  We prove a lower bound for the first Steklov eigenvalue of embedded minimal
hypersurfaces with free boundary in a compact $n$-dimensional manifold which
has nonnegative Ricci curvature and strictly convex boundary. When $n=3$, this
implies apriori area and curvature estimates for these minimal surfaces in
terms of the geometry of the ambient manifold and the topology of the minimal
surface. An important consequence of the estimate is a smooth compactness
result for embedded minimal surfaces with free boundary when the topological
type of these minimal surfaces is fixed.
