STEM CORE's Astronaut Scholarship Foundation Scholarship

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation was created in 1984 by: the six surviving Mercury 7 astronauts (Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Walter Schirra, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton); Betty Grissom (widow of the seventh astronaut, Virgil “Gus” Grissom); William Douglas, M.D. (The Project Mercury flight surgeon); and Henri Landwirth (Orlando businessman and friend). Together they represented a wealth of collective influence which was particularly suited to encouraging university students pursuing scientific excellence. Their mission was to ensure the United States would be the global leader in technology for decades to come.

Since that time, astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Space Shuttle, International Space Station, and Commercial Space programs have also embraced this noble mission. ASF partners with industry leaders, universities and individual donors to reward the best and brightest university students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) with substantial scholarships.

The prestigious Astronaut Scholarship Award is known nationwide for being among the largest merit-based monetary scholarships awarded to undergraduate STEM juniors and seniors. ASF has a life-long relationship with each Astronaut Scholar and provides them with mentors, professional and personal development and networking with astronauts, C-suite level executives and industry leaders to help advance their careers.

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation seeks outstanding students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in the fields of engineering, math, and natural or applied sciences.

More information about ASF can be found at https://www.astronautscholarship.org/.

ASF's University Partnerships

In 2026, Texas Tech because an ASF University Partner, which allows $15,000/year to be awarded to one outstanding Texas Tech student. Additionally, Texas Tech is soliticiting funds to create an ASF endowment, which will allow additional outstanding students to recieve matching ASF fund scholarships. If you are interested in donating, please contact Texas Tech's Office of Advancement.