Current Programs

The Foundation has established the E. Eugene Carter Foundation Opportunity Awards program at schools of engineering at over 20 public universities in the United States.

The Foundation’s award is used by recipient institutions to repay the Federal need-based student loans of selected graduates from the engineering school. Priority is given to Hispanic women who are first generation to college.

The Foundation will repay a student’s federally subsidized loan of $20,000 (or the amount of the loan if less).

Students Funded

Students Graduated

Student Loans Repaid

Opportunity Award student selection procedures

Opportunity Awards provide financial support to students who are at risk of not persisting to degree completion. Each school sets its own procedures to identify and select Opportunity Award student recipients.

For the student award selection team,many schools include a combination of:

Engineering student services personnel,

Underrepresented minority program faculty / staff representative

Engineering faculty

Financial aid staff

Engineering development officer

Society of Women Engineers Advisor

Scholars should not be selected based on academic merit.

First-generation to college is a key priority

Awards support students working through college or whose completion is difficult due to socio economic status

Schools should create a process that will encourage students with average grades to be considered. The Foundation cautions against using the regular scholarship selection process based on merit.

Loan Repayments

Schools are responsible for paying an Opportunity Award Scholar’s federal loan to the lender directly

Any recipient must graduate with an engineering degree to receive the award

Payment should be complete within 6 months of Scholar’s graduation date

Testimonials

The Carter Foundation award was life changing. It set me up for success from graduation day, as not having loans to repay allowed me and, later on my family, to make better financial decisions. The best part of the award is the long-term effect. It is something that has created waves of success and support that have affected not only myself, but now my family.

Laura Mechanical Engineering
Kansas State University

Institutional recipients

Arizona State University

 California State University, Fresno 

Colorado School of Mines 

Florida State University 

Kansas State University

Missouri University of Science and Technology 

New Mexico State University 

New Mexico Tech 

North Carolina State University 

Northern Arizona University

Northern Illinois University

 University of Arkansas

University of Georgia 

University of Illinois, Chicago

 University of Kansas

 University of Massachusetts, Lowell 

University of Oklahoma

 University of Texas at San Antonio 

Virginia Commonwealth University