New Applicants

The TRIO McNair Scholars Program provides students with critical academic, professional, and research-related experiences to enhance their competitiveness in gaining admission to graduate programs. Its participants are scholars who have demonstrated strong academic potential and who are either low-income, first-generation college students or students from groups underrepresented in graduate education.

General Overview

Eligibility

Besides being academically successful, McNair scholars are either:

1. First-generation college students from low-income backgrounds, or
2. One of the following underrepresented minority groups: African American, Latinx, Native American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander.

Program

Core Experience and Activities

1. Monthly meetings with:
   1. Program Director
   2. Faculty mentor in your discipline
   3. Faculty mentor (non-discipline mentor)
2. Monthly workshops and seminars on such topics as personal finances, preparation of various graduate school application components, and how best to thrive within the academic landscape.
3. Selection of graduate schools of interest; identification of critical deadlines and requirements.
4. Free GRE preparation and financial support for the exam.
5. Paid-Research Internship during the summer and up to 4-paid credit hours of independent research.
6. Travel to local, regional, and national conferences (expenses paid).
7. At least one cultural event per semester (plays and musicals, concerts, art exhibits, special interest classes, etc).

Graduate School visits

1. Up to $400 of funding for textbooks per semester
2. Travel to a graduate school of interest (when permitted)
3. Ability to borrow laptops and tablets
4. Unique opportunities for graduate fellowships
5. Graduate School application fee waivers from participating institutions
6. Professional portfolio development and counseling
7. Rooms at the McNair Scholars Suite to study, use computers, print, or rest between classes
8. Community of like-minded scholars that support each other

Forms and Documents for Interested Applicants