San Antonio – After spending every summer for the past three summers taking classes like algebra, physics and pre-calculus, some 200 middle school students will receive their payoff tonight.

St. Mary’s University’s Pre-freshman Engineering Program (PREP) will graduate 245 students and 201 of them will be awarded a scholarship to attend St. Mary’s University after high school:

  • 20 students will receive a $12,500 per year award for four years (five if majoring in Engineering)
  • 98 will receive a $3,500 per year award
  • 83 will receive a $1,500 per year award

The total scholarship award given by St. Mary’s this year is $717,500.

PREP is a three-year mathematics-based summer program for minority and female middle school students. Historically, these students are underrepresented in the scientific, technical, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) career fields. Key to PREP’s success is that students are enrolled at an early age – sixth grade through eighth grades. The PREP curriculum builds an academic foundation leading to enrollment in advanced placement or honors classes that the students can use to excel in high school. Depending on the site and successful completion of the PREP curriculum, students can earn high school and/or college academic credit. Research has shown that 99 percent of PREP students go onto college and 86 percent graduate. Pioneered in San Antonio as a partnership of colleges and universities, along with public and private middle schools, PREP has been replicated throughout the nation.

St. Mary’s University’s PREP graduation will be held Wednesday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. in Bill Greehey Arena.

Back to top