Scholarships & Internships

Scholarships

The three most important steps to take in order to receive financial aid and scholarships are outlined below.

1. Every year, fill out your Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FASFA) for state and federal grants and financial aid or the California Dream Act (for AB540 students).
• FAFSA
• CA Dream Act
2. During November and winter break every year apply for CSM Scholarships
3. Submit your profile in December for scholarships funded by the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, you will see a list of scholarships you appear to be eligible for in early January. Complete the application for those scholarships in January.

If you have completed all three steps and want to apply for additional scholarships, find more scholarships and internships open to community college STEM majors by viewing the spreadsheet of STEM Internships and Scholarships.

Internships

Paid internships are an excellent way to gain experience and learn about STEM careers. MESA students will receive internship announcements via the MESA Canvas page. Examples of some internships for community college STEM students can be found here:

• Science Small Groups 
  Explore your curiosity under the mentorship of a Stanford researcher with support from 2-3 peers in your small group.  Weekly online sessions plus two career workshops and a Stanford lab visit.
• Community College Outreach Program (CCOP) Career & Transfer Prep Bootcamp
  Join a six-week summer program run by Stanford mentors. Topics have included: creating a CV/resume, applying for scholarships and financial aid, writing personal statements, and advice from transfer counselors.
• CCOP Opportunities in Research Engagement (CORE) an internship offered summer, fall and spring. Work in a Stanford lab to gain hands-on research experience and be mentored by Stanford graduate students.
• Microfluidics Research dives into cutting-edge projects where you'll work in teams to harness the power of microfluidic devices to explore intriguing biological questions. 
• Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering  Ngan Huang Lab explores the role of the biochemical and biomechanical microenvironment in vascular endothelial cells, in order to develop new therapies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
• The Center for Power Optimization of Electro-Thermal Systems (POETS)
  Help find ways to increase the power density of mobile electrified systems by participating in research during the summer in an engineering lab.
• Summer Community College Premedical Program
  Learn about medical topics in health disparities, science success strategies, clinical exposure and info about medical school.
• Summer Community College Research Program
  Spend the summer in a  medical research lab.
• Stanford University Minority Medical Alliance (SUMMA)
  Attend a pre-health conference in Feb.
• Leadership Education for Aspiring Physicians (LEAP)
  Join a seminar series on weekends. Activities focus on leadership development to improve community health and wellness.
• STEM Internships and Scholarships
  CSM MESA’s spreadsheet of STEM Internships and Scholarships lists internships open to community college STEM majors.
• REUFinder
  The REUFinder has additional info on internships for community college STEM majors and offers online workshops to help you apply for opportunities.