About
Program overview
In 1989, one of the Federal TRIO Programs was named after NASA Astronaut Dr. Ronald E. McNair to prepare low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students for doctoral studies through research and other scholarly activities.
Program eligibility
To be eligible to participate in the McNair Scholars Program, students must:
- be currently enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University
- be sophomore, junior, or senior class status
- be a first-generation student (neither of the student's parents completed a bachelor's degree)
- qualify as low income as defined by the current Federal Income Guidelines
- be an underrepresented undergraduate student (defined as “an individual who is a member of groups underrepresented including Blacks, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaskan natives, and Pacific Islanders, (Including Native Hawaiians”)
- submit the VCU McNair Scholars application