Prospective Scholars
The McNair Scholars Program is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Federal TRIO Programs. The mission of the Program is to foster greater diversity in higher education by helping to increase the number of students from disadvantaged backgrounds who enter and complete Ph.D. programs. McNair Scholars are first-generation college students with limited income and/or members of racial/ethnic groups who are traditionally underrepresented in graduate education (African-American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander).
Eligibility Criteria
Program participants must meet the following criteria:
- Have completed at least 45 credit hours by the beginning of the fall 2021 semester
- Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 or a GPA of 3.0 or better in last 60 credit hours
- Be currently attending Wichita State as a full-time student enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours.
Participants must also meet at least one of the following eligibility requirements:
- First-generation status, meaning neither of your parents have a four-year degree, and low-income status (determined by federal guidelines https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/incomelevels.html)
- You are a member of an ethnic group underrepresented in graduate education, i.e. African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander
A Host of Benefits
- Research Experience
- Graduate School Preparation
- Faculty Mentorship
- $2,800 Research Stipend
- Application Fee Waivers
- Publication Opportunity in the McNair Journal of Research Reports
- Conference Travel
- Professional Development
- Spring Semester Campus Visits
- Ongoing Advising
- Workshops
- Presentation Experience and Development
- Assistance in Securing Admission and Financial Aid for Enrollment in Graduate School Programs
Services/Activities
- Individualized counseling and personal support for graduate school preparation
- Graduate study preparation: Meetings and seminars that dispel myths about graduate school
- Preparation for the Graduate Record Exam (GRE)
- Course-specific tutoring to improve research and writing skills
- Faculty mentoring to provide guidance, enhance networking opportunities, improve communication skills, and offer support as students navigate through the graduate school process
- Assistance researching graduate school programs and submitting quality graduate school applications
- Assistance locating financial aid for graduate school
- Research participation with a professor through the Research Component. Participants receive a stipend of $2,800 upon completion of 200-plus hours of research activities.
- Annual Closing Symposium at the end of the summer
- Opportunities to attend and present research at national, regional, and local conferences and write for scholarly publications
Definitions
First-generation college student:
- A student, neither of whose natural or adoptive parents received a baccalaureate degree; or
- A student who, prior to the age of 18, regularly resided with and received support from only one parent who did not receive a baccalaureate degree;
- An individual who, prior to the age of 18, did not regularly reside with or receive support from a natural or an adoptive parent
Low-income individual:
-
An individual whose family's taxable income did not exceed 150 percent of poverty-level guidelines the calendar year preceding the year in which the individual participates in the Program. Poverty-level income is determined using criteria established by the Bureau the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Groups underrepresented in graduate education:
-
An individual belonging to the following ethnic/racial groups are currently underrepresented in graduate education: African-American/Black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic/Latino, Native American/Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander.