TRIO Student Support Services received a grant last fall from the US Department of Education that enabled them to create the McNair Scholars Program. The McNair program is funded to serve 25 students annually and has open spaces, according to Shanna Eggers, director of McNair scholars       program.

“The idea is that we help sophomores, juniors and seniors who qualify for a TRIO program, who are interested in going to graduate school prepare for that next step,” Eggers said.

The program is “designed to encourage and assist eligible students in their pursuit of a doctoral degree,” according to the McNair informational handout.

It also intends to increase the number of low-income, minority and first generation students pursuing doctoral degrees and teaching on college faculties, according to the Kansas TRIO Programs Introduction.

“We provide them research opportunities, visits to graduate programs, opportunities to travel to conferences, student research conferences as well as professional conferences in their respective discipline, and tutorings as needed,” Eggers said.

TRIO also offers supplemental advising and help preparing for graduate entrance exams for students in the McNair program, according to Eggers. 

Although McNair is a program within TRIO, it operates as a separate program, according to Eggers.

“They (students) must fill out an application even if they’ve been in TRIO Student Support Services, but they are not required to have been in the TRIO program before,” Eggers said.

Additionally, there are a few differences in how students can be eligible for the program.

“A student in McNair can qualify by being a member of a group that is historically underrepresented in graduate education,” Eggers said. “So there’s some…eligibility differences between the two programs.”

To be eligible for McNair, students must be a first-generation college student who meets federal income guidelines or be from a group that is underrepresented in graduate education, according to the informational handout.

In addition to fulfilling either one of those requirements, the student must be a US citizen or a permanent resident, have earned 45 credit hours and intend to pursue a research doctorate.

Students in the McNair program will not have to reapply once they have been accepted.

“Once they’re in, they can start as a sophomore, or junior, or senior…they stay in,” Eggers said. “So the number of openings…will depend on the number of students who graduate.”

Students interested in joining the program for the summer semester should apply by March 9, by going to the TRIO offices or emailing Eggers for more information at [email protected].