STEM Ready Resources

No, all STEM Ready programming and college courses are provided in Montgomery County – mostly at a Montgomery College Campus or at The Universities at Shady Grove in Rockville, MD. Some travel to employer sites in the region may be occasionally required. Transportation support will be provided to STEM Ready students as needed.

There is no cost for students to participate in STEM Ready. They will receive academic guidance, career coaching, and experiential learning at no cost to you. Students will be responsible for paying for college courses and institutional fees in their STEM Degree pathway at MC and UMBC-Shady Grove. While scholarships are not guaranteed to STEM Ready Students, staff will provide support in finding and applying for scholarships throughout the program.

STEM Ready is not a dual enrollment program – however, students who are participating in the Montgomery College Dual Enrollment program are welcome to apply to STEM Ready – as long as they are interested in pursuing Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or Translational Life Science Technology (Applied Biotechnology). A student’s participation in the STEM Ready program will not conflict with their participation in the MC Dual Enrollment program.

Yes – ACES students who are interested in one of the STEM Ready degree pathways are encouraged to apply for the program. Students may not have yet received their acceptance notification from the ACES Program at the time they submit an application to STEM Ready. Because ACES and STEM Ready are compatible programs that students can participate in simultaneously – ACES applicants are encouraged to apply for STEM Ready.

Students should apply for STEM Ready during their Sophomore Year of high school. The application opens on the same day as the first information session for each recruitment cycle. Typically the first information session will occur on the first Thursday of February. However, a student may fill out the STEM Ready Interest Form at any time.