The Truman State University Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program is a U.S. Department of Education-funded initiative that honors the life and legacy of Dr. Ronald E. McNair. Awarded in 5-year cycles through a competitive grant application process, our funding sustains program services designed to support and empower students to achieve academic, professional, and personal success. 

Eligibility

Due to the small numbers of first-generation, low-income, and historically underrepresented students in the U.S. every year who enroll in or complete graduate degree programs, our grant mandates that we select participants who meet the following eligibility criteria: 

1. be enrolled as a full- or part-time student at Truman State University;
2. be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident; AND
3. be a first-generation college student, defined by the U.S. Department of Education as individuals who, prior to the age of 18, have not resided with or received primary support from a parent/guardian with a 4-year college degree; AND be a student from a low-income background whose family’s/household’s taxable income for the calendar year prior to their application to our McNair Program falls within these annual guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Education. 1

OR

• be a student identified by the U.S. Department of Education as historically and currently underrepresented in graduate education: Black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiians, and/or Native American Pacific Islanders. 2

Successful applicants will demonstrate intellectual curiosity, desire to learn, and motivation/persistence toward long-term academic goals such as graduate study.

NOTE: Please consult with our Programming Specialist, Jeremy Freese, before making a final decision about whether or not to apply. We have had students self-select out of opportunities McNair provides without realizing they were eligible to participate!

Application Info

The 2024-2025 McNair Program application is now closed. Please fill out the McNair Scholars Program Interest Form to let us know you are interested and to complete an eligibility requirements precheck.

¹If you have any questions or concerns about your income status, please contact us. 

²On a case-by-case basis a member of a group that is not listed above that is underrepresented in certain academic disciplines as documented by standard statistical references or other national survey data could be eligible for McNair.