What is the DATASCI Scholars Program?
UNC Asheville’s Data Analytics Training and Scientific Computing Initiative (DATASCI) Scholars Program prepares students for successful STEM careers. Funding from the National Science Foundation provides scholarships for 31 students over a six-year period. In addition to scholarships, DATASCI Scholars benefit from:
- Paid research opportunities
- Faculty and peer mentoring
- Professional development workshops
- Academic and extracurricular cohort-building experiences
- Networking events, and
- Travel to conferences
The program fosters self-efficacy, belonging, and career readiness while leveraging UNC Asheville’s strengths in small class sizes, faculty-student collaboration, and a supportive academic culture, ensuring access to high-impact learning opportunities.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants must demonstrate academic merit and financial need to be eligible for the DATASCI Scholarship.
Academic merit is evaluated by consideration of the applicant’s:
- Academic performance in high school (or UNC Asheville, if applicable), GPA, SAT, and/or class rank.
- Personal essay response to the question “Why do you want to study computer science, mathematics, statistics, physics, or astronomy at UNC Asheville?”
- One letter of recommendation from a teacher or professor, evaluating the applicant’s aptitude, seriousness as a student, and motivation for a future career in astronomy, computer science, mathematics, physics, or statistics.
Financial need is determined by submitting the Federal Application for Free Student Aid (FAFSA) and a review by the UNC Asheville’s Office of Financial Aid.
Maintaining Eligibility
Scholarship recipients must meet the following criteria each academic year to be eligible for renewal:
- Continue to demonstrate financial need.
- Advance in the curriculum of the computer science major, mathematics & statistics major, or physics & astronomy major. DATASCI Scholars may switch majors within these departments and maintain scholarship funding.
- Enroll in 15 credit hours per semester.
- Maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 in UNC Asheville STEM courses.
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 at UNC Asheville courses.
* the DATASCI scholarship will typically cover the remaining total cost of attendance including tuition, fees, room, and board, after other sources of aid, including Pell Grants and Access Asheville, are applied, for up to four years. Final award amount is subject to eligibility requirements. Contact the UNC Asheville Office of Financial Aid for details.
Application for the 2025-2026 academic year opens January 6, 2025!
Full Scholarships* for incoming students in Computer Science, Mathematics & Statistics, and Physics & Astronomy
