University Scholarship Program IV YEAR THREE QUARTER ONE REPORT

The program's main objective is to provide young students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds with access to high-quality college education. The scholarship includes full coverage of tuition fees, housing or transportation allowances, books, a laptop, and monthly stipends for five years. The program requires students to maintain a good academic status while being involved in community service projects and internships' work outside AUB in fields related to their majors. The students' academic standing for the Fall 2014-2015 semester was verified by the Academic Monitor and the Program Coordinator, who individually checked their schedules and registrations. The students' academic standing is summarized in Table 1, which shows the number of credits completed, GPA in term, and cumulative average for each student. The students' enrollment status for the Fall 2014-2015 semester is also summarized in Table 2, which shows the number of credits needed to complete the degree, the number of credits completed so far, and the number of credits registered during the Spring 2014-2015 semester. The expected graduation date for each student is also listed. The Program Coordinator met with all USP IV students on a monthly basis to update them on their academic progress at AUB. The Academic Monitor also met individually with the students to discuss their overall progress at the beginning of the semester and toward its end. Any student showing an academic weakness was given direct support to improve their academic performance, which included assigning a tutor or mentor in a particular subject material and following up on their academic progress on a weekly basis. During the Fall 2014-2015 semester, four students were challenged academically and received the necessary support. USP IV students also sat for the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) toward the beginning of the Fall 2014-2015 semester. The CAAP is used to measure acquired knowledge upon entrance to AUB and later monitor annually AUB education's impact on the development of the students in specific subjects' competencies. The second CAAP assessment test will provide data in various subjects' competencies for comparison against the first set of data that was collected the year before. The program's community service activities include a marathon, the Nasma Learning Center, and a soup kitchen with the AUB Red Cross Club. The students' integration at AUB is also an important aspect of the program, and the students are encouraged to participate in various activities and events on campus. Overall, the USP IV program is designed to provide young students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds with access to high-quality college education and to help them develop their academic and professional skills. The program's focus on community service and integration at AUB also helps to foster a sense of social responsibility and civic engagement among the students.