University Resources for McNair Scholars

Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program

Named in honor of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, one of the astronauts who perished with the Challenger mission, this Federal TRIO Program for U.S. Citizens and permanent residents assists eligible first-generation undergraduate students from low-income families to prepare for and enter graduate and Ph.D. programs. Participants of the McNair Scholars Program include academically talented, low-income, first-generation students, and students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in graduate programs.

As a McNair Scholar at the University, you have access to many resources that can enhance your University experience.

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The McNair Scholar Request for Application Fee Waiver

The Graduate School Diversity Office (GSDO) fee waiver program for Fall 2024 is now closed. If you are still interested in being considered for a fee waiver, please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC) from your program of interest. Please use this link to find the GPC of your program of interest.

The Graduate School Diversity Office (GSDO) offers a waiver of the application fee ($75) to McNair Scholars. To qualify, students must meet eligibility requirements and complete the GSDO Fee Waiver Request Form at least two weeks before your program deadline. 

You can request a waiver of the application fee if:

  • You are a McNair Scholar.
  • You have an undergraduate GPA of 3.2 or above.
  • You are entering graduate school for the first time or have not received a post-baccalaureate degree.

Fee waiver request information

Only one application fee waiver will be allowed per student to apply to a University of Minnesota Graduate School program. Students may opt to apply to more than one program; however, only one application fee can be paid by our office.

The Application Fee Waiver does not apply to the following professional programs, which are not administered by the Graduate School:

  • UMN College of Veterinary Medicine
  • UMN Carlson School of Management
  • UMN Medical School
  • UMN Law School
  • UMN School of Public Health
  • The School of Public Health has its own McNair Scholar fee waiver process. Please contact Emily Dunsworth or visit SOPHAS for more information.
  • For Psychology Ph.D. McNair Prospective Students: due to the high volume of application fee requests, please refer to the Psychology McNair Webpage for information on how to obtain a possible departmental application fee grants.

Helpful Additional Resources for Prospective McNair Scholars

Dove Fellowship

The Diversity of Views and Experiences (DOVE) Fellowship is administered by the Graduate School Diversity Office. At least two DOVE fellowships will be awarded to McNair Scholar nominees each year.

Professional Education Diversity Fellowship

McNair Scholars are eligible for the University’s Professional Education Diversity Fellowship. This fellowship is intended to assist professional degree programs in promoting a diversity of views, experiences, and ideas through the recruitment and support of academically excellent students with diverse ethnic, racial, economic, and educational backgrounds and experiences.

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Overview

The Graduate School and Graduate School Diversity Office are pleased to invite your scholars to attend one of our McNair/TRIO SSS Summer 2024 Visit Programs. We will provide both in-person and virtual attendance options.

We ask that you make reservations at least one month prior to the desired date of your visit. We will thereafter send an invitation to have your students register so we will be able to provide further instructions, as well as share pertinent materials and information that will assist your visit. Once you complete the form, we will send you an email confirmation.
 

Dates/Agenda/Registration

Please note that, due to limited space available for each presentation, date selections are on a first come, first served basis.

Dates of Events:

•    Tuesday, June 25 (in-person) – 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CST)
•    Tuesday, July 9 (virtual via Zoom) – 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. (CST)
•    Tuesday, July 23 (in-person) – 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (CST)

Presentation Agenda

The visit program will include a presentation and discussion with Graduate School staff and student ambassadors, a tour of campus and the opportunity to meet with faculty/staff from various graduate programs across campus.

Registration

To sign up for one of the visitation dates, please complete the following online form: https://z.umn.edu/2024McNairTRIOVisit.

To confirm your program’s interest in participating, please complete the online form by Friday, June 7.

Scholars will be required to register individually. Once you complete the form, we will send you an email with more information regarding student registration, as well as pertinent materials and information.

If you need assistance in selecting an appropriate program, please contact [email protected].

Faculty/Staff Appointments

Graduate School Programs Brochure

Please note that your students are still encouraged to set up remote meetings (if available) with faculty and staff in their desired program(s) to discuss research interests and learn more about the program.

To set up a remote appointment for specific programs, please go to the Twin Cities Graduate Programs website. Select the desired program and click on “Program At-A-Glance” in order to obtain the contact information of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) and Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC). We encourage you to start with the GPC.

Students interested in the field of Psychology should be aware that the University of Minnesota has a wealth of programs that may be appropriate for your visit. This Psychology Brochure lists some of our graduate programs in the field of psychology.

Students interested in the Biomedical Sciences Graduate Programs (Biochemistry, Molecular Biology & Biophysics; Integrative Biology and Physiology; Molecular, Cellular, Developmental Biology & Genetics; Microbiology, Immunology & Cancer Biology; Neuroscience; Pharmacology) please contact:

Office of Biomedical Graduate Research, Education And Training (BGREAT), University of Minnesota 742 Mayo MMC293, 420 Delaware St. SE | Minneapolis, MN 55455-0341, 612.301.2768 | [email protected] | http://bgreat.umn.edu/

Students interested in the School of Public Health, please contact: Emily Dunsworth, Assistant Dean for Recruitment & Enrollment, School of Public Health, D305 Mayo, 612-624-0601, [email protected], http://www.sph.umn.edu/

If you need assistance in selecting an appropriate program, please contact [email protected] .