Every year, thousands of SHPE members apply for scholarships, each application representing not just academic achievement, but sacrifice, resilience, and an unwavering commitment to a future in STEM. This year, we asked a simple but powerful question: How much are you paying out of pocket each year just to stay in school? The answers were not easy to read.

93% of our applicants are carrying a real financial burden. Nearly 1 in 5 is paying more than $20,000 a year out of pocket—on top of a full-time STEM course load. More than half are paying over $5,000 annually. These are not just numbers. These are students working late nights, taking on extra jobs, making impossible trade-offs, doing whatever it takes to keep going. And still, every single day they show up. 

This Is Bigger Than Tuition

More than half of SHPE members are first-generation college students, navigating college without a roadmap, no safety net, no guide, no one at home who’s done this before.

Our 2024 SHPE-LDC Report found that:

• 65.7% of Latino engineering students experienced financial hardship in the past year
• 20.2% faced housing insecurity

Behind every application is a story like this. And yet, they apply. They believe in what’s possible.

If You’re Reading This, You’re Part of the Story

For many of us, SHPE was more than a membership. It was the community that helped us navigate college. The mentor who gave us direction. The scholarship that made one more semester possible. The connection that led to our first internship or our first job. We didn’t get here alone. At some point, someone in this familia showed up for us.

Now It’s Our Turn

When our community is supported, the impact is undeniable. SHPE scholars graduate at an 87.7% rate, far exceeding the national engineering average of 50%. From 2024-2025, we awarded 369 scholarships totaling more than $1.2 million, helping students stay enrolled and on track. But the truth is that there are still thousands more who need us.

This Is What Familia Looks Like

Familia means we don’t let each other struggle alone. It means reaching back as we move forward. It means making sure the next student has the same, or better, opportunity than we did. Our scholarship applicants aren’t asking for a handout. They’re asking for a chance. And for many of us, that story feels familiar. So this is our moment to show up—not just as professionals, but as a community that takes care of its own.

If you’re in a position to give, to mentor, or to advocate, this is how we keep the SHPE familia strong.