PEARLS Scholarship Application, Selection, and Continuity Criteria

To apply for the PEARLS scholarship, students need to complete a PEARLS Application Form available at the PEARLS administrative office in Stefani Building 401 or by email requests sent to engineering_pearls@uprm.edu.

Graduate applicants also need to provide a recommendation letter from their research advisor and a short statement indicating their reason for applying to the program.

Applications to the PEARLS scholarship are processed in a basis of scholarship availability.

Undergraduate Eligibility Criteria

The basic scholarship eligibility criteria for new undergraduate applicants include:

  • Citizenship/immigrant status: Be a US Citizen, permanent US resident, or refugee.
  • Income status: Be eligible for a Federal Pell grant.
  • Academic Status: Be enrolled in the first, second, or third year of an engineering study program.

Eligible applicants become scholarship candidates.  Candidate rank depends of their year of study upon first application:

First-year candidates are evaluated using a numeric score computed as the weighted sum of the general application index (IGS), level of economic need, number of college-level credits approved while in HS, participation in summer camp or pre-college experiences, and performance of some form of HS research experience.

Second- and third-year students also need to have approved 80% or more of the credits corresponding to their year of study and a general cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0/ 4.0 or above.  They are evaluated with a numeric score that considers cumulative GPA, level of economic need, number of approved credits, and participation of extracurricular experiences.  A candidate who receives a scholarship becomes a scholar.  Non-scholar candidates are kept in a waiting list for consideration upon scholarship vacancies.

Graduate Eligibility Criteria

Graduate applicants become candidates by satisfying the following basic requirements:

  • Citizenship/ immigrant status: Be a US Citizen, permanent US resident, or refugee.
  • Income status: Have been eligible, as undergraduate, to receive a Federal Pell Grant; and cannot be receiving more than the equivalent to half graduate assistantship from any other source.
  • Academic status: Be enrolled in an engineering master’s program as a full-time student in the 1st or 2nd semester their first year of study.

First-year, first-semester grad candidates are evaluated with a numeric score based on their graduation GPA as undergraduates, level of economic need, number of technical publications, and quality of recommendation letter and written statement. Second semester, first-year grad candidates are also required to have approved all courses taken in their 1st semester with 3.30 GPA or higher, have an approved Graduate Studies Plan, and be recommended by his or her graduate research advisor. Their valuation is based on a numeric score computed from the candidate GPA, level of economic need, number of technical publications, and quality of recommendation letter and written statement.  Grad candidates receiving scholarships become grad scholars.  Non-scholar grad candidates are kept in a waiting list for consideration upon scholarship vacancies.

Graduate Student Scholarship Extension Requirements (Rev. F21)

Grad scholars can receive the PEARLS scholarship for either a maximum of two years, or until satisfying graduation requirements, or until program completion, whichever occurs first. In cases of extraordinary circumstances that might require considering factors for extending a graduate scholarship period beyond two years, the executive board will consider the following factors:
• Justification provided by the student and his or her advisor
• Funds availability
• Time the student has received the scholarship
• Academic performance and progress towards graduation

Priority for scholarship extensions will decrease with each new extension beyond the second year.
Extension requests shall include:
• A written request from the student, addressed to the PEARLS graduate mentor. The letter shall indicate the factors leading to requesting the extension.
• A justification from the student advisor including the student’s level of progress towards degree completion and expected completion time.
• A copy of a recent credit transcript indicating the courses in progress
• Requests must be received within thirty (30) calendar days from the reception of a notice of scholarship termination.

 

Scholarship Continuity Criteria (Rev. F19)

Continuing undergraduate scholars must satisfy economic eligibility every academic year and meet the second- and third-year eligibility requirements for each new term. The maximum number of terms an undergrad  scholar can receive the scholarship is either until satisfying graduation requirements; or based on their year level upon joining PEARLS , five years for freshmen, four years for sophomores, and three years for juniors; or until program completion, whichever occurs first.

Continuing graduate students must maintain economic eligibility, have approved all taken courses, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, and be in good academic standing.  Grad scholars can receive the scholarship for either a maximum of two years, or until satisfying graduation requirements, or until program completion, whichever occurs first.

Scholars failing to comply with their academic continuity requirement will be placed in a scholarship probation status for the next semester. Probation scholars continue to receive the scholarships and are required to undergo counseling. Probation scholars satisfying the continuity criteria at the end of the probation period, regain a good standing status.  Those unable to satisfy the continuity requirements will be evaluated for progress towards regaining a good standing.  If the student shows improvement in their performance, the probation period could be extended for one additional term.  Students failing to improve their performance would fall into an audit status, where they can still benefit from program mentoring and professional growth activities, but lose scholarship eligibility.   Audit students regaining scholarship eligibility, would then become participants, joining the waiting list for available program scholarships.

Good standing scholars loosing scholarship eligibility due to changes in economic status can continue receiving all other program benefits as participants. Participants meeting economic eligibility can apply for the PEARLS scholarship, and will be considered in a basis of funds availability.

Scholarship Vacancies (Rev. F19)

Scholarships become vacant when active scholars loose eligibility or discontinue engineering studies for any reason, such as completely withdrawing from school, failing to enroll for a new term, transferring to an academic program outside Engineering, resignation to the PEARLS program, dead, or any other circumstance leading to noncompliance with established scholarship eligibility criteria. Vacant scholarships will be reassigned to eligible applicants in the waiting list.  Eligible PEARLS participants of the same study program where the vacancy occurs will have priority in scholarship reassignment.

Participation in Program Activities 

All PEARLS students are required to take part in the corresponding courses, training, and formation activities targeted to their cohort and responding to program questionnaires and surveys. PEARLS courses count as free electives. Departmental champions will suggest potential research or industry mentors in their own or other academic units to assist scholars initiating their research or industry experiences.