A transfer program funded by a grant is underway in an effort to help Foothill and De Anza College students transfer to the University of San Francisco.

The Andrew W. Mellon foundation awarded both the Foothill-De Anza Community College District and USF a grant of $2.15 million.

The Humanities Mellon Scholars Program guarantees students admission to USF with a $10,000 scholarship , where they would earn four year degrees in the humanities.

The foundation and the program both seek to promote and support the humanities and the students who work towards furthering their education in this study.

Falk Cammin, Foothill humanities professor and Humanities Mellon Scholars Program Director, said there is a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering and mathematics in higher education, but that the art of humanities allows people to question what engages us in the world.

35 students from De Anza and 35 from Foothill will be selected to participate in the program. Students will be required to have taken certain classes and meet a GPA requirement.

Selected students would receive the financial means necessary to complete their two years at either De Anza or Foothill College prior to transferring. The grant would help pay for tuition, textbooks, assigned coursework, and any other materials students might need.

Students will also be offered two quarters of paid internships through the program.

Undocumented students are eligible to apply for the program.

Cammin said her favorite part of the program is how it allows students to develop the skills to be successful.

“[The Program] provides you with a foundation for the rest of your life and deepens your critical thinking skills,” Cammin said.