemical Engineering and Materials Science
Marcis Jansons
Director of Early Engineering Programs
Mohsen Ayoobi
Assistant Professor of Engineering Technology
Michelle Jacobs
Assistant Professor of Sociology