For the Fall of 1999 and Spring of 2000 these courses are available to qualified students at no cost. The Commonwealth will provide qualified students with the opportunity to participate in the SMT program and to receive 18 Penn State credits at no cost to the students. The semiconductor industry, which is responsible for so much of our modern life from the internet to digital electronics and to cellular phones, has grown to a world-wide industry that is now larger than the automobile and steel industries combined. These will be available at least until June 30, 2000. Recipients who meet these criteria will have the loan forgiven, which will essentially turn it into a scholarship.
Eligibility is determined by transcripts, referrals, and interviews.
To qualify for the room and board grants students must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher in the required courses and demonstrated financial need. These grants will cover the equivalent of room and board in the Penn State dormitories. Eligibility is determined again by transcripts, referrals, and interviews. The core of the program is six, hands-on courses where both labs and lectures will be taught in the Nanofabrication Facility at the Penn State Research Park located 2 miles east of the main PSU campus. The Nanofabrication Facility teaching resources for this technology are unmatched in Pennsylvania and second to none in the country.