Students who meet basic criteria established by the participating companies are invited to apply for Technical Scholars. Participating companies interview the student applicants to determine which applicants receive the full scholarships. The college provides staff, budget, classrooms and laboratory facilities.
Students are under no obligation to continue to work for the sponsoring company.
The companies have an opportunity to evaluate a future employee, assist in the training of technicians, provide input to the college, and be a good corporate citizen. Technical Scholars is a means by which the college can help fulfill its mission, provide a service to area businesses and industries, assist students with career opportunities, strengthen corporate relationships, and enhance program enrollments. In addition, being well organized and keeping lines of communications open are critical to the program's success. Colleges considering such a partnership should develop simple, flexible procedures, have strong private sector support, identify a single office to coordinate the process, and be willing to change to meet the needs of businesses and industries.