HSTA (Health Sciences & Technology Academy) is a West Virginia high school program that opens doors for under-represented students to go to college for STEM + M (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Medicine) careers. The goal of HSTA is to increase the number of African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander students that pursue post-secondary education in the health sciences.
HSTA gives tuition waivers to students who fulfill all requirements. These waivers pay for post-secondary tuition at state run West Virginia Colleges, Universities, technical or professional schools.
The requirements include:
Attend 70% of weekly club meetings during all four years of high school.
Maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA during 9th grade and a minimum 3.0 GPA during their 10th - 12th grades.
Must maintain good behavior during high school.
Must attend two summer camps at West Virginia public universities. These camps last for one week.
Complete and present one, 6-to-7-minute PowerPoint presentation each school year.
Complete 75 hours of community service while in high school.
The deadline for Eighth grade students to apply to the program is MARCH 15.
See School Counselor for application and GPA help.
The four criteria for admission are as follows:
- Underrepresented minority groups as determined by federal guidelines
- Low Income (see guideline information below)
- First Generation College (neither parent is a four year college graduate, i.e. neither parent has a Bachelor's degree or higher)
- Students living in Rural Areas - Martinsburg and surrounding areas are considered rural.
Please review federal income guidelines to determine low income eligibility.
Link: https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines
(Household Size) Annual Income:
(Family of 2) $36,482.00 or less
(Family of 3) $45,991.00 or less
(Family of 4) $55,500.00 or less
(Family of 5) $65,009.00 or less
(Family of 6) $74,518.00 or less
(Family of 7) $84,027.00 or less
(Family of 8) $93,536.00 or less
For each additional family member add $9,509.00
The link to apply is at: https://redcap.wvctsi.org/redcap/surveys/?s=DFD33D9PXAC9ADWK
