Engineering Programs with Generous Merit Aid for Women?

SOSConcern
Tue, 23 Jun 2015 14:32:29 +0000

@palm715 to keep within budget - for studying engineering, I would insist on application to UA and UAH (easy and cheap). Both have a fair amount of female engineering students. UAH is a smaller campus, but has PhD programs in engineering and STEM that make it a place where engineering students succeed. UAH’s campus is across the street from a very large research park.

Huntsville metro population is around 440,000 and has a unique combination of federal (Arsenal with major army/aviation center and NASA), contractor and high-tech companies and entrepreneurs. Some students in our area choose to go to UAH, while other engineering/STEM students choose UA or AU. AU doesn’t offer as much with scholarship VS the automatic (and with UA the departmental engineering) at both UA and UAH. I know a couple of eng students at UAB - they went there for other reasons but are completing eng degrees (one for sports scholarship; one went for biotech but then switched to civil eng).

If you visit the campuses, as you have the full list of financially eligible schools, she could see choices within your budget.

She needs enough financial safeties on her list, so that when all is said and done, she will have to figure out the best place for her.

Right now she is looking at what she sees on-line, what she has heard about various schools, what other students are saying, etc. Many students don’t know how a campus will feel until they actually visit - so tell your DD you want her to cast a wide enough net so the right fish will not get away for lack of effort.

My DD entered UA last fall, and is studying civil eng. She loves UA, and her scholarships makes us happy parents too. I have another DD studying nursing at UAB.

Even though we are in-state residents, I have worked for two universities and received degrees from three in non-contiguous states. UA (and UAH) offers an excellent education and the OOS scholarships are helpful to families who can add the options to their list.

Your DD probably needs to visit UA for her to really ‘see’ and feel what a great place it is.