Freshman Rep. introduces and passes her first amendment to create scholarships for STEM majors

April 26, 2007

WASHINGTON, D.C. –

Click Here for Video of Rep. Gillibrand’s Speech

On Tuesday, Congresswoman Gillibrand successfully passed her first amendment to a bill on the House floor.  The amendment to Sowing the Seeds through Science and Engineering Research Act [H.R. 363] creates a scholarship program for undergraduate students in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.  The amendment would authorize the National Science Foundation to annually award 2,500 undergraduate scholarships for a students’ full tuition during their last two years at a state institution.

"Having a home grown, educated workforce is crucially important to the strength of America’s economy and to retaining our competitive advantage in the science field around the world," said Congresswoman Gillibrand, a member of the Armed Services Committee. "Upstate New York’s economy is being revived through the high tech sector, and we need to create a local work force that is skilled in engineering, science and mathematics."

Scholarships awarded will be merit based, and students must meet the following criteria: have a family income of no more than $75,000; attend a four year, state institution; maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average; not have a felony conviction on their record; and be an American citizen or a permanent resident of the United States.

This amendment stemmed from the National Science Foundation’s conclusion that the "number of native-born science and engineering graduates entering the workforce is likely to decline unless the Nation intervenes to improve success in educating science and engineering students." 

Congresswoman Gillibrand added, "Science and technology will always be the force behind America’s economic growth and our national security, and this amendment will help recruit some of Upstate New York’s best and brightest students to become America’s next researchers, scientists and engineers."

For the scholarship to become law, the amendment must be included in the final conference report, which will iron out the differences between the similar House and Senate bills, and then passed by both bodies again before being signed by the President.  The scholarship then must be appropriated funds in the National Science Foundation, which is included in the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

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